Wellness Programs

An employee wellness program, also known as a worksite wellness program, is designed to promote and support the health, safety, and well-being of employees. Wellness programs may improve employee health, morale, and productivity. They may include activities such as wellness newsletters, health screenings, workshops on wellness issues, and wellness challenges.

Ida Alive recently recognized two businesses for their employee wellness programs. Fruit baskets along with water bottles, tubes of lip balm, and Ida Alive wristbands were taken to VT Industries in Holstein and Willow Dale Wellness Village in Battle Creek.

At VT Industries the fruit basket was accepted by Lori Petersen, RN, Occupational Health/Case Management. VT Industries has had an employee wellness program since before Lori started working as a nurse there six years ago. VT provides annual cholesterol/glucose checks and flu shots each year to their employees. They offer a mix of individual and team wellness challenges which include both weight loss and maintaining weight loss.

Lori recently shared wellness program ideas with Karla Meier, Wellness Coordinator, from Willow Dale Wellness Village. Karla started a wellness program for employees in December of 2014. They began their wellness program with a 42 day challenge. Then in January they started a Biggest Loser Poker Game with 13 participants losing 90 pounds. In April they started a walking challenge that will continue through June. Several of the participants of the wellness program at Willow Dale were there to accept the fruit basket from Ida Alive.


left to right: Jennifer Rohlk, Lori Petersen, Patti Andrews.


left to right: seated, Karla Meier and Nicole Reitz; standing, Jennifer Rohlk, Kim Kohn, Joni Perkins, Tami Shever, Penni Kohn, Patti Andrews.