02/28/14
Local Businesses Encouraged to Join Business Partners Program
Wellness is a crucial component for a successful workplace environment. A company benefits in many ways when its employees are healthy, including lower health care costs, reduction in absenteeism, improved employee morale and productivity. 
Since 2011, Winchester Hospital has offered local businesses a chance to make their employees healthier through its Business Partners Program. The program encourages businesses to help support the hospital, bringing leaders in the business community and the hospital together to consider, discuss and build collaborative relationships that strengthen and benefit our communities.
In February, more than 40 members of the program gathered for a breakfast meeting hosted by Winchester Hospital President and CEO, Kevin Smith, and Cummings Properties, President and CEO and Chair of the Business Partners Program, Dennis Clarke. Members enjoyed a presentation, “How You Can Influence Employee Health” by hospital keynote speakers Stephanie Bettinelli, director of Human Resources and Susan Powers, RN, associate director of The Center for Healthy Living. The pair shared strategies and best practice on how to foster a workplace environment that encourages healthy lifestyle choices.
Executives from local businesses and national corporations are expected to attend the next Business Partners Program breakfast at Winchester Hospital on April 8.
Businesses who attend this spring event, which will be held in Winchester Hospital’s Andrews Conference Room (CC1), will hear Teriggi Ciccone, MD, medical director of the hospital’s Walk-In Urgent Care Center, explain the increased use of urgent care facilities in the area. He also will outline the differences between an urgent care and emergency room visit, including costs, wait times and levels of care and how Winchester Hospital’s urgent care distinguishes itself from other for-profit providers like Doctors Express or MinuteClinic.
Through a series of breakfast meetings on topics ranging from the sweeping changes in health care reform to the latest developments in cancer research, members of the Business Partners Program have the opportunity to share their business acumen while helping to ensure that their employees and other patients at Winchester Hospital continue to have access to the highest quality care, the latest medical technology and essential wellness and prevention programs.
Business partner members support vital hospital initiatives and have access to a range of privileges, including exclusive business forum presentations, employee volunteer experiences, prominent recognition, networking with other business leaders, worksite wellness lectures and employee health screenings.
To lean more about the next Business Partners’ breakfast on April 8 or to become a business partner, please call the Winchester Hospital Foundation at 781-756-2156 or e-mail the Foundation at foundation@winhosp.org.