Sanford recognized for commitment to workplace mental health
| May 4, 2026 |
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Mental Health America (MHA) has awarded Sanford Health the 2026 Platinum Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health. This is the fourth year in a row Sanford Health has received recognition from Mental Health America and back-to-back years achieving platinum status.
The Bell Seal is a workplace mental health certification that recognizes employers who strive to create mentally healthy workplaces for their employees. Sanford Health underwent a rigorous evaluation of its policies and practices in four areas: workplace culture, benefits, compliance and wellness programs. Sanford Health is the only organization that is 2026 Bell Seal-certified in all of North Dakota and South Dakota.
“A genuine interest in caring for the caregiver and an unwavering commitment to mental health is what employees can expect at Sanford Health,” said Ashley Wenger, senior vice president of employee experience, education and workforce relations at Sanford Health. “We know well-being at home affects well-being at work and vice versa, so we offer a variety of resources to help employees and their families navigate challenges and flourish in both areas of their lives.”
Sanford Health has led efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout through resiliency groups, leader training, a clinician assistance program, in-person and virtual counseling, in-the-moment support, a physician wellness council, and a library of comprehensive mental health resources to help employees take care of themselves physically and emotionally while caring for patients, residents, and members.
A majority of Sanford Health employees are frontline staff and non-desk workers, so to help close the communication gap Sanford has implemented regular huddles (daily/weekly) hosted by each department. During these huddles teams review a variety of topics including well-being resources to ensure employees receive regular reminders about the support that’s available. Leaders regularly review data from our employee assistance programs, as well as our employee-wide surveys and make improvements to well-being offerings based on that feedback.
MHA is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health, well-being, and illness prevention for all. MHA has spent decades researching mental health in the workplace and introduced the Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health in 2019 to recognize organizations that value and implement policies and practices that support employee mental health and well-being.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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