The Greater Hall Chamber presented the 2018 Most Fit Company Awards at the HealthSmart Breakfast on October 17. As part of the VISION 2030 HealthSmart community challenge, the Greater Hall Chamber conducts an annual survey to seek the “Most Fit Companies” in Gainesville-Hall County. Judging criteria including wellness, nutrition and fitness opportunities provided for employees. The goal is to encourage employer sponsored wellness programs in an effort to improve the overall health of our community. The Most Fit Company award is presented in three categories: large companies (251+ employees), medium companies (51-250 employees) and small companies (50 or less employees).
Winner: Small Employer Category (50 or less employees)
Georgia Poultry Improvement Association, Inc.
The Georgia Poultry Improvement Association provides monitoring and diagnostic services from farm to table to contribute to the safety and health of poultry flocks, eggs, and poultry products. They work closely with the commercial poultry industry to keep Georgia’s poultry industry healthy. They provide a range of services from disease monitoring and testing, to chick quality assurance, to hatchery inspections. The Association is a Certified Drug-Free Workplace through the Georgia State Board of Workers Compensation and promotes employee wellness through premium incentives and a rewards program. Many of their employees walk or run in groups on company property during breaks. They encourage good nutrition through e-mail newsletters, and healthy eating options are available in the break room. They also provide employees with on-site health screenings, flu shots and shingles vaccinations. 3235 Abit Massey Way in Gainesville. www.gapoultrylab.org
Winner: Medium Employer Category (51-250 employees)
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer-Ingelheim may be a new name to many in Gainesville, but the company has been in our community for over 30 years and currently has 240 emploees. Family-owned since it was established in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the pharmaceutical industry’s top 20 companies, and improving the health and quality of life of patients is the goal of the research-driven company. In the past year, they have installed a new mile walking trail around their facility so that employees can exercise on property. They have on staff a dedicated onsite occupational health nurse who assists in monitoring employees in medical surveillance programs and performs wellness checks for employees. They have an annual flu shot event in the fall and an onsite metabolic screening day. Employees and spouses who participate in the screenings receive a monetary incentive to use for health services. Boehringer Ingelheim offers discounts and reimbursement programs for fitness center participation and organized “March Madness,” a walking challenge, and will host “Cross Country,” a step counting challenge this fall. They also conduct blood drives on site and have a masseuse who comes bimonthly for employee usage. 1112 Airport Parkway in Gainesville. www.boehringer-ingelheim.com
Winner: Large Employer Category ( 251+ employees)
ProCare Rx
In 1988, the Burgess family founded ProCare Rx to provide the best, lowest cost pharmacy benefit management systems and services available. The company, headquartered in Gainesville, processed their first pharmacy claim in 1994, and today, with 450 employees, processes millions of claims every year. ProCare’s organized wellness program called Healthy by Choice seeks to create a culture of wellness within the company. The program is run by an RN, assisted by a health coach and a fitness instructor. They offer financial incentives for participation in annual screenings and for being tobacco free, as well as incentives for annual wellness visits to the employee’s physician, dentist and health coaching. They offer participants paid time to exercise and have a staff member that offers exercise classes as well as consultations for creating a personalized workout program. They also pay for registration fees for annual walking events. Their programs are not only focused on physical health, but also mental, emotional, financial, and social wellbeing. They bring in a massage therapist once a month for stress relief, send automated daily emails to remind employees to take a break, move, and breathe, and provide health education and encouragement. ProCare Rx brings in area vendors for ‘Fresh Market Fridays’ with locally grown fruits, vegetables and honey. They encourage community involvement and volunteering by sponsoring employee participation in events such as a fund-raising run at Eagle Ranch, food drives and sponsoring the Empty Bowl lunch, and collecting/delivering toys during the holidays to organizations such as The Little House. 1267 Professional Pkwy in Gainesville. www.procarerx.com
Most Fit Company Award Recipients
Ace Hardware
Adams Transfer & Storage
Alkermes
Baldor Electric
Brenau University
Aqua-Terra Recycling & Treatment
Cargill
City of Gainesville
Conditioned Air Systems
District 2 Public Health
Electronic Sales Company
Fieldale
Georgia Mountains Regional Commission
Hall County Government
Hall County School System
Hall County Sheriff’s Office
Harris Products
HTI Employment Solutions
King’s Hawaiian
Kipper Tool Company
Longstreet Clinic
Mansfield Oil
Merial Select
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
ProCare Rx
Sapa Extrusions
SKF USA
Syfan Logistics
Turner, Wood & Smith Insurance
South State Bank
Watkins Total Health Care
For more information on this and other Greater Hall Chamber Health & Wellness Initiatives, contact Amanda Lewis, Project Manager, Economic Development, 770-532-6206 x 111. Email: alewis@ghcc.com