Highmark
Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia is the first company in West Virginia to
be recognized as a platinum-level "Fit-Friendly Worksite" by the American Heart
Association.
The AHA designation
recognizes a culture of wellness for employees and measurable outcomes that
include decreased health care expenses and improved workforce productivity.
"We are
honored to be recognized at the highest level by the American Heart Association
in the Fit-Friendly Worksite program," said Anna Silberman, Highmark vice
president of clinical client relations.
"We are
constantly working to grow and advance a worksite wellness strategy at Highmark
that employs data-driven, progressive and personalized programs, services and
resources. We're a strong advocate of wellness in our own work environment, and
we're also helping our customers to build impactful worksite wellness programs
into their cultures every day."
According
to the AHA, platinum-level Fit-Friendly Worksite employers:
•Offer
employees physical activity options in the workplace;
•Increase
healthy-eating options at the worksite;
•Promote
a wellness culture in the workplace;
•Implement
at least nine criteria outlined by the AHA in the areas of physical activity,
nutrition and culture; and
•Demonstrate
measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.
"To see a
company like Highmark embrace workplace wellness to this level is very
rewarding and encouraging," said Holly Bagyi, metro executive director for the
American Heart Association in West Virginia. "Highmark's work shows how
healthier employees not only create a better work atmosphere but also create
savings in health care costs. It's truly a win-win for all involved."
Highmark
Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia's locations in Charleston, Wheeling and
Parkersburg are among those worksites recognized by the AHA.
The AHA's
"Fit-Friendly Worksite" program is a catalyst for positive change in the
American workforce by helping worksites make their employees' health and
wellness a priority.
American
employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion a year because of health care
expenses and health-related losses in productivity, and those numbers are
rising. Many American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs,
raising their risk for a host of medical problems such as obesity, high blood
pressure and diabetes. Employers face $12.7 billion in annual medical expenses
due to obesity alone.
More
information about the Fit-Friendly Worksites program is available at www.startwalkingnow.org.
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