Commonwealth Health Corporation - Recognized as an American Heart Association Fit-Friendly Worksite

Worksites take steps to decrease healthcare expenses, increase productivity

Commonwealth Health Corporation has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association for helping employees eat better and move more. This is the fourth year CHC has achieved the Platinum Level.

“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at Commonwealth Health Corporation. We are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite,” said Lynn Williams, Vice President of Human Resources. “We’re committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. This will benefit our employees’ health and produce even more positive results for our worksite overall.”

Platinum-level employers:

• Increase healthy eating options at the worksite.
  
• Promote a wellness culture in the workplace.
  
• Implement at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
  
• Demonstrate measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.
  

“At CHC, we support our employees who each have unique wellness needs by offering a variety of health and wellness opportunities,” said Williams. CHC focuses on offering healthy vending options and encouraging smarter choices in its cafeterias. CHC offers incentive-based activity programs, activity/food-based challenges and on-line health workshops, and recognizes employees who achieve health and wellness goals.

The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping worksites make their employees’ health and well-being a priority.

American employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion a year because of healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity, and those numbers are rising. Many American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs. Their lack of regular physical activity raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Employers face $12.7 billion in annual medical expenses due to obesity alone. The American Heart Association is working to change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.

Recognition is a critical component of the Fit-Friendly Worksites program. Employers that join this program qualify for official recognition by the American Heart Association. They are listed on the program’s national website. Qualifying worksites also have the right to use the program’s annual recognition seal for internal communications and with external, recruitment-related communications.

For more information about the Fit-Friendly Worksites program and how it’s helping to improve the health of Americans by focusing on the workplace, visit heart.org/worksitewellness.

The Medical Center Is First Hospital in Kentucky to Implement NICVIEW

Camera System Connects NICU Babies with their Families

The Medical Center is the first hospital in Kentucky to install NICVIEW, an innovative camera system that allows for streaming video of babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The $35,000 investment in the new system will include 10 cameras.

“Bonding with a new baby is so important, but when a baby is born prematurely or sick and must be cared for in the NICU, bonding can be a challenge when parents and their baby can’t be together all the time,” said Caitlin Burklow, Director of Women’s Services for The Medical Center. “NICVIEW allows that bonding to occur by giving parents the opportunity to stay connected with their baby through video streaming even if miles apart.”

The NICVIEW system includes a small camera that is mounted to a baby’s bed or incubator. The system allows for video streaming through a secure online portal. NICU staff can post notes in the portal to share information with parents about baby’s activities.

The portal is accessible from any web-enabled computer or mobile device. All video and information are secured with up to 256-bit SSL encryption, the current web security standard. Usernames and passwords are only issued to parents who consent to use the system. Parents are advised to safeguard their username and password, but parents can choose to share the information with family and friends at their discretion.

The implementation of the new camera system is just one enhancement to The Medical Center’s Obstetrics and Neonatology Services. A recent renovation includes a new waiting area for families, a new triage area in Labor & Delivery and a new Obstetrics Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) in Labor & Delivery.

About The Medical Center Obstetrics and Neonatology Services

The Medical Center is the sole provider of OB services in Warren County and offers the only NICU and Neonatology Services in Southcentral Kentucky. Neonatology Services includes a team of physicians, registered nurses and respiratory therapists who are trained to provide specialized neonatal care for newborns with a variety of conditions including prematurity (babies born less than 37 weeks gestation), infection and respiratory problems. In fiscal year ending April 2014, The Medical Center delivered 2,355 babies. The NICU cared for 215 babies during that same time period.