January 14, 2025
The start of a new year often inspires intentions for healthier habits and a renewed focus on well-being. At OCHIN, this commitment aligns with our vision of achieving health and well-being for everyone—starting with our own team.
To support employees’ wellness goals throughout the year, OCHIN’s People and Culture team created the “Good Health and Well-Being Challenge” program. Each quarter, OCHIN employees can voluntarily participate in challenges that promote well-being through activities focused on physical health, stress reduction, social connections, and more. The goal is to help participants develop, prioritize, and practice healthy habits in fun and engaging ways as a community.
A holistic approach to staff wellness
Employees can participate by completing one or more challenges within a set timeframe. At the end of each challenge period, six participants are randomly selected to win a small cash prize. Winners are celebrated at OCHIN’s weekly all-staff meeting, on social media, and on the intranet, where they share their experiences.
OCHIN’s organizational values—Belonging, Heart, Learning, and Impact—inform the selection of quarterly challenge activities, recognizing that each employee has a unique relationship to wellness. The challenges take a holistic approach, inclusive of all abilities, and include both traditional fitness activities and wellness practices increasingly recognized as essential to whole health.
Typical physical challenges may invite staff to incorporate more daily movement, develop a weekly exercise routine, or get a full night’s rest. Learning and mindfulness challenges explore reading, meditative breathing, and financial education. Other social and community-building challenges encourage reconnecting with old friends, sharing cultural traditions, or performing acts of kindness. Many of the activities have optional virtual gatherings hosted by OCHIN’s employee-led Employee Engagement Committee, allowing staff to pursue their goals together.
“Like our members and their communities, our colleagues’ well-being is a priority at OCHIN,” said LisaMarie May, OCHIN’s chief of people and culture. “We care deeply for our team members and believe it’s important to support impactful ways to help them thrive in all parts of their lives.”
Supporting wellness and welcoming new talent
During its inaugural year in 2024, one-third to one-half of OCHIN’s workforce participated each quarter.
“What I liked most about participating wasn’t necessarily that there was a financial component to it,” said Kathleen Knipp, an OCHIN manager and wellness challenge winner.
“It was more about carving out time for myself. The challenge prompted me to take action, and I will be continuing to do this going forward given how much better I felt after getting out into the fresh air and appreciating the beauty around me.”
Recognized as a top nonprofit employer, OCHIN is excited to support our continued national expansion and the growing demand for our innovative solutions by welcoming new talent. To learn how you can join our team, browse our career opportunities.
