Tobacco Cessation, Gym Memberships and Weight Loss Programs Now Available to Spouses, Partners, Children at No Cost
1/19/10
Cleveland Clinic has announced that its free employee health programs are now available to dependents on its corporate employee health plan (EHP). The addition of dependents will open the programs to more than 35,000 new people, further illustrating the Clinic’s commitment to removing barriers to healthier living.
Currently, employees who participate in the Clinic’s Corporate Employee Health Plan (EHP) have access to select Weight Watchers® services at no cost, free memberships to select fitness facilities, including Curves locations and Clinic-owned gyms, and free smoking cessation treatment and medication through the hospital’s smoking cessation program. These services became available to all EHP dependents on January 1.
This expansion resulted from a highly successful employee wellness campaign launched in the summer of 2008. Since that time, more than 10,000 employees enrolled and participated in smoking cessation, weight management, and fitness programs. Collectively, 5,000 weight management program participants have lost more than 88,000 pounds – an average of 17 pounds per employee.
“Cleveland Clinic is known for its innovative health and wellness programs for its patients, employees and the community, and offering free wellness programs to our employees’ families is another way that we are leading by example,” said Delos “Toby” Cosgrove, M.D., President and CEO. “Our nearly 40,000 employees and their families represent a crucial part of our community, both locally and around the world. By giving them access to wellness and prevention programs at no cost, we can make a significant impact on the health and wellness of our community.”
Cleveland Clinic began offering employee-focused wellness programs when it established its Wellness Institute nearly three years ago. The effort has raised awareness for healthy lifestyle choices among employees and has resulted in the Clinic taking a leadership role in employee wellness.
“Lifestyle choices that include smoking, poor nutrition and lack of physical activity are key contributors to the increased rate of chronic disease affecting our families and neighborhoods,” said Michael F. Roizen, M.D., Chief Wellness Officer for Cleveland Clinic. “Extending wellness benefits to our employees’ families can help decrease their risk for becoming one of the thirty million Americans affected by a chronic illness.”
As a top ranked healthcare institution, Cleveland Clinic has consistently sought to shift the national focus from providing “sick” care to promoting wellness. From designating its entire health system smoke free on July 4, 2005, to no longer hiring smokers as of Sept. 1, 2007 and banning trans-fats from its menus, Cleveland Clinic is dedicated to creating a healthier environment for its employees, patients and community.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. About 2,000 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 7,600 nurses at Cleveland Clinic represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In addition to its main campus, Cleveland Clinic operates nine community hospitals in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas and Cleveland Clinic Canada. In 2008, there were more than 4.2 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 165,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. Visit Cleveland Clinic at clevelandclinic.org.
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