Dr. Mary Jo Wakeman Award is presented to The Baker Company

Worksite Stars of York County, a wellness program of Goodall Hospital, held a breakfast to honor The Baker Company, the first recipients of The Dr. Mary Jo Wakeman Award. Darlene Stromstad, President and CEO of Goodall Hospital, thanked The Baker Company for creating an environment that promotes healthy living for their employees and highlighted the various programs and successful initiatives that The Baker Company has instituted. “The entire community benefits when employers promote health and wellness programs for their employees and their families” according to Stromstad.

Dennis Eagleston, owner of The Baker Company, accepted the award and commended the Baker Wellness Committee for their dedication and commitment towards healthy living and creating an environment where employees are encouraged to succeed with their health goals. Goodall Hospital Board of Trustees Chair, Merilee Perkins, congratulated the committee on their success, and asked members of the wellness committee, which include Bill Williams, Gina Sharpe, Cindy Loeschwitz, Jim Wakefield, Ken Gerry and Charlie Quint, to describe some of the ways they have been able to achieve such outstanding results.

The Baker Company began their wellness program in 2002 as one of the initial businesses that worked with Worksite Stars of York County. They introduced Health Risk Assessments for their staff, which were repeated a year later to measure results. The Baker Company discovered that by piloting physical activity programs, providing education on various health topics and promoting the health care and prevention benefits available to employees produced amazing results and in the first year employees lost a half-ton of weight!

The latest initiative introduced by the committee is challenging the employees and their families to walk around the world by next April. Work is underway to develop a website for employees and families focused on worksite wellness; it will feature programs, events and information relating to insurance benefits.

The Baker Company has offered to host, along with Worksite Stars of York County, a meeting for local businesses to share ideas and programs that work to promote worksite wellness within the community.