By John Lambert
The Lexington community is taking the FaithHealth initiative in a new, exciting direction.
In its first year, the initiative made significant progress in building participation of churches and connecting volunteers help take care of one another’s health care needs in conjunction with Wake Forest Baptist Health-Lexington Medical Center.
Now, the movement in Lexington is expanding as the business community joins to enter a proactive phase of improving health.
“Health care for a business is more than demonstrating concern for employees,” said Burr Sullivan, CEO of the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce (above, center). “It is a bottom-line factor that often determines the success of a business.”
A Healthy Workforce
Under Sullivan’s leadership, the business community is being made aware of the need for employee wellness programs. The Chamber and FaithHealthNC recently sponsored a forum to inform businesses of the advantages of an effective employee health program.
“Having a healthy workforce increases the profitability of a company through greater productivity and higher morale,” said Sullivan. “Numerous studies prove that employee wellness programs are an investment in the success of a company. A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management concluded that “for every dollar spent on wellness initiatives, most organizations see $1 to $3 decreases in their overall health care costs.”
A representative of the Davidson County government discussed the benefits of their employee wellness program. The return on investment is 16:1; the cost of health insurance has increased 2 percent compared with the national average of 10-12 percent, and the percentage of smokers has declined from about 25 to 9 percent.
In addition to strengthening the bottom line of a business, an employee wellness program linked to FaithHealth brings about improved access to care and networking to strengthen the health of the community.
Healthy Lifestyles
Dr. Ray Howell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lexington, reports that members of his church have benefitted from learning about healthy lifestyles. “Ultimately, each of us is responsible for our own health, and we must learn and then commit to behaviors that will enable us to live longer, healthier lives. FaithHealth has enabled our members to learn how to take care of themselves.”
Dr. Chris Gambill (right), director of the FaithHealthNC initiative, encouraged businesses in Lexington to join the movement by starting their own wellness programs and connect to the resources of the Lexington program.
“Yes, there is a business case to be made for wellness,” said Gambill, “But Lexington is going a step further to create a network of caring that can have a powerful effect on the community.”
Dr. Gary Gunderson, vice president of Faith and Health Ministries at Wake Forest Baptist Health, started a program in Memphis that led to the FaithHealthNC initiative.
“Working with business leaders who care about the community is adding the element of prevention to this movement,” said Gunderson. “We are excited about the possibilities in Lexington to bring the community together at the front end and improve the health of the entire population.”
For more information about the Lexington program, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 336 248-5929 or www.lexingtonchamber.net.
