CHWC recognized, honored for creating a healthy workplace

TORRINGTON — Community Health and Wellness Center, Torrington, has been recognized by the Business Council of Fairfield County for creating a healthy workplace and is being honored by its Healthy Workplace Employer Recognition Program.

The program is presented by the Business Council’s Health, Wellbeing and Safety Roundtable, with the leadership support of USI Insurance Services and UnitedHealthcare of Connecticut Inc. and assistance from ConnectiCare and Aon.

Now in its 11th year, the Healthy Workplace Employer Recognition Program has become the premiere award in Connecticut. It was established to recognize the outstanding achievements of businesses and organizations in implementing employee health promotion and wellness programs. The recipient of a Silver Award, CHWC is one of 57 companies being honored for its employee wellness initiatives and achievements.

The center was nominated for the award by Sean K. Smedley, account executive with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Nominations are reviewed by a committee of professionals in a formal process using detailed criteria and standardized application materials to review initiatives that facilitate and encourage employee heath, enhance productivity, and ensure a healthy work environment.

“Community Health and Wellness Center has been and continues to do more than most other employers,” said, Smedley. “They are continually seeking wellness seminars and activities for their staff.”

Some of the health initiatives and activities CHWC has offered to its employees, all at no charge, include: chair massages, salad bar lunch, yoga mats and classes at area yoga studios, mindfulness and meditation training with a Zen monk, walking kits containing pedometers and water bottles, blood pressure screenings, “MeYouHealth” wellness app and wellness walking challenges, and a ecture by motivational speaker and author David A. O’Brien

“We are extremely honored that our program to enhance employee health and wellness has been recognized with such a prestigious award,” said Joanne Borduas, CEO of CHWC. “We formalized wellness initiatives as a benefit to our staff two years ago, and our program is coordinated by Dorothy Barrow, our human resources manager.”

CHWC’s employee health and wellness program is expanding in 2019. “We are gratified that Harvard Pilgrim gifted us with an annual budget of $2,500 for our program the past two years,” Barrow said. “In light of our commitment to and success with our employee wellness initiatives, they have generously increased our budget to $5,000 this year, which allows us to do more for our employees to keep them on the wellness track.”

The Community Health & Wellness Center of Greater Torrington is committed to keeping communities healthy. The center, its employees, volunteer practitioners, board members, officer, and independent contractors are deemed to be employees of the Federal Public Health and Human Services. In a compassionate, patientcentered environment, CHWC services are accessible and provided without discrimination, with cultural competence, and where all people matter regardless of their ability to pay.

CHWC offers and continues to develop a range of health care services for the underserved throughout northwest Connecticut, including medical, dental, chiropractic and counseling services. It strives to achieve the reputation of “provider of choice” for affordable, high quality services that achieve positive patient outcomes in a welcoming and caring environment.

CHWC collaborates and advocates with other organizations to increase the region’s capacity to meet the communities’ health and wellness needs. It is the only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Connecticut to receive a Health Services and Resource’s Association’s (HRSA) Health Center Program 2017 Quality Leader Award.

CHWC is located at 469 Migeon Avenue, Torrington, and 115 Spencer St., Winsted, with the following satellite locations: FISH of Torrington, 332 South Main Street, Torrington; Sullivan Senior Center, 88 East Albert St., Torrington; The Open Door Soup Kitchen, 160 Main Street, Winsted; YMCA Emergency Shelter, 480 Main Street, Winsted; Torrington Soup Kitchen, 220 Prospect Street, Torrington; and Oliver Wolcott Technical School, 75 Oliver Street, Torrington. For information, call 860489-0931, visit www.chwctorr.org and on Facebook.

Contributed photo Zen monk Bo Gak Sunim, who offered mindfulness and meditation training, explains the technique of doing a “walking meditation” to the staff.