Among an elite group of awardees for this significant initiative, Dr. Joseph Pepe, President and CEO of Catholic Medical Center, is pleased to announce that CMC has been recognized as a Gold Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association.
American Heart Association’s “Fit- Friendly Worksite” is a program that pushes for physical awareness in the workplace across the nation. It recognizes employers who excel when it comes to the health and wellness of their employees.
Achieving a Fit-Friendly Worksite at the Gold Level means that CMC demonstrated a strong commitment to providing a healthy workplace for employees and met certain benchmarks including offering employees physical activity support, increasing healthy options available to employees and promoting a wellness culture, all at the worksite. Also, CMC fulfilled at least nine key criteria laid out by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
CMC’s wellness program, Health Matters, was a large contributor in reaching this accolade. Working in the Fit-Friendly initiative, Health Matters exists to assist employees in creating changes that will enhance a healthier lifestyle. To support this mission, the program offers an around-the -clock, in-house gym called The L.I.F.E. (Lifestyle Improvement For Employees) Center and monthly educational offerings in the form of lunchtime presentations.
Health Matters has also sponsored various activities, such as a “Biggest Loser” challenge, a 10,000 steps challenge, Couch to 5K, Zumba, Yoga, healthy eating promotions in our cafeteria, and a bowling league. The program is led by a committee of eleven CMC employees and works closely with HR/Benefits, who offer wellness dollars for participants with the goal of health awareness and motivation to change to healthier lifestyle behaviors.
photo caption: Dr. Louis Fink, Medical Director of the New England Heart and Vascular Institute, left, and Dr. Joseph Pepe, CMC’s President and CEO, center, receiving Fit-Friendly Worksite plaque from American Heart Association’s Corporate Events Director, Cindy Rybczyk.