Supporting charitable causes and educational programs in our community is not only the right thing to do; it’s a very smart business move.

When the corporate world does its part to build and maintain a thriving environment, employee recruitment and retention are positively affected. We all want to live in a region that offers quality educational options, excellent health and wellness programs, exciting athletic opportunities for participants and spectators, an active arts scene, and an overall sense of caring for those in need. If the business community does not support these vital components of a desirable region, we will find ourselves losing new enterprises and top-level talent to communities that do. We don’t hear much about private medical groups, so I thought I would share a bit about OrthoWilmington’s involvement.

For companies like OrthoWilmington that are partially self-insured for medical care and pay their employees’ health care claims, there is an even stronger financial reason to support health and wellness programs. We want our employees healthy and on the job, of course, and we would like to keep our claims as low as possible. 

One of the ways we work toward this goal is to encourage our staff (and they encourage each other) to participate in our annual OrthoWilmington 5K Race. We even cover the cost of their registration.

Reaching well beyond our practice, the race benefits the YMCA programs Girls on the Run and STRIDE in our local community. Through these organizations, third-grade through fifth-grade girls and boys train for and ultimately participate in a 5K race. It’s a way of instilling healthy lifestyle choices and positive self-esteem in children while they are young, with the hope that they will adopt this way of life going forward. A new generation of healthy-minded citizens will, of course, decrease burdens on our health care system in the decades to come. 

An interesting byproduct is that when young children participate in these types of programs, their parents and siblings often lace up their running shoes as well. The health gain is therefore multiplied, and family relationships are improved. Studies show that a strong support system in the home leads to less crime in the community. 

Playing a role in local educational programs is another important way to raise the standard of living for the region. At OrthoWilmington, we fund a scholarship program that helps our employees and their families further their education at Cape Fear Community College. As an employer, we are attracted to candidates who want to continue to grow and develop personally and professionally, and a better-educated and trained staff is an obvious benefit to our area. 

OrthoWilmington also helps students earn credit hours in the health care and business fields by partnering with he following higher education programs: UNCW Cameron School of Business Internship Program, Miller Motte Medical Records Externship Program, Cape Fear Community College Clinical Site Student Rotations for the Radiology Program, and ECU College of Allied Health Science – Health Service Management Program. These and other programs do require a commitment from the practice, including the dedication of our employees, but it is well worth the investment of both time and money. 

Because a thriving community is unquestionably vital to a healthy economic environment, every member of the Wilmington business community can – and should – continue to contribute when and where able. When we all give, we all gain. 

Stephen DeBiasi is chief executive officer at OrthoWilmington, PA, which offers the widest range of orthopaedic services, specialties and technologies in Wilmington and the surrounding region. The mission of OrthoWilmington, PA, is to focus on one patient at a time, demonstrate consideration and respect, serve as leaders in quality and education, and support the community's overall health and wellness. 

For more information, visit www.Orthowilmington.com or call 910.332.3800. Like OrthoWilmington, PA, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OrthoWilmington or follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/orthowilmington.