Geisinger earns national award for employee health and well-being program

DANVILLE, Pa – For the ninth year, Geisinger has been recognized by the National Business Group on Health, a nonprofit association of more than 440 large employers, for providing one of the best workforce health and employee well-being programs in the nation. 

Geisinger is among 39 U.S. employers that received 2020 Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being awards presented at the business group’s virtual Workforce Strategy 2020 Conference. Geisinger received a platinum award for implementing a workforce well-being strategy with demonstrated results.

“When you take care of yourself, you take great care of others,” said Allison Hess, vice president of Health, Geisinger Steele Institute for Health Innovation. “By supporting the enhancement and maintenance of personal and professional well-being, Geisinger family members can remain focused and engaged in helping the organization enhance the health of our communities.”

Geisinger’s wellness program is designed to help its employees maintain and enhance their well-being through comprehensive benefits, health education, resources and programs, including health coaching, on-site fitness centers, yoga classes, weight management and activity challenges, and the diabetes prevention program. 

Geisinger’s myHealth Rewards program helps employees and their spouses/domestic partners maintain and enhance their personal health and well-being — while also saving money. 

Program results include:
• Participants lost more than 38,000 total pounds in 2019. That’s the same weight as three elephants.
• 127,000+ pounds lost by participants since 2016.
• 47% of participants with high blood pressure reduced it to a normal range in 2019.
• 40% of participants with a blood glucose in a pre-diabetic range reduced to a normal range in 2019.
• 94% of participants who enrolled from 2016–2019 reduced at least one health measure.
• Participants who met their 2019 myHealth Rewards goals are saving on their health insurance premiums; $808 savings for individuals, $2,227 for families.

Last year, Geisinger signed the Good Food Healthy Hospital (GFHH) pledge to increase offerings of healthier and more sustainable food and beverage options to patients, employees and visitors. Geisinger’s Foodservice Department supports employee health and well-being by implementing healthy selections and providing nutritional guidelines. 

During the baseline evaluation year of the pledge, Geisinger achieved bronze status for meeting GFHH standards for patient meals and catering. Foodservice is making changes in its retail cafeterias to meet silver status in 2021.

Now in its 16th year, the Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being awards recognize employers with exceptional commitment to improving their employees’ overall well-being, productivity and quality of life. The awards program incorporates a wide range of well-being contributors including financial security, mental and physical health, social connectedness and community involvement.

“On behalf of the entire business group, I’d like to congratulate Geisinger on being named a best employer for excellence in health and well-being,” said Ellen Kelsay, president and CEO of the Business Group on Health. “This year was especially difficult for companies as they faced many challenges to keep their workers engaged, productive and healthy. Geisinger is among an elite group of employers who recognize the positive impact these types of programs can have on their employees’ productivity, engagement and overall well-being.” 

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country.  Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.