Northwell Heroes Challenge promotes team member well-being while giving back

When our team members need help, you can expect everyone to rally behind them. The culture of giving runs strong at Northwell. That shined through during our first Northwell Heroes Challenge.

Inspired by a team member hoping to run a marathon to raise money for Northwell colleagues in need, a cross-functional team created the Northwell Heroes Challenge. This challenge was a way to encourage team members to focus on their well-being while raising funds in support of their colleagues.

Participants were encouraged to choose an activity and distance that fit their lifestyle, whether it be bicycling, running, swimming, walking, lifting, dancing or more. Over the next four weeks, team members trained and tracked their activity and movement on Northwell’s myWellness platform to meet their goals leading up to the first weekend in August when the challenge took place.

Partnering with Northwell’s Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Services (STARS) rehabilitation team, stretching and recovery exercises were shared throughout the challenge. Training materials were also provided including goals for beginner, intermediate and advance levels from the New York Road Runners, a Northwell non-profit partner that helps and inspires people to run the New York Marathon. Northwell’s wellness team also curated a nutritional guide featuring recipes for training and race day. These resources and more helped take care of our team members have fun and achieve their well-being goals.

“During the height of the pandemic, the well-being of our team members was something that we passionately invested in as an organization,” says Pat Flynn, assistant vice president, Employee Wellness.  These trying times only brought to the forefront the importance of physical, psychological and emotional health, and it was inspiring to see our team members using all forms of movement to improve their own health and well-being goals while so generously supporting our Caregiver Support Fund.”

490 team members rose to the challenge, raising $54,850 for our Caregiver Support Fund. This fund provides rent relief, mortgage relief, money for food and other necessities for team members who need it most. Big or small, every contribution helped to make a true difference in the lives of colleagues in need.

“The enthusiasm and generosity of the Northwell team is incredible. Providing support through the Northwell Heroes Caregiver Support Fund is a critical and timely need, and we are grateful to everyone who has donated to this important initiative,” says Brian T. Lally, senior vice president and chief development officer, Northwell Health Foundation. The Northwell Heroes Challenge is an extraordinary example of our mission and values coming to life through the Northwell team.”

And while giving back is a reward on its own, those who fundraised had the ability to reach three different goals with rewards including a certificate, points on our team member reward platform myRecognition, Northwell branded swag, and the chance to win the grand prize – a Peloton bike and one-year Peloton digital membership!

Julie Argueta, a unit service associate at Huntington Hospital was the lucky winner of the grand prize. “I joined the Northwell Heroes Challenge to honor the heroes who work with me at Huntington Hospital,” says Julie. “Their bravery and courage during the height of the pandemic inspired me to take challenges and reach goals with pride. What an honor for me to win this, I only wish I could get one for all the heroes on my unit. My daughter Alexus and I cannot wait to cycle to nowhere!”

Hear from some of our Northwell Heroes Challenge ambassadors, who led the way throughout training with motivational posts and tips: