While writing my monthly newsletter, I was reflecting on my regional site visits and a strong theme emerged for me: passion and commitment.
Passion is the drive to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. It is a powerful emotion that inspires us to strive for excellence in every endeavour. The more passionate we are about something, the more committed we will be to it. While passion helps us keep motivated to reach our goals, it is commitment that ensures that we put in the necessary work to reach them, and both are essential for achieving success.
At Life Health Solutions, I see this passion and commitment constantly.
Within our remarkable organisation, we have long-term employees whose commitment and passion have not wavered. Equally so, we have relatively new employees who also demonstrate these priceless values. Thank you for continuously going above and beyond to help our clients and their employees. At the end of the day, it is this passion for service excellence that sets us apart from our competitors.
Some of the stories mentioned in my newsletter are just a few examples of passion, dedication and commitment at its best.
Read on to learn about other noteworthy developments.
BUSINESS NEWS
Feedback on our client visits to Gqeberha
As the theme of this column was conceived from our site visits, I’d like to take the opportunity to share some of our experiences. Our Chief Operations Officer, Bruce Janssens, and I made a business trip to Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape in mid-March to visit some anchor clients, namely, Volkswagen SA, BASF, Shatterpruffe, and CCBA Lakeside (a subsidiary of Coca-Cola). The primary purpose of these trips is to build relationships with our clients and update them on recent advancements in our services. Our face-to-face engagement with these key clients allows us to better understand their business needs, identify gaps in our service delivery, and identify opportunities to add further value.
Our time spent with our own employees was especially memorable. During our engagement with our regional office staff, we identified opportunities to improve turnaround times and work processes.
Passion and commitment can be shown in many forms, and what I clearly saw were people ready to work, actively seeking out new challenges and opportunities, fostering positive relationships and producing high-quality work. Thank you for your commitment and passion to making a meaningful, measurable difference and thank you for your hospitality; I learnt so much!
MTN signs on for integrated health services
I am pleased to announce that MTN SA has contracted with us to receive primary healthcare and occupational health services. A total of 4,084 MTN SA employees in South Africa will be supported by our integrated services. We will support MTN SA by having a medical general practitioner on-site at MTN's Johannesburg headquarters to manage their occupational health and primary healthcare clinic. In addition, an occupational health sister and administrator will be onboarded to support their hybrid workforce. With this win, we are further expanding our footprint in the telecommunications industry. Our sincere appreciation goes to Marna Mouton (Business Development Manager) and the Bid Administration team, Lani Uys and Bruce Janssens for helping her land the deal.
Financial update
We achieved favourable half-year results. This was only done with the assistance of each and every employee. Our cash management for the reporting period was exceptional, with the teams achieving more than 130% of the target – a notable achievement! Thank you for helping us manage costs in what remains a challenging economic environment, and thank you to everyone who contributes to our excellent client relationships. Your work ethic and passion for your clients and their employees are commendable.
CLIENT NEWS AND EVENTS
Life Health Solutions and the SANBS host DHL’s wellness days
In March, the South African National Blood Services (SANBS) and Life Health Solutions hosted two consecutive wellness days at the DHL supply chain office in Pietermaritzburg (KwaZulu-Natal). Because most DHL employees are enrolled in their Wellness Fund, so the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight Industry (NBCRFLI) also supported the wellness days. Shift workers also had the opportunity to participate in wellness days. Aside from HIV testing, the team also conducted screenings for cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, BMI, STI, and TB. The 'Walk of Life' fitness initiative was also established to support those who want to stay healthy. It started with an early morning brisk walk around the DHL premises. After two months, more employees have joined the “Walk of Life” club.
This news story was brought to us by Annetjie de Haas, Occupational Health Nurse. Thank you, Annetjie.
Life Health Solutions EMS team hosts an ambulance show-and-tell
On 14 March, the Life Health Solutions Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team visited the Kids Safety Haven crèche in Postmasburg (Northern Cape). The EMS team performs community service every month. The purpose is to educate communities about the role emergency medical services play in helping the community and to help them feel comfortable calling for ambulance services without fear. This helps to build trust between the community and the emergency services.
About fifty children under five attend the Kids Safety Haven crèche. On the day, Vincent Vilakazi (ambulance assistant) gave the children a tour of the ambulance. He also took the time to explain the differences between ambulance services and police services. The kids enjoyed the exploration, and the teachers appreciated the initiative since it had never been done before. After the ambulance show-and-tell, the children received snack packs, and the Safe Haven staff members were given solar torches.
The Regional Business Manager, Johanna Jorgensen, and the Inland North team brought this news story to us.
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Smiles all around at the Bata Occupational Health Clinic
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In March 2023, Life Health Solutions, along with volunteers from the Bata Children's programme, visited Gourton Bridge Primary school in Loskop to donate school shoes, food parcels, and a fully stocked first aid box. This is part of a regular community outreach programme that Life Health Solutions participates in. The Bata Children's Programme (BCP) was launched in 2010 to help disadvantaged children reach their full potential and positively impact their lives and those around them. Life Health Solutions' role in this community initiative was to provide children development, education, and health and safety support. School teachers, parents and the community enjoyed the programme. Life Health Solutions' Sister Samke Mokheti taught the children water sanitation and dental hygiene. Overall, the event was very well received by the school and community. This news story was brought to us by Sr Samke Mokheti. |
From the left: Sr Samke Mokheti, Mbali Kubheka (HR Generalist), and Nondumiso Shabalala (Leather Stores Supervisor) |
AWARDS AND SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Natania Chandler celebrates 20 years of service with Life Health Solutions
Natania Chandler, appointed B-BBEE and Transformation Lead |
Natania began her journey with us in 2003 as the Inland Regional Manager of what was then known as Afrox Occupational Health. By 2005, she transferred to Key Accounts Manager. Between 2005 and 2021, Natania was responsible for various additional functions, including the national services coordination function, the occupational health reporting team. and assisting the Business Development Manager. Natania implemented and maintained the Life Health Solutions B-BBEE verification process from 2008. Then, in September 2021, Natania transferred to the position of Life Health Solutions' B-BBEE and Transformation Lead. We have greatly benefited from Natania's vast knowledge and expertise, which have played a vital role in this organisation. We would like to warmly congratulate Natania on achieving this milestone and express our gratitude for her hard work, commitment, and positive impact on the company. Natania, Salute! |
WORK WORTH DOING
As I continue with my road trips, the most amazing words I humbly hear are when our team members say to me, “This is the best job I’ve ever had.” With that said, I leave you with these closing words from Theodore Roosevelt: “Far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
Until next month,
Pennie