Onsite Health and Wellness
When considering the potential risks involved in working construction, having an occupational EMT on the job site to respond to emergencies and treat injuries makes perfect sense. As a former combat medic in the National Guard, Nayome Gilliard, occupational EMT for Lakeside Alliance at the Obama Presidential Center job site, is used to handling tough situations in stressful environments. She has at her disposal a Mobile Medical Clinic equipped with everything she needs to respond to an emergency. And, while that is her primary reason for being on site, she spends most of her time on preventive care, running wellness checks and medical tests to make sure Lakeside’s employees have a good health baseline.
“My other role on site is coordinating the wellness program. I’ve been setting up challenges every month through my company. It’s really cool because every month is different,” said Gilliard.
It is part of the job Gilliard relishes, she said, because it allows her to be creative: “This is a huge difference between any other medical job, which is usually pretty strict. With this I can spread the good word about wellbeing and wellness while exploring my creative qualities through planning these events.”
Hawk Health and Safety (“Hawk”) has pre-existing monthly health themes, but the monthly health challenges are all Gilliard’s ideas. For instance, to promote heart health, she issued a step challenge. There are prizes, too. The person with the most steps that month won a Fitbit. Last month, she issued a “happiness” challenge to urge employees to focus on their mental well-being. In June, she is planning a wellness fair and barbecue where participants will have a chance to win a pair of White Sox tickets.
Also, in June, Gilliard plans to hold a workshop on heat safety, tying in promotional items such as fans that squirt water to help prevent heat-related illnesses. “June is a good month to have a BBQ and hold an event. We’re definitely getting sunscreen and large water bottles that we can pass out to everyone as the weather heats up,” she said.
After serving in the military, Gilliard moved away from healthcare for a while before joining a private ambulance company and working at a Northwestern immediate care clinic before joining Hawk. She makes her way around the job site once a day, stopping to chat with people and explain why she’s there, and how she can help.
“I’m trying to create a bond with the workforce so I can spread the good word about health and wellness, but not everyone knows who I am and what my role is yet. Walking around and talking to people helps bridge that gap. In doing so, I’ve noticed not only how hard people work, but also how everyone works together. I feel blessed to be here.”
Gilliard said she is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the OPC project. “When I have a family and a kid of my own, when my wife and I come here, I can say I had a part in building it. I’m not holding a hammer, but I still feel a part of it.”