How (and Why) To Encourage Your Employees To Eat Well

Your hospital may get high marks for caring for patients, but how well does it measure up in caring for your employees’ health? The Kansas Hospital Association (KHA) is taking a leadership role in encouraging a growing number of health systems to serve up more nutritious options in their cafeterias and vending machines, with the goal of helping employees adopt healthier eating habits, says Cindy Samuelson, vice president of member and public relations at KHA.

By promoting smart choices for employees at work, hopefully this will lead them to make better choices at home as well, adds Hayley Finch-Genschorck, director of education at KHA and liaison for KHA’s Healthy Kansas (KS) Hospitals program.

With obesity and related health problems like diabetes and cardiovascular disease on the rise throughout the U.S., Samuelson and Finch-Genschorck agree that KHA hopes to stem the tide, at least within their own state.

To this end, each year KHA honors health systems that most successfully adopt this healthful mission with its Centers of Excellence award. Winners receive media recognition and $1,000 to support one of their system’s healthy initiatives.

One recent Centers of Excellence winner is Hays Medical Center (HaysMed), part of the University of Kansas Health System.

The system has taken on the challenge of educating employees about recommended dietary and exercise guidelines and encouraging them to make healthful choices a priority.

Read the full article now: Food for Thought: Why Kansas Hospitals Are Serving Up Healthier Options for Employees

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President