Health Update: Advent Health Focuses on Workplace Wellness at Chamber Breakfast – What Experts Say

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BROOKSVILLE – As businesses across the state of Florida strive to build teams with strong cultures, the question arises: how does one grow and retain a talented workforce? The answer, AdventHealth’s Kaylen O’Leary reasoned, is workplace wellness.

The AdventHealth Dade City vice president and chief of nursing delved deeper into the topic as the guest speaker at the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce’s March breakfast meeting at Southern Hills on Wednesday.

Workplace wellness is crucial because it leads to employees “feeling a sense of belonging at work [that] can lend itself to a better mood, more creativity and collaboration, higher psychological safety, and more,” she stated.

More specifically, a business that engages in this practice will have:

• Reduced turnover and burnout
• Higher engagement and morale
• Improved productivity and performance
• Stronger organization loyalty
• Lower healthcare costs

O’Leary referenced a powerful statistic found in a study published by Harvard Business Review. Workplace wellness was linked to a 56 percent increase in job performance, a 50 percent decrease in risk turnover, and a 76 percent reduction in sick days.

“[Workplace wellness] is no longer nice to have,” she said. “It is really a need. If we want to keep a very strong workforce, we need to invest in them and make sure that they have what they need… It is a strategic driver of employee retention.”

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The results will follow when employees feel that they are able to speak up, take risks, and be authentic when on the clock. Having flexibility and reasonable expectations can help minimize burnout as well.

“It is not just about the physical… It is also that emotional, spiritual, financial… and social well-being,” the vice president said.

Physical health is also crucial as we age. O’Leary listed several ways to stay healthy, including preventative screening, healthy diet and exercise, yearly visits with primary care providers, and being mindful of symptoms. “Early detection saves lives,” she added.

The organization has partnered with WebMD since 2014 to “provide a streamlined, strategic well-being program for 100,000-plus team members,” Kaylen’s presentation stated.

Digital options are available for “frontline” healthcare workers, and they offer free services such as biometric health screenings and unlimited health coaching services.

AdventHealth engages in a variety of team member initiatives including wellness events, providing resources, biometric screenings, and even joining 5k run teams.

AdventHealth’s mission is to “extend the healing ministry of Christ,” and their values include quality and service excellence, community wellbeing, high ethical standards, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

“Kaylen joined AdventHealth Dade City as vice president and chief of nursing on February 8, 2026,” said Ashley Hofecker, CEO, Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce. “In her role, Kaylen leads nursing services and professional development while overseeing clinical operations, patient safety, quality, and the overall patient experience to ensure the hospital meets the needs of the community it serves…”

After O’Leary’s presentation, a litany of new members were welcomed to our local Chamber of Commerce: 7 Brew Coffee, Freedom Capital Alliance, Paradise Citrus, All Brands Cooling and Heating, New York Life, Livano Nature Coast, Hope Services Incorporated, the Salvation Army of Hernando County, and Florida A&M Brooksville Agricultural and Environmental Research Station (BAERS).

A quartet of businesses also celebrated anniversaries with the chamber on Wednesday: Air Source Cooling and Heating LLC (5 years), Direct Auto Insurance (1 year), Withlacoochee River Electric Co-op, Inc. (55 years), and Luigi’s Pizza (30 years).

The Chamber of Commerce will reconvene on April 22 for their next monthly breakfast meeting at Southern Hills.