Client Spotlight: Health Services Authority
The Health Services Authority of the Cayman Islands are the newest group to launch Zest Wellness. Their enthusiasm and participation straight out of the gate, and focus on improving the individual lives of all staff is inspiring. Dr. John Lee was kind enough to answer the following questions about the launch of Zest Wellness at HSA. We look forward to seeing their population come together through wellness.
What aspects of the wellness program are you looking forward to implementing?
The most important feature of our wellness initiative is to try and instill in staff members the desire to do better with what they have: whether it be in terms of diet, or activity, psychological or physical health. So often people are passively hoping something else will change in order that they get improve. What’s nice about [Zest Wellness] is that, for most people, the interaction is through one of their most treasured and ever present possessions – their smart phones. To interact with your smartphone does not take a lot of getting used to, and so perhaps interacting with [Zest Wellness] will be an easy step! For those that don’t have a smart phone, they are being stimulated by the lively competition with colleagues, sometimes people who they would never normally talk to in their day-to-day jobs.
Some runners at the Cayman Islands Hospital Fun Walk / Run to launch our wellness campaign (with the CEO, Lizzette Yearwood far right).
How did you select your champions committee?
They self-selected with a little encouragement. They have come from those people already invested in staff welfare programmes, or other fitness activities. There are also a few who just want to be part of the team making changes.
Police escort for our Fun Walk / Run to help launch the wellness programme.
How has the culture at HSA changed since launching the program?
People seem to be talking more about wellness. They certainly talk about steps in a frank and open way, and this rubs off on those not involved too. Some amazing steppers have come into the spotlight who had hidden their lights under a bushel.
Green smoothies to help stay on the right path to health at our wellness launch fair
What is your strategy for introducing the program to your large staff population?
We have rolled it out through a couple of ‘fairs’ where there have been different vendors invited from local gyms, healthy food outlets, healthy smoothie outlets, electronic shops selling fitness devices, as well as stations for doing baseline readings and help get set up with the devices or smart phones. Colonial supported us in both with their team and equipment which was an amazing boost and help for us – it also gave us a lot of reassurance.
Dr Lee teaching members to use the phone app at the Faith Hospital (Cayman Brac) on a screen with the CEO, Lizzette Yearwood, looking on.
What do your employees find most motivating?
I suspect the competition. I am always being challenged for the next competition and I always smile when these invites come in. I hope people also manage to take their rewards – we are giving time off work as an incentive, but we will need to see how this works out in the longer term.
Having a lesson about nutrition at our wellness launch fair at the Cayman Islands Hospital.
Have you introduced any other wellness initiatives into the office?
The [Zest Wellness] programme is our highlight at the moment, but we also have a staff welfare team who arrange runs, support a staff gym amongst others. We are trying to work the wellness programme into our other activities throughout the year to give an extra incentive to get involved with fitness and community activities.
