Sanford recognized for commitment to workplace mental health
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May 1, 2023
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| Contact: Paul Heinert Sanford Health Media Relations 605-366-2432 / Paul.Heinert@sanfordhealth.org |
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. —Mental Health America (MHA) has awarded Sanford Health the 2022-23 Gold Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health. The Bell Seal is a first-of-its-kind 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. The status as a Bell Seal-certified organization demonstrates Sanford Health’s ongoing commitment to employee mental health and well-being. Sanford Health is the first and only Bell Seal recipient headquartered in South Dakota for 2023. There are no other recipients primarily based in North Dakota for 2023.
“Sanford Health is honored to be recognized by Mental Health America for the value we place in supporting our employees,” said Ashley Wenger-Slaba, vice president of employee experience at Sanford Health. “The well-being of our staff and caregivers affects the entire health system, leads to better patient care, better quality outcomes, higher patient satisfaction and better retention and recruitment.”
MHA – founded in 1909 – is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the overall mental health of all. MHA has spent decades researching mental health in the workplace, and in 2019, MHA introduced the Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health to recognize companies and organizations that understand the value of addressing mental health at work and implement policies and practices that support employee well-being.
Sanford Health has led efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout through resiliency groups, training, a clinician assistance program, counseling, a physician wellness council and comprehensive mental health resources to help employees take care of themselves physically and emotionally while caring for patients and residents.
This spring, Sanford Health launched a program where patients can now self-schedule a virtual behavioral health appointment through My Sanford Chart. The resource is part of Sanford Health’s virtual care initiative to meet the needs of patients, regardless of their zip code.
Sanford Health was recently recognized by Becker’s as one of the 150 top places to work in health care. Sanford Health was also named the inaugural winner of the Organizational Team Culture Award at the Minnesota Health Association’s Workforce Innovation Awards.
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 serves more than one million patients and 220,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. The integrated health system has 47 medical centers, 2,800 Sanford physicians and advanced practice providers, 170 clinical investigators and research scientists, more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations and world clinics in 8 countries around the globe. 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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