Virtua earns top award for wellness initiatives
Andrew Faupel, Virtua’s Director of Wellness, accepts the Best of Show Healthy Workplace Award from Sue Schick, President of United Healthcare of Pennsylvania & Delaware.
Virtua recently won top honors from the Philadelphia Business Journal for its focus on employee wellness programs. The nonprofit healthcare system received the Best of Show Healthy WorkPlace Award for Extra-Large Company.
Virtua's Wellness Program was launched in 2006 with the intent of building a Culture of Wellness for employees. Strongly supported by Virtua’s leadership team, including President and CEO Richard P. Miller, Executive Vice President for Health Services Ninfa Saunders, and Chief Medical Officer James Dwyer, D.O., the program invests in the health and wellbeing of employees and their families.
“Virtua’s employees are our most important resource, and our wellness programs are designed to keep them active and healthy,” said Saunders. “This recognition reaffirms the commitment to a culture of wellness and we are pleased to accept the Healthy WorkPlace Award.”
The program continues to grow. Virtua has expanded its award winning Virtua Walk-Run Challenge and received national honors from the American Heart Association for the Virtua Wellness Recognition Program, where employees are showcased for their efforts. The Virtua Weight Watchers at Work Program has included more than 750 employees who lost over 11,000 pounds over three years.
Virtua is at the forefront in wellness initiatives. In November 2007, Virtua was one of the first hospitals to move to a totally tobacco-free environment. There is a zero copay on all tobacco cessation, blood pressure, cholesterol, asthma and diabetes medications.
“Virtua’s wellness programs are designed to be accessible, engaging and fun,” said Andrew Faupel, Director of Wellness. “We regularly recognize program participants as Wellness Champions who achieve outstanding personal wellness success and who inspire others to do the same.”
One of those champions is Alison Wishnick, Manager of Planning and Business Analytics at Virtua. An avid runner and Leukemia survivor, she has taken her participation to a new level in recent years and plans to run the Steamtown Marathon this fall in Scranton, Pa.
“Just being in shape makes me feel, sleep and live better,” she said. “Aside from that, I have met some great friends and inspiring people, and have had the opportunity to travel to support my cause.”
Virtua recently won top honors from the Philadelphia Business Journal for its focus on employee wellness programs.
The nonprofit healthcare system received the Best of Show Healthy WorkPlace Award for Extra-Large Company.
Virtua is a comprehensive multi-hospital healthcare system headquartered in Marlton, NJ. Its mission is to deliver a world-class patient experience through its programs of excellence in cancer treatment, cardiology, orthopaedics, women's health, pediatrics, surgery, neuroscience and wellness. A non-profit organization, Virtua employs 8,400 clinical and administrative personnel, and approximately 1,800 physicians serve as medical staff members. Virtua has distinguished itself as one of the first Six Sigma organizations in healthcare, as an early adopter of clinical and digital technologies, and for its innovative partnerships with nationally renowned organizations such as
GE Healthcare,
Fox Chase Cancer Center and
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). It has been honored twice with the New Jersey Governor's award for Clinical Excellence and recognized with the Leadership Award for Outstanding Achievement by Voluntary Hospitals of America. Virtua has been honored as the #1 Best Employer in the Delaware Valley by the
Philadelphia Business Journal and is the recipient of the Consumer Choice Awards by National Research Corporation. Virtua is proud to be the official southern New Jersey sponsor of the Go Red for Women and Start! Walking Movements. For more information, visit
www.virtua.org or call 1-888-VIRTUA-3 (1-888-847-8823).