BNMC Healthy Workplace Initiative
BNMC is working with area employers to facilitate positive change towards creating healthier workplaces.
Overview
The Buffalo Healthy Workplace Initiative was established under a five-year (2015-2020) Creating Healthy Schools & Communities (CHSC) grant from the New York State Department of Health. The goal of the overall public health initiative is to reduce major risk factors of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases in high-need school districts and associated communities statewide.
BNMC’s workplace wellness initiative has been highlighted in The Buffalo News [BN], Refresh, and Buffalo Business First.
About The Program
BNMC leads the Buffalo Healthy Workplace Initiative to bring together diverse employers so that they can learn from each other, develop best practices, and improve their focus on creating a healthier workplace for their employees. Our role is to identify and recruit employers, assess their current health & wellness programs, identify areas for improvement, and facilitate connections to local community programs and resources that can help make healthy improvements in their workplace.
There are currently over 40 employers participating, and they represent a diverse group including private, public, and not for profit; small, medium, and large; and with a varying level of workplace health & wellness programs and focus. BNMC has facilitated adoption of comprehensive wellness policies at 18 sites, and worked with 40+ sites on implementing: farm to work programs, step challenges, group bike rides, walking meetings, treadmill desks, healthy food programs, vending machine makeovers, yoga and meditation, bike desks, indoor hydroponic gardens, composting, mental health first aid training, water coolers, tobacco-free initiatives, breast feeding friendly initiatives, bike sharing, and more.
Recognition
BNMC has been recognized by the Harkin on Wellness Designation, a national program out of the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement at Drake University on its comprehensive corporate well-being program.
BNMC has also been recognized locally by Lawley Insurance for its efforts in workplace health promotion.
Assessments & Meetings
All employers are initially assessed, using a standard questionnaire to evaluate current programs and policies. BNMC works with the employer to connect them to partners and programs that can assist in bringing additional health and wellness programs to their current initiatives.
Participating employers meet at the Healthy Workplace Initiative meeting to share information about their health & wellness efforts, resources and lessons learned so that all participants can have the full benefit of learning, asking questions and sharing information.
BNMC acts as a mentor and as a facilitator to help keep participants on track, enthused and connected to resources.