Health isn’t just part of a name for the Carter County Health Department. It is also the way they do daily business.
The Carter County Health Department was named a Healthier Tennessee Workplace Tuesday by the Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness. The health department was recognized for its “commitment to encouraging and enabling employees to live a healthy lifestyle, both at work and at home.”
Carter County Health Department Director Carolina Hurt credited two employees with helping the department reach the designation of a “Healthier Tennessee Workplace.”
“Health Coach Wanda Buckles and Health Educator Tim Bailey have worked together with staff to provide opportunities for healthy eating during lunchtime, targeted opportunities for exercise during the day, and great information provided in a newsletter to staff containing ideas for healthy changes,” Hurt said.
To become a Healthier Tennessee Workplace, the CCHD certified a wellness program was in place that encouraged and enabled physical activity in the workplace, offered healthy eating options at work, provided a tobacco-free environment and helped employees stop using tobacco, encouraged and enabled employees to monitor their own health through regular screenings and check-ups and rewarded and recognized employees for participating in health and wellness activities and achieving health improvements.
“The Carter County Health Department has created a culture of wellness that encourages and enables employees to be healthier, more productive, and more satisfied with their jobs. It’s good for business, and it’s good for Tennessee,” Rick Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Governor’s Foundation, said.
The designation is granted for one year and offers an opportunity for renewal on an annual basis.