ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Centura Health, Colorado's largest health care system, is one of only 10 organizations in the world to be honored as a recipient of the third annual International Spirit at Work Award.
Centura and nine other winners from around the world were selected because of their long-term commitment to sustainable spiritual initiatives in the workplace. The award, presented by several organizations concerned with spirituality, honors these companies for recognizing that spirituality can play an important role in the quality of life experienced by an organization's employees, customers, communities and the world at large. Each company receiving the award is considered a pioneer in the growing trend of incorporating spirituality into the workplace, and each is highly successful in their field.
According to Joseph R. Swedish, Centura president and chief executive officer, "Spirituality is a core value at Centura Health and one that we strive to embody in every facet of our organization. Our whole person approach to wellness supports our patients and our employees physically, mentally and spiritually. And we've developed many different opportunities for spirituality -- retreats, special events and even scholarships -- so that employees may incorporate spirituality into their work lives in the way that feels right for each."
A few examples of spirituality in practice at Centura Health include:
* Blessing of Hands -- These ceremonies take place in several Centura
facilities during National Nurses Week celebrations. Nurses, as well
as other associates, are invited to have their hands blessed with oil
as a reminder of the healing power of their hands and the sacredness
of their daily work.
* Integrative Healing -- Several of Centura's facilities offer
integrative healing services, which provide opportunities to blend
complementary therapies -- such as music therapy, visualization,
meditation and others -- with existing patient treatment plans.
Integrative healing addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual
needs of patients and their loved ones, fostering the positive
documented health effects of holistic practices.
* The Centura PATH -- This cultural transformation was launched with
leadership retreats, where leaders explore the idea that the
associates they lead are whole people, not just a set of skills on a
resume. The Centura PATH is based on the idea that human beings are
able to perform at their highest potential only when they are
inspired, which can only occur when the spirit is nourished. Leaders
at Centura learn to serve those they lead by helping each individual
explore and achieve their personal callings.
"People are clearly seeking to incorporate spirituality into their lives, and the tremendous response and success we've had with these programs at Centura certainly bears that out," says Swedish.
A Business Week cover story in November 1999 revealed that a full 95 percent of Americans say they believe in God or a universal spirit. A recent Gallup Poll validates this statistic, confirming that 78 percent of Americans today seek spiritual growth, up from just 20 percent in a 1994 Gallup Poll.
For purposes of the Spirit at Work Award, spirit is defined as separate from the concept of formal religion, incorporating elements such as a desire to transcend the individual self and a desire to be of service to other humans and the planet.
Inspired by the late visionary futurist Willis Harman, Ph.D. (1919 - 1997), four groups collaborate on selecting and bestowing the annual Award. The groups are Association for Spirit at Work (http://www.spiritatwork.org/); the Spirit in Business Institute (http://www.spiritinbusiness.org/); The World Business Academy (http://www.worldbusiness.org/) and the European Baha'i Business Forum (http://www.ebbf.org/). The honorees will receive the awards at the Spirit In Business conference on Oct. 1, 2004.
A not-for-profit, faith-based organization, Centura Health operates 12 hospitals, eight senior living residences, medical clinics and home care and hospice services along the Front Range of Colorado. As the state's largest healthcare system, Centura provides care and comfort to more than a half million people each year. Centura also is Colorado's fourth-largest private employer, with more than 12,000 associates. Go to http://www.centura.org/ for more information on Centura Health.
Centura HealthCONTACT: Laura Wegscheid, Corporate Communications of Centura Health,+1-303-804-8133
Web site: http://www.spiritatwork.org/
Web site: http://www.spiritinbusiness.org/
Web site: http://www.worldbusiness.org/
Web site: http://www.ebbf.org/
Web site: http://www.centura.org/
