Wayne County wins Aetna Inspiring Change Award
Wayne County wellness nurse Misty White, left, and administrator Patrick Herron display the Inspiring Change Award presented by the Aetna healthcare company. Herron began working on the concept of the wellness program for Wayne County employees in 2002, and White has served as coordinator since 2007.
Wayne County received an Inspiring Change Bronze Award for workplace well-being from the Aetna healthcare company recently.
The county was one of only 65 entities across the nation to be recognized for creating a healthy work environment.
“I credit the growth of the wellness program to the proactive attitudes of the county elected officials and employees,” Wayne County Wellness Clinic nurse Misty White said. “Everyone has embraced our motto to ‘Obtain or Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle.’”
The review process for the award began in March with the submission of a 50-question application that complied with requirements from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Affordable Care Act.
A panel of peers then reviewed each application and scored it based on a predetermined set of criteria developed by experts from Aetna.
Among the criteria considered for the award was the establishment of a well-being program at the Wayne County Employee Health Clinic that began in 2005 to help county employees maintain a healthy lifestyle.
“I have had the opportunity to serve as the coordinator for the wellness program since 2007,” White said. “We have continued to grow the program each year to get where we are now, and we continue to work hard. Last year that hard work culminated in the establishment of an onsite employee health clinic.”
The program inspires employees to make healthier life choices and is successful for several reasons.
“We opened a free clinic to our employees and families on the health plan,” White said. “We have (on-staff) a part-time nurse practitioner and a full-time registered nurse that serves as a case manager. It has been a long journey in wellness, but it has been rewarding to watch the program gain momentum.”
Meeting the criteria for the award requires ongoing dedication.
To be considered for the award, White needed to develop a formal strategy, establish an active committee and meet with them regularly. In addition, White worked with Aetna to develop a 12-month communications strategy that included the use of bulletin boards, email, meetings, training and the use of an internal website.
Wayne County administrator Patrick Herron began the initiative and has been instrumental in establishing and growing the services the wellness clinic provides for county employees.
“We began working on the concept of our wellness program in 2002 and started the program in 2005. It is a very well-established and well-run program, and this award is just one of the many indicators of its success,” Herron said. “While we appreciate being recognized for our work, the day-to-day aspect of being able to help employees and their families live healthier and happier lives is the best reward. I want to thank all of our partners in wellness personally: clinic staff Misty, Jill and Ann; the commissioners for supporting the program over the years; Wayne County elected officials and employees for their help and support; and Aetna. While our program has been up and running for 15 years, this is only the beginning. I appreciate everyone’s support.”
Dan Starcher is a public communications specialist for the Wayne County government.