MANCHESTER, N.H.– For its commitment to offering physical, emotional, financial, and social well-being programs to its employees, St. Mary’s Bank has received the Health Innovator Award from NH Business Review and Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare.
“It is an honor to be recognized for our focus on making wellness a priority for our employees so that they are happy, healthy, and productive,” comments Merideth Gurall, Assistant Vice President/Human Resources Officer at St. Mary’s Bank. “To that end, we just introduced a Wellness Portal to motivate employees to focus on their individual health.”
Rolled out to employees in October, the Wellness Portal offers self-guided educational workshops, nutritional and fitness guidance and tracking, and information about St. Mary’s Bank wellness programs. Employees complete activities to earn points toward monetary incentives.
St. Mary’s Bank said it is very excited about the Portal and the opportunity it gives employees to invest in their health in fun, rewarding, and new ways.
“It has truly been a pleasure to work alongside St. Mary’s Bank as they continually add to the wellness offerings for their employees,” states Dr. William Brewster, Vice President of Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare’s New Hampshire Regional Market. “We especially appreciate Merideth Gurall’s commitment to the wellbeing of the St. Mary’s Bank community.”
In addition to the Wellness Portal, St. Mary’s Bank offers on-site fitness facilities and yoga, fitness challenges, and a partnership with Nutrition in Motion that offers nutrition education, wellness fairs, ergonomic assessments, and medical screenings.
During the first Nutrition in Motion screenings, two St. Mary’s Bank employees learned of possibly life-threatening concerns. They received immediate medical attention and worked to resolve potential health crises. Outcomes like these confirm for St. Mary’s Bank that wellness programs are worth the cost.
“We care about our employees, as they care for our members,” Gurall adds. “St. Mary’s Bank’s wellness programs enhance our culture of ‘people helping people’ and enable us to support employees in a more holistic way.”
St. Mary’s Bank said it knows that wellness programs require a delicate balance of providing programs that achieve both results and employee participation. But whether 10 employees or 100 participate, they have fun and form connections. The shared experience of achieving wellness goals builds bonds among employees and their families, enabling them to support each other and thrive together.
At right, from left, Cheryl Michaud, Human Resources Specialist; Merideth Gurall, Assistant Vice President/Human Resources Officer, and Pamela Roy, Vice President/Director of Human Resources.