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Summer/Fall 2016
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Setting a Precedent
SKY LAKES MEDICAL CENTER BECOMES FIRST BLUE ZONES PROJECT APPROVED WORKSITE IN NORTHWEST
Sky Lakes Medical Center
in Klamath Falls became the
first Blue Zones Project-approved worksite in the Pacific
Northwest.
The Blue Zones Project is a community-by-community well-
being improvement initiative designed to make healthier
choices easier through permanent changes in environment,
policy, and social networks. As a community champion for
Blue Zones Project, Sky Lakes has long been an advocate for
community well-being and earned approval by prioritizing
employee wellness.
Worksite leadership and staff have been working since
January to implement changes across the organization
to promote health and well-being for more than 1,300
employees—including 900 full-time staff members.
“Working with Blue Zones Project, Sky Lakes has been
able to adopt best practices that enhance the impact of
existing employee wellness efforts and truly demonstrate
our commitment to a healthy work environment,” said Paul
Stewart, president and CEO of Sky Lakes Medical Center.
“I am proud of our staff for being part of a project that will
help improve the quality of life for our friends and neighbors
in Klamath Falls.”
Sky Lakes achieved Blue Zones Project Approved status by
successfully completing the Blue Zones Project Worksite
Pledge and adopting or supporting a number of well-being
best practices. While Sky Lakes ensured wellness practices
that focused on physical and emotional well-being, the
organization prioritized:
•
Improving cafeteria food and beverage options by
increasing access to healthy options;
•
Regularly sharing communications about wellness
resources like walking groups as well as sharing success
stories; and
•
Regularly encouraging employees to commute to work
via walking, biking, or public transit.
As part of the well-being efforts at Sky Lakes Medical
Center, more than 250 employees have taken the Blue Zones
Personal Pledge, a personal well-being commitment.
“Local employers have a tremendous ability to impact our
entire community by making healthy choices easier,” said
Jessica Dubose, Community Program Manager for Blue
Zones Project - Klamath Falls. “Sky Lakes has gone to
great lengths to invest in better well-being for our entire
community. This designation highlights the commitment
of our hospital to creating a healthier community, starting
with its own employees.”
Blue Zones Project is brought to Oregon through leadership
funding by Cambia Health Foundation to support Oregon
Healthiest State. Sky Lakes Medical Center, a community
champion, answered Cambia’s funding match to support the
Blue Zones Project initiative in Klamath Falls.
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A Healthy Start
PEACEHEALTH’S RIVERBEND FACILITY EARNS BABY-FRIENDLY DESIGNATION
PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center
at RiverBend
in Springfield recently earned designation as a Baby-
Friendly facility.
Baby-Friendly designation is awarded to facilities that meet
the stringent requirements of the Baby-Friendly Hospital
Initiative for providing optimal infant nutrition and
mother-baby bonding resources for new mothers.
“Baby-Friendly designation is the gold-standard in infant
nutrition, said Louella Freeman, chief nursing officer for
Peace Health Sacred Heart. “A Baby-Friendly facility will
provide a new mother with the very best knowledge, skills
and confidence to achieve successful breastfeeding. Being
Baby-Friendly means that moms can count on there being
policies in place that support optimal infant nutrition and
mother-baby bonding. Every mother and baby is special,
and they deserve to be offered the best evidence-based
information and care.”
Hospitals seeking designation are evaluated on 10 areas
around educating and supporting expecting and new
mothers on breastfeeding including. These include extensive
staff training, maintaining skin-to-skin contact between
mothers and their new babies and providing numerous
education and support resources for moms and babies.
Baby-Friendly hospitals encourage breastfeeding for all
babies unless medically indicated. Baby-Friendly practices
also support mothers who are unable or choose not to
breastfeed by educating them to safely prepare and feed
formula to their babies.
There are 340 active Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth
centers in the United States and 13 in Oregon. PeaceHealth’s
other Baby-Friendly facility is the PeaceHealth Nurse
Midwifery Birth Center in Springfield.
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