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HIP Health Plan of New York Offers to Assist Business Community Establish Spiritual Support in the Workplace

New York, N.Y. – The HIP Foundation has offered to assist New York City companies establish programs to provide their employees with spiritual and emotional support in the workplace.

In a letter to the New York City Partnership, of which HIP is a member, Anthony L. Watson, Chairman and CEO of the HIP Health Plan of New York who also serves as Chairman of the HIP Foundation, said that as a result of the World Trade Center tragedy, the workplace is a center of unprecedented emotional turmoil.

"The profound impact of the World Trade Center tragedy and its heartbreaking loss of life continues unabated," Mr. Watson said. "Employees are worried, stressed and often even overwhelmed by the tragedy and its daily, far-reaching impact."

HIP has a long history of providing non-sectarian, spiritual care and counseling for its members. Last year, for instance, volunteers from HIP’s Hospital Visitation Program set a record by making 23,000 visits to hospitalized members. HIP was the first health care company in the nation to provide a hospital visitation program.

"That insight and experience led us to respond to the needs of 1,800 HIP employees in the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy," Mr. Watson said. "We immediately established a new program that offers our employees spiritual and emotional support while at work. Now, we want to provide assistance to Partnership-member companies to provide a similar program for their employees. The offer is made gratis and in the spirit of community."

The program, On Call, is a confidential non-sectarian program committed to the belief that spiritual nurturing is essential to life. HIP employees can dial a number to speak to a pastoral care advocate or listen to inspirational words.

The Rev. Carl E. Flemister, who heads HIP’s Integrative Wellness Department and the creator of all HIP’s spiritual programs, including On Call, is prepared to assist member companies to develop spiritual counseling programs for their employees. Rev. Flemister may be contacted at 212 630-8501.

Contact: Ron Maiorana, SR VP Public Affairs