Port of Oakland Honored for New Worksite Wellness Program

Port employees foster healthy living among co-workers

Oakland, CA – March 28, 2014 – The Port of Oakland was honored this week with a Certificate of Achievement in Worksite Wellness from Keenan & Associates for implementing a new, comprehensive employee wellness program in the past year. The event took place, Wednesday, March 26, at the 2014 Keenan Summit, in Oakland.

Port Executive Director Chris Lytle said, “We are very pleased to be recognized for our new, best-practice program to improve the health and well-being of our employees. I am proud of all those who have been working hard to promote a culture of wellness in our workplace.” Lytle added, “This is a meaningful program that is getting results and will boost employee morale and productivity as well.”
To be selected for the award, the program must be a first, designed as a comprehensive, long-term solution for improving the health and well-being of the organization’s workforce, and been in place for at least 12 months. It is required to assign a staff person to coordinate the wellness program. And most importantly the program must have demonstrated progress during the past 12 months in engaging employees in wellness activities.

The Port of Oakland’s Aviation Director Deborah Ale Flint advocated for a wellness program at the Port, “While this program is executive sponsored, the success of the program is due to our great employees who are committed to improving their health and quality of life and inspiring their colleagues as well to do the same.”

The Port’s Wellness Program included a stop-smoking campaign, participation in the Oakland Running Festival last weekend, a Walk to Stop Diabetes, and free instruction for employees on exercise, nutrition, stress, heart health, managing personal finances, navigating the health care system, ergonomic tips and more.

Stacie Chestnut in the Port’s Finance and Administration Division implemented the new wellness program, “I knew we had an aggressive schedule to get a comprehensive program in place quickly to meet our needs. With the help and committed support of my co-workers, we were able to make this wellness program a reality.”
According to recent research studies, the key to having a healthy and productive workforce and achieving optimal outcomes is building and maintaining a culture of wellness. The program goal is to keep healthy people healthy, and assist those with impaired health to move to an optimal level of wellness.

Keenan & Associates, which is honoring the Port of Oakland, is recognized as a customized health management services company since 2005 for California’s healthcare systems, public schools, community colleges, cities, counties, and other public agencies.

About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport and Oakland International Airport. The Port's jurisdiction includes 20 miles of waterfront from the Bay Bridge through Oakland International Airport. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. Together, through Port operations and those of its tenants and users, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.