Adventist Health Tillamook Earns Blue Zones Worksite Certification

Adventist Health Tillamook has earned national recognition as a Blue Zones Certified Worksite®. The hospital has strategically deployed evidence-based changes across policies, physical environments, and internal culture to seamlessly integrate healthy choices into daily life, making well-being immediately and effortlessly accessible for both employees and the community they serve. The designation marks a significant milestone for both the organization and the Adventist Health system, reflecting measurable improvement in workplace culture and employee well-being.

Adventist Health Tillamook recorded the highest Gallup survey improvement from 2022 to 2024 in the category “My organization cares about my well-being,” as well as the highest number of Blueprint Best Practices implemented (26 in total) across all certified worksites and those seeing certification. The hospital also saw significantly reduced turnover, improved employee engagement, and achieved 100% participation from its leaders in at least one Blue Zones activity — another first among certified organizations.

The hospital's focus on employee well-being has delivered an unprecedented retention victory, cutting overall voluntary turnover by 36.8% in just three years. This success is most evident among our nurses, where RN voluntary turnover has been nearly halved, dropping by an outstanding 45.5% during the same period.

These improvements come at a time in the nation when burnout and stress in healthcare are at detrimental highs. The three-year journey toward certification involved integrating evidence-based strategies designed to enhance purpose, connection, and health across the workplace. Thanks to a concerted effort, Adventist Health Tillamook has empowered its employees to move more, eat better, connect, de-stress, and find their purpose by achieving significant milestones, including:

• Updating meeting standards to encourage walking meetings and stretch breaks.
• Expanding access to nutritious and locally sourced meals in the hospital’s Garden Café.
• Embedding purpose workshops into leadership development and new-hire orientation.
• Installing new wayfinding signage for outdoor and indoor walking paths to encourage moving naturally.
• Establishing more employee and family social gatherings for connection and fun.
• Nearly all leaders have reflected on their personal “why” through these sessions, aligning individual purpose with the mission of living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope.

Adventist Health Tillamook also saw a measurable impact beyond the workplace, with a 12.5% increase in patient satisfaction scores, the third highest among Adventist Health’s Blue Zones-certified worksites. The hospital’s focus on nutrition and well-being led to an increase in daily cafeteria sales, reflecting growing associate engagement in healthy habits.

“Earning Blue Zones Worksite Certification reflects the heart of who we are,” said Eric Swanson, President of Adventist Health Tillamook. “This achievement isn’t just about programs or policies — it’s about people. When we create a workplace that supports purpose, health, and connection, we build a stronger, more compassionate organization that can better care for our patients and our community.”

Blue Zones is the nationally recognized leader in well-being transformation, and its Worksite Certification model draws upon 20 years of experience in community and longevity science to empower organizations to cultivate thriving work environments.