Hennepin County Profiles

To learn more about how Hennepin County works for you, the District 3 team has started a profile series with employees of the county who live in the district. Each month will spotlight a different person from varying departments and occupations.  Find out about the day-to-day aspects of occupational fields and work environments at the county, and how each person’s work affects your life.

Jill Hamilton

Healthworks Manager
Public Health Department
Whittier Neighborhood Resident
Celebrating 7 years at Hennepin County

 

Describe your work.

I am the HealthWorks manager for employees at Hennepin County. We provide programs, resources, and services for employees, families, and retirees to live a healthy life. We promote healthy behaviors and environments at Hennepin County, and work closely with third parties like PreferredOne to provide more opportunities for health. This includes things like flu shots, health screenings, fitness classes, health & wellness coaching, and discounts on insurance copays and membership to fitness clubs.

We also work with other departments to develop policies for a healthy environment. In 2011, the county passed a tobacco-free policy intended to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, reduce hazardous tobacco use among visitors and employees, and uphold the county's commitment to enhancing the health of its residents. This year we adopted a nutrition policy promoting more healthy food choices in vending machines and at county-sponsored meetings and events.

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What part of your job do you find most challenging?

Communication is difficult. The county is a very large organization and people are spread out in a number of locations. Coordinating between departments and getting people in departments involved in specific programs tends to be quite difficult. We emphasize good nutrition, exercise and stress management, and that can be more difficult than communicating about basic health benefits.

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What do you find most enjoyable?

We have the opportunity to be innovative and creative in this job. The challenges are really related to what I enjoy about this job- Healthworks never goes it alone on an initiative, so we get to work with all the different units across the county, which is doubly exciting as a community member. I get to see what is being done in different departments across the county every day.

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What should others know about the work you do?

The staff is very committed to serving clients and have an incredible work ethic, because the county makes a point of investing in the community. The programs we develop and the services we offer are aimed at the well-being of Hennepin County employees, family members and retirees, and employee health is an investment in the continued good work at the county. It may be a program, benefit, or nicety, but more than that it is a statement that the county is committed to providing great service to the community. If you don't find time to be healthy, you'll have to make time to be sick, and emphasizing these principles keeps employees happy, healthy, and ready to serve their neighbors- a sentiment that many employees share as their primary reason for wanting to work at Hennepin County.

 

Jill Hamilton is the HealthWorks manager for employees at Hennepin County. Jill is a resident of the Whittier neighborhood, and recently celebrated her 7th year at the county. Visit the Be Well Center in the Hennepin County Government Center, A-400 on the ground-level on the southwest corner. Learn more about HealthWorks, PreferredOne, or by subscribing to the Be Well newsletter here.