Working Well

Tobacco use, poor nutrition, and physical inactivity are three huge risk factors leading to early and preventable disease and contributing significantly to the cost of providing health services. These risk factors among employees result in higher absenteeism, lost productivity, and increased costs for employers. The simple truth is that unhealthy employees are less productive than their healthier peers. Hospitals, however, can be natural leaders in prevention. As community-oriented, mission-driven organizations, hospitals understand the role that health plays in the community and to the individual. As employers, they understand the high cost of preventable illness and disease among the almost 80,000 South Carolinians who work in hospitals.

To spread this prevention message statewide, in 2011 The Duke Endowment awarded a multi-year grant to SCHA to launch a new initiative called Working Well. The Working Well Campaign is collaborating with similar initiatives, including those coordinated by Eat Smart, Move More SC , the American Heart Association, and the American Cancer Society to capitalize on the resources available through these partners.

SCHA has also teamed up with the NC Prevention Partners (NCPP) to support South Carolina hospitals in their efforts to develop and implement wellness policies and work environments that promote better health. We are here to help participating hospitals assess, implement and maintain evidence-based and effective policies designed around the three pillars of an effective worksite wellness environment.