Wellness at Whirlpool
By Tony Wittkowski
Originally published on the Herald Palladium
BENTON HARBOR — When Cynthia Small was hired to work at Whirlpool Corp. as a nurse practitioner, the idea of having a health professional on-site was a relatively new idea for the appliance maker.
Six years later, Small is now one of eight HealthWorks team members who provide support for more than 4,000 employees at Whirlpool’s 12 Southwest Michigan locations.
As the world’s largest appliance maker, Whirlpool has added several wellness programs along with medically trained personnel to assess employee health. If an employee feels they are starting to come down with the flu, all it takes is a quick stop at the company’s pharmacist (who is on-site once a week) or a chat with one of the nurse practitioners who remain at various Whirlpool buildings five days a week.
