Perdue Farms’ Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roger Merrill recognized as Outstanding Public Health Leader
Dr. Roger Merrill, Chief Medical Officer for Perdue Farms, was recognized as the 2014 Outstanding Public Health Leader for Wicomico County at a ceremony held April 8, 2014 at the Fritz Health Center in Salisbury, Md.
Merrill was recognized for implementing a companywide Health Improvement Program that encourages associates to achieve healthy lifestyles. Starting with a baseline risk appraisal, associates regularly receive attention from HIP specialist and are also encouraged to engage with primary medical care. The HIP program has attained improved outcomes and patient satisfaction, and has gone far beyond the third goal of ‘bending the cost curve.’ The program has reduced company medical costs while improving patient outcomes. The innovative program received national recognition as a C. Everett Koop Health Award winner and was honored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with a Secretary’s Innovation in Prevention Award.