Pineapple Beach – By Deslyn A Joseph
Pineapple Beach Club Prioritizes
Underscoring that “health is wealth”, the Pineapple Beach Club hosted its inaugural “pop-up” Health Expo on Wednesday afternoon, the focus being the well-being of its workforce. The initiative aims to provide preventative care and health awareness for staff members, whom management describes as the company’s most valued asset.
The event, which began at 1:30 pm, was organized in response to rising national rates of hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Amber Hazelwood, the Front Office Manager at Pineapple Beach Club, explained that the initiative is designed to ensure employees stay healthy not just for their professional duties, but for their families and personal lives.
“The initiative is to keep our staff abreast because health is wealth and our staff are our most valued asset to the company,” Hazelwood said. “We can do preventative measures for those who may need the awareness and for those who may need the help, we can refer them according to the results of today’s proceedings.”
To facilitate the expo, the resort partnered with the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus. Nurse Josephine Williams, a clinical instructor at the university, brought a team of third and fourth-year nursing students to conduct vital health checks.
Staff members underwent a variety of screenings, including blood pressure, pulse and heart rate monitoring, oxygen saturation, blood sugar, cholesterol, and Body Mass Index (BMI) assessments. Following the physical screenings, employees transitioned to consultations with nutritionists and mental health representatives. Sherrilyn Samuel joined the team to provide guidance on emotional well-being and mental health.
The expo saw a high level of engagement, with over 50 team members participating and the numbers continued to climb as afternoon staff arrived for their shifts.
Nurse Williams noted that her department is frequently called upon to support such community health fairs, providing students with practical experience while serving the public. Hazewood expressed her satisfaction with the turnout and the appreciation shown by the staff.
Looking ahead, management intends to make the Health Expo an ongoing fixture. While it may not occur monthly, Hazewood revealed plans to expand the program later this year to include other properties within the Island Resorts group.
By providing these services on-site, the hotel aims to reduce the number of staff reporting sick and foster a culture of health and preventative care within the hospitality sector.
The program also received support from representatives of the Medical Benefits team, ensuring that the information provided to the workers was backed by national health standards.
