FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare's innovative The Good Life program received national attention at the 2019 WELCOA (Wellness Council of America) National Summit in August. Lauded for its focus on the multiple components that influence health, including financial well-being, social well-being, and community well-being, The Good Life provides MemorialCare employees with access to health resources such as onsite coaching, fitness classes, an Express Care Clinic, online employee wellness portal, and fully-equipped employee gyms at multiple locations.
Since its launch 10 years ago, The Good Life initiative has positively impacted both the way MemorialCare employees view their workplace and their overall well-being. In a recent employee survey, 75% of participants reported that The Good Life makes MemorialCare a great place to work. Ninety-three percent reported developing positive daily habits over the last year.
"We've always had a company culture at MemorialCare where people feel valued and know the organization is concerned for their personal wellbeing," says Tammie Brailsford, Chief Operating Officer, MemorialCare. "We genuinely care about the people who work here and will do everything we can to support that."
The Good Life has also had a significant impact on MemorialCare population health. It's onsite employee coaching program, The Good Life in Balance, which is designed for employees with diabetes, pre-diabetes or weight management concerns was awarded the Innovation Award from the American Heart Association in 2012.
The Good Life, coupled with the way MemorialCare designs its health benefits, has helped reduce healthcare costs for MemorialCare by 6% since 2016. At the same time, employee paycheck deductions and other out-of-pocket costs were reduced.
WELCOA 2019 Top Health Promotion Professional
The Good Life is led by Melanie Cumbee, MemorialCare's Director of Organizational Health and Wellbeing. Cumbee, who holds a MS degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion and is a certified wellness practitioner, joined MemorialCare in 2008. She worked closely with Brailsford to create The Good Life program. From the beginning, her mission was to create a culture that honors every employee's personal wellness journey and offer resources that make it easy to prioritize well-being at work.
"Employees who are happy and thriving in multiple areas of well-being contribute to the overall health and vitality of the organization," says Cumbee. "I'm grateful that through my role at MemorialCare, I've been given the opportunity to create programs that really make a difference in the daily life of every employee."
For her efforts, Cumbee was named WELCOA's 2019 Top Health Promotion Professional in the United States. This honor recognizes wellness professionals who have successfully created a sustainable culture of workplace wellbeing.
"We're so proud of Melanie," says Brailsford. "This award is well-deserved. She has helped shape The Good Life into a program that has improved the health of many MemorialCare employees and at the same time, helped reduce our healthcare costs."
About MemorialCare
MemorialCare is a nationally acclaimed leader in value-based care serving Southern California's Los Angeles and Orange counties with more than 200 care locations. The nonprofit health system also includes MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills. Visit MemorialCare online at www.memorialcare.org. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MemorialCareHealthSystem. Follow us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/MemorialCare.
SOURCE MemorialCare
