Healthy Hospital Initiative at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Lurie Children’s Healthy Hospital Initiative, created in 2006, supports the health and wellness of our patients, visitors and employees. This comprehensive, employee led initiative facilitates innovative, low-cost programming throughout the hospital. Lurie Children’s believes the health and wellness of our employees and providers directly impacts the care we are able to provide to patients. We have made a commitment to creating a healthy work environment through internal partnerships with food services, environmental services and facilities, human resources, and employee benefits. Through the committee’s work, the hospital has committed to several national campaigns focused on the wellbeing of the employees, patients and visitors of our hospital including Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). 

The HHI has implemented biannual health fairs, monthly wellness seminars, biweekly boot camp classes, and competitions for biking to work. In 2014, employees biked over 1747.05 miles in one week as a part of our bike to work challenge. Over 400 employees participate in the health fairs. Employee health plan members are identified as high, medium or low risk and the health plan outreaches to offer coaching and health management tools. Of the members identified as high or medium risk in the prior period, 40% achieved a shift to a lower risk category. In 2014, over 80% of beverages sold in the cafeteria and 60% of patient menu items met nutritional criteria set by PHA. The Lurie Children’s HHI has supported an environment of health and wellness for its employees, patients and visitors.