Corewell Health Gerber Hospital to offer workplace wellness assistance to area employers

November 1, 2022

FREMONT, Mich., – Corewell Health™ Gerber Hospital, formerly Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial, seeks to partner with Newaygo County employers interested in establishing a workplace wellness program for employees.

Gerber Hospital community health specialist Stephanie Kooistra shared this was a need identified in the community health needs assessment completed in 2022. She has seen first-hand the negative impact that preventable, chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes have on individuals, families and the workplace.

“We are looking to partner with local businesses to offer services such as blood pressure screenings, tobacco cessation classes, health coaching, weight management and other health and wellness education,” said Kooistra. “By promoting healthy living and providing health education at local worksites, employers can help their employees make healthy, positive choices that will benefit not only the employee but their families and workplaces.”

These services provided by Gerber Hospital’s Community Health team are free for employers, with all screenings and classes to be held on-site at the workplace, making it easy and convenient for employees to participate.

This initiative will implement The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Workplace Health Model, a coordinated four-step approach to building workplace health promotion programs. The four steps include an initial assessment, planning the program, implementing the program and determining impact through evaluation.

“This model uses a coordinated approach that focuses on policies, systems and environmental change to build a healthier workplace,” said Kooistra. “Through this, workplaces can adopt policies that promote and encourage health for their employees.”

Health educators from Corewell Health Gerber Hospital will support the businesses and workplaces as each selects the evidence-based strategies they want to implement.

“It’s very employer-driven,” added Kooistra.

Collaborators in this initiative also include District Health Department #10, LiveWell Newaygo County, the Newaygo County Community Collaborative, Michigan Works! West Central and the Newaygo County Economic Development Partnership, a partner of The Right Place, Inc., a regional economic development collaborative.

“As employers from every sector struggle to attract and retain employees, this new strategy can help set companies apart,” said Julie Burrell, economic development director, Newaygo County | The Right Place. “Through these free classes, screening and education, employers can positively contribute to the culture of their organization, prioritizing healthier worksites and healthier employees.”

Interested employers can learn more by completing an online survey at https://bit.ly/3TFXyhD, emailing communityhealth@spectrumhealth.org or calling 231.924.3073.

About Corewell Health West

Corewell Health West, formerly Spectrum Health, is a not-for-profit health system serving 13 counties in West Michigan. Corewell Health West is a region of Corewell Health™, formerly the BHSH System (Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health) that provides care and coverage with an exceptional team of 60,000+ dedicated people—including more than 11,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,000 nurses providing care and services in 22 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving over 1.2 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org or spectrumhealth.org.

###

Contact:
Michelle Rasmussen
Senior Communications Specialist
Phone: 231.349.9964
Email: michelle.rasmussen@corewellhealth.org