Vidant Health recognized for championing employee | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release:

    GREENVILLE     Vidant Health has been awarded a Hospital Prevention Excellence Award by NC Prevention Partners, a public health leader that offers the award-winning worksite wellness program WorkHealthy AmericaSM.

    Prevention Excellence Awards are given to outstanding individuals and organizations for their contributions in making the nation a healthier place to live, work and learn.

    "Successful prevention stems from good health policies," said Dr. Meg Molloy, NCPP president and CEO. "One of the best ways to accelerate the adoption of good healthy policies is by recognizing and sharing the success stories that make them possible."

    Last year, Vidant Health formally adopted a policy that established a healthy food environment as the norm for all eateries and vending on Vidant Health campuses and at all company-sponsored events. Employees are offered a variety of wellness benefits and incentives, including tobacco cessation one-on-one counseling, tobacco cessation classes and the NC Quit Line to encourage people to quit using tobacco. Employees or employee dependents who participate in these approved programs may receive free prescription medications and nicotine replacement therapy.

    Vidant Health also offers a series of lifestyle and wellness challenges throughout the year that encourage employees to become more physically active and make better nutrition choices. Earlier this year, Vidant Health extended its mission for wellness into the community by co-sponsoring a Prevention Academy in Greenville, one of NCPP's most successful academies to date.

    "The most important elements to health are knowledge and lifestyle. Helping provide the knowledge and having a work environment that supports healthy lifestyle choices can and does make a difference in the health of our employees," said Dr. David C. Herman, president and CEO of Vidant Health. "Getting healthy and staying healthy means that the almost 13,000 Vidant Health employees are here and ready when our communities and neighbors need our care."

    Vidant Health hospitals also received NC Prevention Partners' Gold Star Award for meeting and maintaining the highest standards for a comprehensive tobacco-free environment. Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital and The Outer Banks Hospital were recipients of this award. All of the Vidant Health hospitals were recognized with the Gold Apple Award for meeting and maintaining the highest standards for nutrition. Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital and The Outer Banks Hospital were recipients of this award.

    The awards were presented at NCPP's annual meeting, held June 5 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Carolina Club.

    About NC Prevention Partners

    NC Prevention Partners, a non-profit organization, develops prevention systems to improve the health of North Carolinians through a three-fold strategy of fostering partnerships, influencing policy and promoting preventions. Each year, NCPP recognizes individuals, businesses and groups from across the state working to prevent diseases and conditions that result from poor nutrition, physical inactivity and tobacco use. To learn more about NC Prevention Partners, visit www.ncpreventionpartners.org.


    Contact: Judith Quinn, Vidant Health Strategic Development, (252) 847-7599 or judith.quinn@vidanthealth.com

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in nine eastern North Carolina hospitals and has a management agreement with one other. The health system includes Albemarle Health, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com