Grace Cottage earns gold for Worksite Wellness

TOWNSHEND

Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital has been awarded a Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Program Award. Presented to Vermont employee wellness programs by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and the Vermont Department of Health, these awards are given at three levels. Grace Cottage earned gold, the highest level.

In 2021, Grace Cottage initiated Mediterranean Wellness, an online portal to encourage a healthy wellness culture among employees. The three main components of the wellness program are behavior challenges, educational offerings and biometrics/health risk assessments and screenings. Employees have access to a variety of webinars, healthy recipes and group and individual activities that boost camaraderie, improve morale and encourage healthier lifestyles.

Organized by the Grace Cottage Human Resources Department, the program has had broad employee participation, with over 60% of employees completing the health risk assessment in the first year; this is especially encouraging in a year that posed so many challenges to healthcare workers.

The Governor’s Award for Excellence in Worksite Wellness was developed 20 years ago and is presented in partnership with VDH to employers across the state. The goal is to create a standard of excellence for worksite wellness initiatives. These annual honors provide an opportunity for the Governor and the Health Commissioner to recognize businesses and organizations for promoting the health of Vermonters and for helping to make Vermont a great place to live and work.

An awards ceremony will be held later this year.