Document Type
Capstone Experience
Graduation Date
12-2017
Degree Name
Master of Public Health
Department
Health Promotion
First Committee Member
Lea Pounds, Ph.D., MBA
Second Committee Member
Nizar Wehbi, M.D., MBA
Third Committee Member
Laura Fuhs
Abstract
Midwest Gastrointestinal Associates (MGI) is a private clinic in Omaha, Nebraska that reached out to the College of Public Health for assistance in the clinic’s employee wellness program. An MPH student with a background in health and wellness provided MGI with a health promotion intervention to increase employee participation rates. A change was made to the wellness program in 2017 away from monthly health challenges and points—to small gifts distributed to all employees to increase engagement and morale. An initial program evaluation was performed to understand employee understanding and needs. Discovered was the need for an outlet employees could turn to with health and wellness questions. Over six weeks in the fall, employees were provided with the opportunity to seek health and wellness information from the public health student. Educational information was provided to employees regarding mental health (stress relief techniques), physical activity, and dietary consumption. If employees had questions regarding other wellness aspects, the public health student provided information to the best of her ability. Towards the end of the intervention, another survey was distributed to employees to evaluate the intervention and understand the wants and needs employees had for the upcoming calendar year. This survey was also used to compare results from the initial survey. It is recommended the clinic returns to the former structure of the wellness program by offering monthly health challenges, providing healthier gifts, implementing a culture of wellness throughout the clinic, and considers bringing a wellness coordinator to the clinic to assist the wellness committee. All recommendations and survey results were discussed with a majority of the wellness committee the week following intervention to assist the committee in planning decisions for the upcoming calendar year.
Recommended Citation
Chambers, Olivia, "Employee Wellness at Private Clinic in Omaha, NE: Social Marketing and Health Communications Perspective" (2017). Capstone Experience. 9.
https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/coph_slce/9