Employee wellness is focus of effort

Suzanna Young is the new wellness director for the Department of Health and Human Services, a position that promises to help assure that department employees have more opportunities to be healthy in their work environment.

Young brings 19 years of experience in the public health profession to the position.

“I am pleased to announce that DHHS is implementing a wellness initiative that will provide our employees with resources, programs, incentives, and support in their efforts toward improved health and wellness,” said Secretary Carmen Hooker Odom. “We are grateful to the N.C. State Employees Health Plan for their support of this new initiative and to the Division of Public Health that will oversee its implementation within the department.”

Young said she is looking forward to coordinating improvements throughout the department. “This is going to be driven by what the employees want and need,” she said. “And we’ll be helping to support that.”

Young will work across the department to organize and advise employee wellness committees. Each division and agency in the department will use its wellness committee to develop worksite policies and activities that promote and support positive health behaviors among employees. This includes encouraging employees to take a more active role in their personal health promotion and disease management activities. Worksite policy and environmental changes that promote good health may include improving the type of snack and meal options available for employees or creating opportunities like stairwell initiatives for employees to increase their daily physical activity.

Young received her master’s in public health in nutrition at the University of North Carolina where she coordinated several health projects for the School of Public Health. A registered dietitian, she worked as a clinical nutritionist with Johnston County Health Department. Since coming to the Division of Public Health in 1992, Young managed multiple statewide programs and served as the state migrant health director as well as Refugee Health Program manager. This also included heading the division’s Worksite Wellness initiative in 1993. Since 2000, she has worked primarily in the area of health promotion, coordinating the N.C. Statewide Health Promotion Program and the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant.

“In the next few months, you will be hearing more about this exciting new initiative for our employees,” said DHHS Secretary Carmen Hooker Odom. “I encourage you to participate and enjoy the benefits of this great opportunity to improve our work environments and promote good health for all employees in the department.”

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Last Modified: May 31, 2005