Frye Regional Medical Center Recognized as Fit-Friendly Company | Business

Frye Regional Medical Center has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association for helping employees eat better and move more.

“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at Frye Regional Medical Center. We are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Company,” said Frye Regional Medical Center’s Chief Executive Officer Michael Blackburn. “We’re committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. This will benefit our employees’ health and produce even more positive results for our company overall.”

Platinum-level employers:

• Offer employees physical activity options in the workplace.
• Increase healthy eating options at the worksite.
• Promote a wellness culture in the workplace.
• Implement at least nine criteria outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
• Demonstrate measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.

Frye Regional Medical Center’s corporate wellness program provides a foundation for qualifying for the basic Fit-Friendly designation. “We were able to achieve the Platinum designation for Frye based on the extra activities we made available to our employees during the year,” said Frye Human Resources Consultant, Ellen Robbins.

These activities included a “Walk a Marathon” challenge where employees were asked to walk 26 miles in the 26 days prior to the date of the Boston Marathon, with instruction on how to begin a walking program. Frye’s CEO was present during group walks to encourage and recognize participation, and all who participated received a pedometer.

Frye also sponsored the “Do the Unthinkable 5K” featuring Scott Rigsby, a double amputee who has completed Ironman Triathlons. To encourage participation, Frye collaborated with a locally-owned business, Fleet Feet, and subsidized the cost for the 12-week training program for any employee who wanted to participate.

As part of Hospital Week, the hospital offered free health screenings to all employees including body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, and EKG (electrocardiogram.)

Frye partnered with the local YMCA and offered “punch cards,” which allowed employees who are not members of the YMCA to attend eight group classes for a discounted rate. Once the card was punched for eight classes, the employee could join the YMCA and receive the first month free.

Frye also began offering “Fit Kits” to employees who attained a certain level of wellness points. The kits included resistance bands, jump ropes, and other fitness items in a travel-size kit. Other incentives included awards such as day packs for hiking and pedometers.

The Fit-Friendly Companies program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping companies make their employees’ health and wellness a priority.

American employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion a year because of healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity, and those numbers are rising. Many American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs. Their lack of regular physical activity raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Employers face $12.7 billion in annual medical expenses due to obesity alone. The American Heart Association is working to change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.

Recognition is a critical component of the Fit-Friendly Companies program. Employers that join this program qualify for official recognition by the American Heart Association. Qualifying companies also have the right to use the program’s annual recognition seal for internal communications and with external, recruitment-related communications.

“The Fit-Friendly Companies Program offers a unique, easy-to-implement opportunity for corporations to increase employees’ physical activity, which will help improve their health – and their employers’ bottom line,” said Frye Human Resources Consultant Ellen Robbins. “Even people who haven’t exercised regularly until middle age can reap significant benefits by starting a walking program. A study published in 1986 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that some adults may gain two hours of life expectancy for every hour of regular, vigorous exercise they performed.”

For more information about the Fit-Friendly Companies program and how it is helping to improve the health of Americans by focusing on an activity that is convenient, free and easy, visit startwalkingnow.org. For more information on Frye Regional Medical Center, visit www.fryemedctr.com. For a physician referral, call 828-315-3391.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join us, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any of our offices around the country, or visit heart.org.

ABOUT FRYE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

Frye Regional Medical Center is an acute care facility that has been servicing the medical and health care needs of Catawba County and central western North Carolina since 1911.

The hospital’s main campus includes a comprehensive heart center, accredited cancer center and bariatric surgery program, orthopedics, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, neurosciences, a women’s center with level II nursery, and pediatrics.

 FryeCare Physicians, LLC provide hospitalists and critical care coverage. Frye has several extended campuses to serve families throughout the area, including FryeCare Outpatient Imaging Center, FryeCare Pulmonology, Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Infusion Care, Vein and Wound Center, Piedmont Therapy, offering sports and industrial rehabilitation; South Campus for psychiatric services; The Frye Wellness and Education Center houses an accredited Center for Diabetes Self-Management Care, perinatal education and community wellness classes; Tate Surgery Center; Unifour Pain Treatment Center; and two urgent care facilities—FryeCare Urgent Care in Conover and Hudson.

For employers, Frye provides industrial health services through Hart Industrial Clinic.

Frye Regional Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.  To learn more about the hospital, visit www.fryemedctr.com. For physician referral, call 828-315-3391.