Baylor earns C. Everett Koop National Health Award

Baylor College of Medicine has been selected as a winner of the C. Everett Koop National Health Award in 2019 for its workplace health promotion program, BCM BeWell.

This year, 16 programs were considered for the National Health Award. Baylor was among only two awardees, along with additional organizations that received honorable mention. The award honors those who have shown both health improvement and economic impact in their respect programs by answering the questions: What was done? Did it work? Was it worth it?

“We have seen tremendous improvement in health risks among participants since the beginning of our program, and this has led to a positive result in our health claims. Winning the C. Everett Koop award solidifies the hard work and commitment to employee health and well-being Baylor has made over the past 5 years,” said Dane Friend, vice president of human resources at Baylor College of Medicine. Going forward, we will continue to offer holistic resources that benefit our workforce and their families.”

The BCM BeWell program was created in 2014 to serve as an important health and wellness resource for benefits-eligible employees at Baylor College of Medicine. The program promotes a culture of health and wellness in the workplace using the seven dimensions of wellness, which include emotional/mental health, physical, financial, social, intellectual, environmental and spiritual wellness. BCM BeWell offers onsite, offsite and virtual opportunities to participate in events, programs and educational workshops that cover these topics.

“We are all involved in improving human health, and making sure our staff have the resources to succeed allows us to better serve our community, trainees and patients at the highest level,” said Joe Doty, Baylor chief operating officer.

Presented by the Health Project, a nonprofit organization focused on the health and well-being of Americans, the C. Everett Koop National Health Award recognizes outstanding worksite health promotion and improvement programs. It is named in honor of C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General. The 2019 awards will be presented at the Health Project’s HERO Forum, Sept. 11 in Portland, Ore.