Interim Big Sandy Regional CEO Rocky Massey says, “The employee garden encourages healthy nutrition by learning about gardening and (allowing employees) to take home the produce they grow if they choose. The act of gardening is increasing physical activity and research shows that a connection to nature can improve mental health and emotional well-being. There’s also a social connection by opening a beautiful outdoor break area through the construction of the garden.”

The garden was made possible thanks to the generous donation from the Highlands Ladies Auxiliary. Doris Chandler (President), Martha Damron (Treasurer), and Charlotte Hall (Gift Shop manager) attended the ceremony representing the organization.

ARH CEO Hollie Phillips praised employees saying, “I’m so proud of the Highlands team for all their work and enthusiasm with this project. I appreciate the vision of Sonya Bergman (Chief People Officer) and the HR team. I’m also proud of our resident rock star Kent Adams who can design and build anything.” Phillips continued, “This is just one of the things we are doing around our ARH system. We truly believe food is medicine and we are working with physicians to write prescriptions that include healthy food, not just pharmaceuticals.”

Tiffany Herald, Vice President, Benefits and Wellness, sees this garden as another way to put action behind ARH’s mission of improving health and well-being. She says, “ARH has made a commitment to improving the well-being of our staff, and this is one of the many ways we are accomplishing that mission. We work hard to provide employees with the tools necessary to choose healthier lifestyles including free gym memberships, healthier meal options in our cafeterias, educational programming and more. I’m proud of the work of our Wellness Team and Highlands ARH staff, and we’re grateful to the auxiliary members for their generous donation.”