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A Publication of WTVP

We all go to work, though the hours and days can vary depending on the job. Hopefully, it’s a job you enjoy. You give the company you work for your time and talent, and in return, you get paid. But does your company go beyond that?

A Private Social Network
At OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, there is an effort to provide employees ways to make the workday easier… and maybe healthier, too. Among the new tools OSF Saint Francis has recently started implementing—and looks forward to expanding across the entire system of 11 hospitals and 16,000 people—is Yammer. Yammer is a private social network within the walls of an individual company—a real-time, mobile application that can be accessed through a smartphone app. Think of it as an organization’s personal, internal Facebook account.

Yammer will be a way for OSF Healthcare’s mission partners (employees) to connect, collaborate and coordinate. Once it’s fully implemented, a team can establish work groups that will allow members to ask questions and get answers, share projects and prevent duplicate work, share news and announcements, coordinate work for projects and teams, and see what is going on with other mission partners, just to name a few of its potential uses.

This network links only those with osfhealthcare.org email addresses, truly tying together an ever-expanding workforce. The Yammer initiative at OSF HealthCare is still in its infancy, but it holds exciting promise.

Maintaining a Healthy Worksite
OSF Saint Francis is continuously looking at ways to keep its workforce healthy, leading by example in developing and embracing healthier communities where its employees live. Earlier this year, the organization was recognized as a gold-level Illinois Healthy Worksite, the highest level achievable. OSF is one of just 44 organizations from around the state to have qualified for the award.

The Illinois Healthy Worksite designation was created in 2014 to engage workplaces in healthy practices that benefit the employer, employees and communities. Among the criteria to achieve the gold-level recognition is actively promoting and supporting healthy nutrition at work, providing and encouraging opportunities for physical activity at work, promoting employee health and well-being throughout the year, and developing lifestyle and disease management strategies.

A robust employee wellness department offers a variety of programs throughout the year at no cost to employees. One recent initiative by the OSF Saint Francis Centers for Breast Health brought the opportunity for employees to receive their yearly mammograms at the main downtown campus of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center during regular work hours, rather than having to travel to one of the outpatient facilities where mammography is typically done. The breast center team recognized that its female workforce needed easier access to mammograms—so they brought it to them through the ongoing For You Friday.

In addition, the Party For A Purpose cancer awareness initiative has offered educational sessions through outdoor programs at Rutherford Park, adjacent to the Forest Park building along Glen Oak Avenue. All summer long, staff has been able to learn about a weekly topic and enjoy music and lunch in the relaxing atmosphere.

These are just a few of the exciting initiatives underway as OSF HealthCare looks to make a difference in its mission partners’ lives… well beyond when they’re on the clock. iBi

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