The National Business Group on Health has announced that Baptist Health South Florida was awarded its Presidents’ “Best in Class” Award for outstanding performance and overall excellence in  Comprehensive Health Improvement for its Wellness Advantage employee health program.  The award was presented March 16 at the Business Group’s annual Business Health Agenda Conference in Washington, D.C.

Baptist Health is South Florida’s largest private employer in South Florida. The non-profit organization includes Baptist, Baptist Children’s, Doctors, Homestead, Mariners and South Miami and Mariners Hospitals as well as Baptist Outpatient Services and Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute.

“The Business Group recognizes and honors employers that are leading the way with paradigm-setting healthcare benefits, programs and services that moderate the growth in costs and improve the quality of health and life of their employees,” said Harry Spencer, chair of the Board of the National Business Group on Health.  “Baptist Health has demonstrated excellence in its commitment to providing ‘best in class’ health benefits and services.”

Baptist Health’s Wellness Advantage is a comprehensive program of health-related employee services designed to achieve the organization’s mission of having “the healthiest workforce in America.” Baptist Health offers employees free fitness facilities, exercise classes, walking programs, employee health offices, Wellness Meals at every campus, vending machines with healthy snacks and bottled Baptist Health spring water, health screenings, fitness coaches, a wellness newsletter, special courses and educational campaigns to promote healthy eating habits, reimbursement for Weight Watchers and smoking cessation expenses, health risk assessments, a disease management program, and discounts in medical plan premiums for employees with healthy lifestyles. 

“We launched our Wellness Advantage employee health program because we believe that wellness is the key to every success that Baptist Health employees enjoy, whether it’s the ability to care for patients, balance their personal and professional lives, or focus on our mission,” said Baptist Health President and CEO Brian E. Keeley.  “Other employers sometimes forget that healthcare organizations are wrestling with the same challenges they are.  We’re looking for ways to keep healthcare costs, including medical plan premiums and healthcare utilization rates, as low as possible.”

Wellness Advantage is having a positive impact, said Maribeth Rouseff, assistant vice president for Baptist Health. “More than half of our 6,000 employees have a joined the onsite fitness centers and thousands of others have participated in walk-a-thons and corporate runs,” Rouseff said.  “A recent employee survey showed that the vast majority of employees have been motivated to make healthier choices through one of the Wellness Advantage programs.”

Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, said, “Leading employers in the U.S. remain committed to helping their employees with health benefits coverage and programs to improve their health and the health of  their families. These employers know that one of the most important ways to control costs is to help employees and their families get and stay healthy.”  

The National Business Group on Health represents 242 mostly large employers.  It’s the nation’s only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to finding innovative and forward-thinking solutions to large employers’ most important healthcare and related benefits issues.