CANANDAIGUA – A year after being named a Gold-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite, UR Medicine’s Thompson Health has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association, for helping employees eat better and move more.
“Physical activity and associate wellness are priorities within Thompson. We are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite,” said Vice President of Associate Services and Wellness Jennifer DeVault. “Providing the best workplace environment possible benefits our associates’ health and produces even more positive results for Thompson overall.”
Platinum-level 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 American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
- Demonstrate measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness. For example, 100 percent of new associates within Thompson participate in a self-care initiative that involves choosing a tip card offering ways to incorporate healthy changes. Their supervisors follow up on their progress during their one-year evaluation.
According to the American Heart Association, American employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion a year because of healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity, and those numbers are rising.
Many American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs. Their lack of regular physical activity raises 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.
The American Heart Association is working to change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking,
which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity. For more information about the Fit-Friendly Worksites program and how it’s helping to improve the health of Americans by focusing on the workplace visit www.heart.org/worksitewellness.