– National insurance company recognizes non-profit for going “Above and Beyond” in caring for employees –
ESCONDIDO, Calif. (August 14, 2025) – Neighborhood Healthcare, a regional Federally Qualified Health Center providing medical, dental, and behavioral health services, received the Silver Award by Aetna, a CVS Company, in its annual Workplace Wellness competition.
The national insurance company cited the non-profit for going “Above and Beyond” in its programs to create a health-oriented environment for its employees.
“We believe healthy communities become prosperous ones, and we practice what we preach within the walls of our facilities,” said Rakesh Patel, MD, CEO of Neighborhood Healthcare. “As important, we work hard as an organization to invite the families of our team members into our wellness programs. I’m thrilled that our staff continues to embrace this initiative and honored that Aetna recognizes how committed our leaders and employees are to it!”
Neighborhood Healthcare’s strategic employee wellness program includes many activities, including education webinars, 5K run event sponsorships, paid volunteer opportunities, walking excursions, and others. Staff members receive “bingo cards” to tick off what they accomplish under the wellness programs and receive a $50 quarterly wellness allowance upon completion.
Since its inception, half of Neighborhood Healthcare employees consistently engage in the organization’s healthcare initiative, significantly more than the national average of one-third of employees using their company’s wellness programs, according to a Gartner 2021 study.
“Additionally, we sponsored 110 employees who were trained and certified as Mental Health First Aiders last May in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month,” said Kelly Sevcik, Employee Wellness Manager at Neighborhood Healthcare. “Neighborhood Healthcare also provides every employee with a year’s access to Calm, the number one sleep and meditation app, which includes content such as sleep stories, playlists, guided meditations, masterclasses, and more. Our team members and their families see this as a huge perk!”
New employees are indoctrinated into Neighborhood Healthcare’s wellness program, and strategic meetings with the non-profit’s wellness team occur regularly to ensure the initiative’s sustainability. Employees also provide feedback and suggestions for additional activities to maintain a high level of engagement within the organization.
“We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 90 percent of our employees we surveyed agreeing that the wellness initiatives have produced a better sense of personal well-being,” said Sevcik. I’ve also received unsolicited comments from team members who say the events have given them a stronger sense of wellness in themselves. I can’t wait to see how this program evolves and becomes a model for other organizations to emulate.”
About Neighborhood Healthcare
Neighborhood Healthcare provides quality, compassionate, whole-person care to everyone, regardless of circumstance, throughout San Diego and Riverside Counties. We go above and beyond in serving those in need with high integrity, professionalism, and in the spirit of collaboration, just as we did when founded more than 50 years ago. In doing so, we dedicate ourselves to improving community health so everyone can live happy and healthy lives.
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