April 13, 2007

Mercy Announces New Workforce Health Initiative

Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City has launched a major new workforce health initiative that will better align the medical center’s services and programs with the specific health-related needs of Siouxland area employers and their employees.

Mercy Business Health Services will coordinate the proactive new effort that will involve and represent nearly every department and service at Mercy Medical Center.

“We are pleased to announce a comprehensive employer-oriented wellness initiative,” said Lana Bleil, manager of Mercy Business Health Services. “Employers taking part in this program will realize such benefits as increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and lowered healthcare costs by improving the overall health of their workforces.”

Matt Robins, who was previously Mercy’s own wellness coordinator, has been named the employer relations specialist who will serve as Mercy’s liaison to area business, industrial and government entities that choose to take advantage of the new services Mercy will make available to them.

In implementing the new initiative, Mercy will make use of a variety of tools including employer-based health information centers, on-site screenings, educational events, personal health profiles, personal health reports and other features designed to address a business owner’s individual workplace needs.

“Employers receive detailed information that allows them to make a correlation between the cost of employee benefits, lost productivity and workers’ compensation premiums with profitability if problems are left untreated,” Robins explained. “By proactively providing wellness information and moving at-risk employees into appropriate hospital-based programs, employers can mitigate health risks and save significant sums of money.”

Jaren Johnson, Mercy’s vice president for business development, said the new initiative reflects the hospital’s mission-oriented commitment to enhancing the health and wellness of the communities served by Mercy.

“We are making a concerted effort to better match our health-enhancing programs with the specific needs of residents of the region,” she said. “This program also emphasizes true collaboration and excellent communication with employers.”

A service of Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City, Mercy Business Health Services offers an array of services available to business and industry designed to help lower the cost of health care. Mercy’s on-site occupational health nurses provide companies numerous services and benefits including short-term nursing care, first aid programs, personal health and safety education, and immunization clinics. They also offer health and wellness screenings, physicals and drug screenings.

In addition to on-site occupational health nursing and worksite wellness, Mercy Business Health Services also offers worker injury evaluation and treatment, rehabilitation services, loss prevention, and cost containment services.

Along with Robins, Kira Oregon, MS, CEES, a certified wellness coach, will continue to work with Mercy Business Health Services clients in her role as coordinator of Worksite Health Promotion.

For more information about Mercy Business Health Services, including the newly announced workforce health initiative, call (712) 274-4250 or 1-800-711-3923.