Lakes District Health Board leading the way

MEDIA RELEASE 3 November 2011

Lakes District Health Board leading the way

Lakes District Health Board has become the first District Health Board (DHB) in New Zealand to be awarded the WorkWell Bronze Standard Accreditation.

WorkWell is a workplace wellness management programme delivered by Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes DHB regions.

WorkWell Advisors Meghan Ruha and Dave Wood presented the Bronze Standard to Lakes DHB Chief Executive Cathy Cooney during the recent Bipartite meeting. “It’s been a great process for both the Lakes DHB and Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service,” said Dave Wood. “The quality of documentation supplied by Lakes DHB was incredibly high and has provided Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service with some excellent real life examples that can be showcased for other organisations going through the accreditation process.”

Lakes DHB Chief Executive Cathy Cooney said she is very proud Lakes is the first DHB to achieve Bronze WorkWell Accreditation, adding this is one of the ways in which Lakes DHB can demonstrate to its staff, patients and the wider community its commitment to the health and wellbeing of its staff.

“Our vision at Lakes DHB is Healthy Communities- Mauriora! so improved health and wellbeing for our staff was the key driver to adopting the WorkWell wellness management programme. An important concept for WorkWell is to engage staff members in the process of identifying issues in the workplace and designing solutions so it was very pleasing that many staff members participated in the WorkWell survey in February 2011 and very satisfying to note that most staff members surveyed are happy in their workplace.”

Dave Wood acknowledged the effort of Linda Johnston, the Lakes DHB WorkWell Leader and all the other staff that played a key role in reaching this milestone. “Lakes DHB has taken a lead role in workplace wellness by making the commitment to ensure that they’re providing a working environment that supports making the healthy choice the easy choice,” said Dave Wood. “The DHB has actively encouraged their local health providers to participate in WorkWell, helping to ensure they’re also walking the talk in terms of health and wellbeing.”

55 businesses are currently registered with WorkWell and are working towards identifying ways in which they can improve, promote and protect the health of their staff and ultimately their business or organisation.

Lakes DHB, with over 1,350 employees, is the largest employer to achieve the WorkWell Bronze Standard Accreditation since the programme’s implementation in 2010. “Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service looks forward to continuing this partnership with Lakes DHB and seeing the DHB reach Silver and Gold Standard accreditation,” said Dave Wood.

For more information about WorkWell visit the website - www.workwell.health.nz

ENDS

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