Wellness Committee Promotes Healthy Habits and Strengthens Teamwork
Strategies that address workforce recruitment and retention are essential to providing optimal health in Kansas. The Workforce Strategies Award recognizes a team of employees, providers or volunteers who have significantly contributed to the well-being, retention or recruitment of health care workers at their facility.
Greenwood County Hospital’s Employee Health and Wellness Committee was established to promote healthy habits, reduce stress and strengthen teamwork among employees. The committee includes both leadership and frontline staff, with representation from departments across the hospital. It was created in response to employee engagement survey results that identified workplace wellness, teamwork and connectedness as key concerns that could affect retention.
In January 2024, the committee launched a wellness app that allowed employees and family members to participate in health-focused activities and team challenges. Forty-nine employees signed up for the app, which included healthy challenges, companywide competitions and activities designed to encourage movement, stress reduction and teamwork. In June 2024, the hospital hosted a weeklong company Olympics challenge, with four teams of 15 to 20 employees competing in physical and mental activities. The committee also supported lunch-and-learn sessions, rotating healthy snacks and lunches, fitness room updates and challenges to encourage use of the new equipment.
The program improved employee wellbeing by increasing nutrition awareness, expanding access to wellness resources and encouraging physical activity. It also helped reduce stress related to health and financial concerns, fostered camaraderie across departments and created opportunities for employees to connect through playful, team-building activities. The committee meets monthly with a defined agenda, encourages department feedback and uses group discussion and voting to select wellness, retention and recruitment strategies. Through shared decision-making and broad staff involvement, the committee has helped build a healthier, more connected workplace culture.