WELLNESS HERO OF THE QUARTER

RHONDA POWELL

quarterly

Hurley Wellness celebrates employees who are passionate about health, whether that means individuals have achieved or are working toward a personal, mental or physical goal or those that foster a culture of wellness. Hurley’s Wellness Hero of the Quarter, Rhonda Powell, Registration Clerk, embodies all aspects of the award as she works toward her own goals and motivates those around her.

Rhonda’s career at Hurley began 12 years ago, when her sister told her about an opportunity. While her sister retired after 27 years, Rhonda is still going strong due in no small part to her dedication to wellness. As a Registration Clerk in Admitting, she spent years primarily working in the Emergency Room, getting incoming patients registered. Now she works in referrals. In either assignment, she spends a lot of time communicating with patients. In referrals, she also spends a lot of time communicating with doctors’ offices to confirm patient referrals. She approaches these interactions with kindness, knowing the impact she can have on a patient. Rhonda explains, “When I have contact with the patient, I like to make sure they’re taken care of. I make sure to treat patients like they’re my own family.”

She was happy to find out about the options that Hurley offers for wellness. Her favorites are the programs at Flint Farmers’ Market and the wellness challenges, both coordinated by Hurley Wellness Services. She says that “When I started seeing the benefits of wellness, I wanted to share that with my department. I started by reminding them about the prizes they could win through the challenges.” She especially enjoys the walking challenges, because she could compare how many steps she had taken to those required to climb mountain paths. She explains, “The wellness challenges always made me want to do better, to maintain my health or get healthier, especially through the winter months when you might want to get out but it's harder.” About five years ago, after years of getting coworkers to participate in these events, she was asked to be a wellness motivator for her department.

Rhonda also likes to motivate by example. One of her biggest personal efforts is to consistently eat with health in mind. She explains, “I always bring my own food. I meal prep on Sundays and bring food throughout the week. People always ask me what I’m eating because it smells so good. It also saves money. I like to shop locally, at the farmers’ market, or anywhere I can get fresh foods to prepare. I’m big on farm to table because I can know the quality of the food I’m eating.”

When asked if she has any tips for wellness, Rhonda says, “I just try to stay positive all the time. People can get negative, so I try to find the positive in the negative.”

In recognition of her efforts, Rhonda received a Wellness medal, a day off with pay, a Hurley Wellness jacket, and a 6-month membership to the YMCA. Congratulations, Rhonda!

Who is your wellness hero? Go to the new Hurley Wellness Website, found on the Hurley intranet, to nominate them today.