Healthcare Leadership
by admin on 07/10/2012 12:11 PMSteven Burd, Chairman, president and chief executive officer, Safeway Inc, has presented his Health Care program at the World Health Care Congress for the past several years. We present some highlights of his program. They are now assisting returning veterans to obtain employment.
Mr Burd has been a member of the Board of Directors since September 7, 1993 and has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors since May 12, 1998. He has been Chief Executive Officer of the Company since April 30, 1993 and President of the Company since October 26, 1992. Mr. Burd is also a director of Kohl’s Corporation.
Creating a culture of wellness
The way we see it, our employees are essential to who we are today and who we’ll be tomorrow. So we’ve created a culture of wellness for our employees that extends into our homes and the communities that we serve. For some this means an opportunity to make significant health improvements through access to our company wellness professionals and programs. And for others it’s gaining new skills and career opportunities through leadership training or by joining our vast volunteer efforts benefiting local organizations. At Safeway, employee well-being is a value we act on every day.
Health & Wellness
Keeping our employees healthy is part of our commitment to healthy communities. We’ve established a range of programs, like our JumpStart Fitness Challenge, to make physical activity easy and accessible. These programs include competitions, rewards systems, discounts, online tools and in-person support. Every individual has the opportunity to find a program that fits their needs and lifestyle, helping them to develop healthy behaviors and reach their desired level of success.
Guidance from Within
Safeway is a leader in creating innovative healthcare programs for our employees. We encourage people to take responsibility for personal health and provide guidance and support to help them down the path to lifelong wellness.
We created a pioneering health position within Safeway and hired our first Chief Medical Officer in 2011. Dr. Kent Bradley is a retired Army colonel and a medical doctor who leads our employee and community health and wellness efforts.
With Dr. Bradley’s guidance, we launched a $2M grant opportunity through The Safeway Foundation to help combat childhood obesity, expanded on-site health clinic capabilities in stores and increased efforts to make it easier for shoppers to make healthy food choices.
Dr. Bradley has also helped us expand our employee health incentives program. Called Healthy Measures, this program motivates employees to maintain a healthy weight, lower cholesterol, maintain healthy blood glucose levels, quit smoking and improve their overall health. Remarkably, our healthcare plan costs have remained nearly flat, and we have created happier, healthier employees. Read more . . .
Leading by Example
Our successful employee healthcare model formed the basis of a new venture we launched in 2009 called Safeway Health. Safeway Health is a separate company that applies our proven best practices to help other organizations improve their employee healthcare systems.
We also have an ongoing partnership with the Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR), an independent non-profit pushing for improved quality and reduced costs in healthcare services.
Pharmacy Commitment
As part of our commitment to our local communities, we offer special services and programs dedicated to creating vibrant, healthy neighborhoods. See all the ways we promote overall well-being for the people who make up these communities.
You can find a pharmacy counter in the majority of our stores, where a team of trained health professionals is available to assist you during the hours that most people do their shopping.
Our pharmacists do much more than fill prescriptions. They also offer:
- Immunizations
- Travel medicines
- Medication therapy management
- Point-of-care screening
- Benefits coverage investigation
Unused Medicine Safeway makes it easy to safely discard unneeded medications. Our RxTakeAway™ program allows customers to purchase a secure, postage-paid envelope which can be filled with unused medications. The envelope is mailed to a disposal facility that destroys the medication in a safe and compliant manner, helping to divert pharmaceuticals out of local landfills.
Biohazardous Waste Any pharmacy that offers immunization programs generates biohazardous waste. At Safeway, we use an innovative process that safely discards the waste while creating an environmentally friendly material for re-use.
Our pharmacies dispose of needles, syringes, lancets and other medical waste using a process created by Sharps, Inc. This process removes all associated hazards from the objects and then converts them into PELLA-DRX™, a material that can be used in constructing homes, highways and commercial buildings.
This pioneering process keeps waste out of landfills, turning it into a material that helps our communities build and grow.
Wellness
Achieving good health requires the knowledge and support to make the right decisions for optimal well-being.
Safeway pharmacists are a key part of our commitment to the health and vitality of our customers in the communities where they live and work. Their guidance keeps people on track for a healthy future.
Our Journey Toward Zero Waste
At Safeway, our commitment to responsible use of resources includes thoughtful consideration of how we can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and recycle what was once considered trash.
Safeway’s Supply Operations facilities, which include Distribution Centers and Manufacturing Plants, took on the challenge to achieve “zero waste” as part of our commitment to advancing sustainability.
To qualify as zero waste, facilities must recycle or divert 90% or more of materials that would have previously been sent to landfills.
To date, five of our 17 Distribution Centers and 11 of our 31 Manufacturing Plants in the U.S. and Canada have reported achieving zero waste.
Several others are close, thanks to the efforts and passion of the teams on site.
Zero waste is considered achievable in locations with recycling facilities including composting and/or bio-digestion. We continue to work towards this goal with the rest of our Supply Operations facilities.
Supporting Our Country’s Heroes
Safeway believes in the importance of giving back to those who have given so much. Two ways we’re accomplishing this is through our Veterans Day campaign and our Leadership Development Program.
Veterans Day Campaign
After successfully raising $1 million last year in just three days, we’re collecting donations in select stores again this year, November 9th through 11th, in honor of Veterans Day. Donations will support career retraining, stress counseling, social activities and rehabilitation programs. Funds will be spent locally to where they were raised. The Safeway Foundation is honored to help improve the lives of our local heroes through the generosity of our employees and customers.
Leadership Development Program for Junior Military Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers
Veterans have the experience, talent and leadership skills that Safeway looks for in potential employees. Started in June of 2010, our 41-week Leadership Development Program (LDP) seeks applicants who have gained significant leadership experience as commissioned and non-commissioned officers in the military. After a rigorous selection process, the LDP provides on-the-job training, coaching, mentors, seminars, retail and corporate job shadowing, technical training and more to prepare participants for a career in retail management. Through the program, veterans experience a tremendous opportunity to leverage their professional military training and transition that experience into civilian business leadership roles.
Recruiting Military Veterans to a Broad Variety of Jobs and More
To date, Safeway already exceeded our goal of hiring 1000 veterans in 2012 and we plan to hire over 1000 more in 2013. We continue to partner with veteran communities throughout the country and support Military Family Food Drives, Blue Star Moms and other groups that give back to veterans and their families.
Safeway Inc. is one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America. As of September 8, 2012, the company operated 1,644 stores in the Western, Southwestern, Rocky Mountain, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States and in western Canada. In support of its stores, Safeway has an extensive network of distribution, manufacturing and food processing facilities. Safeway also holds a 49% interest in Casa Ley, S.A. de C.V., a food and general merchandise retailer with 187 stores in western Mexico.
Source: www.safeway.com
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