EMPLOYER HEALTH BLOG

The Mississippi Business Group on Health is happy to partner with the Mississippi Business Journal, the Mississippi State Department of Health, and the Mississippi Association of Self-Insurers to hold the annual Healthiest Workplace awards. 

This year's finalists and winners are members of the MSBGH. Congratulations to our members - Ingalls Shipbuilding, Hol-Mac Corporation, Mississippi Hospital Association, Mississippi Department of Human Services, the City of Morton, and the University of Mississippi for winning in their respective category. 

Congratulations to our members who were finalist showing superior performance in offering healthy workplaces, programs, and wellness resources - St. Dominics Health System, Baptist Health System, Ross & Yerger, UMMC, Trustmark Bank, Levi Strauss, and Magnolia Health. 

To view the Mississippi Business Journal's Digital Magazine from the event, please click on this link. 

Who are the 2016 Healthiest Workplaces this year? 

On Wednesday, July 27^th at a luncheon in Jackson, Mississippi employers will be recognized for their efforts in promoting health and wellness to their employees and in their communities. Individual companies in several categories will be awarded the top award of being Mississippi’s Healthiest Workplace. Learn more about the luncheon please contact Tami Jones at tami.jones@msbusiness.com.

Employers from across the state applied to become recognized using employer health industry best practices. Award winners were selected by a multi-stakeholder committee who selected based on evaluation, planning, implementation, and innovation.

We have a great pool of employers who are getting recognized and this year’s winners have shown leadership, innovation, and progress. It is great to see all the great stories of Mississippi employers who are striving to offer healthy workplaces for their employees and promote the community aspects of health. Congratulations! to both the recognized employers and the winners of each category!

Murray Harber, Executive Director, Mississippi Business Group on Health

This year’s finalists include Baptist Health Systems, bfac.com, Chevron, City of Morton, Galloway-Chandler-McKinney Insurance Agency, Hol-Mac Corporation, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Levi Strauss & Co., Magnolia Health, Magnolia Regional Health Center, Mississippi Department of Human Services, Mississippi Hospital Association, Ross & Yerger, Sanderson Farms, Inc., St. Dominic Health Services, Inc., State Bank & Trust Company, Systems Electro Coating, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, The University of South Mississippi, Trustmark National Bank, University of Mississippi, W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company. Click here to read last year's winners. 

“We are excited about this great program, and we applaud the MS Business Group on Health, the MS Department of Health and the MS Business Journal for their vision and leadership. Working together, we are improving the quality of healthy lives in Mississippi!”

Dan Gibson, Executive Director, Mississippi Association of Self Insurers

The 2016 Healthiest Workplace Awards and the Healthy Employer Recognition Program are collaborative efforts between the Mississippi Business Journal, The Mississippi Business Group on Health, the Mississippi State Department of Health, and the Mississippi Association of Self Insurers. To learn more about the recognition and awards program and prepare for the 2017 awards, please visit www.msbgh.org/awards.

Please join the MSBGH at our events fall. We have a great line up of events for the Fall. It starts with the 2016 Healthiest Workplaces Awards Luncheon on July 27th, followed by a Smoking Cessation and Employers Meeting on September 13th, the 7th Annual Health Care Summit, and the 2016 Annual Meeting on December 6th. Employers, Brokers/Consultants, TPA/Carriers, and other industry will be in attendance to network and discuss real solutions to real problems with employers and the health of its workplace, it's health plan, and the community where the employees live, work, and play. 

For the seventh year, business executives, health care executives, human resource and employee benefits executives will come together to learn and discuss the business of health care. National speakers on population health, specialty pharmacy, and clinical integration will join local speakers from leading employers, health care systems, and the physician community in sharing the latest approaches to controlling costs and improving value. 

This event is put on by the Mississippi Business Group on Health and the School of Business at Mississippi College along with its many collaborative partners such as the Mississippi SHRM chapters and the Mississippi Association of Self Insurers to name a few. 

The 7th Annual Health Care Summit will be held on October 25th, 2017. MSBGH members can register on this site in the events section. All others can visit the event site and learn more about the event, registration, and sponsorship. 

The Mississippi Business Group on Health in collaboration with the Mississippi Public Health Association is supporting the promotion of National Public Health Week in 2016. NPHW is a national effort to make American the world's healthiest nation in one generation. 

The Mississippi Public Health Association is promoting NPHW with a variety events across the state from universities, to health departments, and some employers. Visit their site for more information. 

Employer members of the MSBGH are offering a variety of healthy programs and resources supporting the health and wellbeing for their employees. Levi Strauss and Company located in Madison County is holding it's annual Health Fair for employees during the week. Butler Snow Law Firm offers healthy vending and catering for its employees along with having bicycles available for them to ride during the day. Trustmark National Bank has an onsite wellness clinic at their corporate offices for their employees to visit and receive care and health coaching. Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company offers onsite fitness classes after work for employees and their dependents to participate. 

"We have many great examples of our members who are promoting health to their employees and their families by offering programs and resources at work, at home, and in the communities where their employees live. Many of our members also support local health efforts which is part of our efforts to promote Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Communities" states Murray Harber, Executive Director, Mississippi Business Group on Health. 

Several members and key leaders of the Mississippi Business Group on Health were part of a Employer-led Onsite and Near-site Clinic Conference last week in Memphis, TN. The event was a collaboration of the MSBGH, the Memphis Business Group on Health, HealthCare 21, and the National Association of Workplace Health Centers and was held at the Holiday Inn on the campus of the University of Memphis. Jim Brown, the current President of MSBGH and VP and Benefits Manager at Trustmark National Bank shared their story of offering an onsite clinic at the corporate office in downtown Jackson, MS. Matt Ginn, Manager of Corporate Communications, Training, and Health Promotion at Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance shared their evolution of their employer health initiative including their onsite clinic and population health management strategy. 

Murray Harber, Executive Director of the Mississippi Business Group on Health states, "Several of our members have been using onsite clinics as a strategy to control cost and improve the health of their employer populations. We were well represented at the meeting last week and are proud to support our members by sharing their stories with other employers in the Mid-South region. We are working with our neighboring coalitions to hold more joint meetings as many of our members also have employees in those neighboring states."

To read more about the clinic conference, please refer to the article in Commercial Appeal this past weekend. 

The application process for being a Recognized Healthy Workplace and competition for being Mississippi's Healthiest Workplace are now open. The program is a collaboration between the Mississippi Business Group on Health, the Mississippi Business Journal, the Mississippi State Department of Health, and the Mississippi Association of Self Insurers. 

These initiatives recognizes employers for meeting national standards in employer health management and awards the leading companies in both the public and private sectors. Last year's winners were Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, Fleet Feet Sports Jackson, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, and the Mississippi Fire Academy. 

Read more about the 2015 winners.

The Mississippi Business Group on Health in conjunction with its partners will be holding a series of meetings across the state to discuss "The Value of Employer Health and Health Care Quality".  These meetings will bring together employers and health care providers and discuss meaningful solutions to the rising cost of health care including population health management, value-based benefit designs, and workplace wellness. Meetings will be held in Hattiesburg, Jackson, and Southaven.  For registration information, please visit the events section on at www.msbgh.org. 

Coming soon is the new healthy employer recognition program along with an expanded healthiest workplace awards. Learn more about the 2015 winners at this link. Learn what it takes to be a healthy workplace in our toolkit and toolbox. 

Mississippi employers who pay taxes to the state might have an opportunity to get a tax credit for offering employer health programs that meet specific criteria. What a great economic development tool to reward current MS employers and attract possible employers to the state. What do you think?