Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi
Southern Pine Electric

Southern Pine Electric - Healthy Workplace



Company Profile

Southern Pine Electric Power Association was chartered in March 1938 to serve 481 homes and farms. Today, Southern Pine is one of the largest electric cooperatives in the country with nearly 10,000 miles of energized line serving more than 65,000 meters. Their 11-county service area encompasses 14.3% of the total land mass of Mississippi. Southern Pine is headquartered in Taylorsville, MS with other offices in Newton, New Hebron, Brandon and Hattiesburg.


Business Challenge

With the trend in rising healthcare costs, Southern Pine began to see a need for health and wellness promotion and education for employees. With many Executives already demonstrating their own personal commitment to health and wellness, management began to research worksite wellness which led the group to partner with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi in becoming a Healthy Workplace in December of 2010.


Southern Pine Electric - Healthy Workplace Southern Pine Electric - Healthy Workplace Southern Pine Electric - Healthy Workplace

The Solution

Southern Pine saw the need to support employees in adopting healthy lifestyle habits and ultimately manage healthcare costs. In 2013, Southern Pine partnered with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi to become a Healthy Workplace. Each year, employees take a personal Health Risk Assessment (HRA) to identify health risks or concerns along with onsite health screenings to determine specific needs and interests of employees. Since then, Southern Pine employees have taken part in nutrition education programs, grocery store tours and individualized nutrition counseling with registered dietitians. They have also held benefit management programs, weight management programs and exercise activities that included Let’s Go Walkin’ Mississippi. With the help of these activities, the group has seen a decrease in employees with high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels. The Healthy Workplace initiative with Southern Pine is supported by management at all levels and has led to a high level of employee engagement.

The Results

With the introduction of their worksite wellness opportunities, Southern Pine has seen an increase in HRA participation, biometric data and engagement in worksite activities. Below depicts success compared from Year 1 of Healthy Workplace (2013) as compared to results in 2014. This data is based on their onsite health screenings and self-reported HRA data.

Progress chart

Healthy You! Utilization has also increased since the introduction of the partnership with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. See the comparison of the year before they signed the Healthy Workplace Letter of Understanding compared to 2015, the most recent year available for results.

Southern Pine Electric Chart

You will be redirected to myBlue. Would you like to continue?

Healthy Workplace Online Risk Assessment
Healthy Workplace Profiles