CIPROMS, Inc. has been chosen as one of 104 employers throughout the nation to participate in the National Healthy Worksite Program (NHWP), a new initiative aimed at reducing chronic disease and building a healthier, more productive U.S. workforce.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through its partner Viridian Health Management, has identified 104 employers in eight counties across the country that voluntarily chose to participate in the NHWP. The initiative primarily focuses on small and mid-sized employers.
“Being selected to participate in the National Healthy Worksite Programs presents a tremendous opportunity for us to help our employees improve their overall health and well-being. Employees are our most valuable asset, and we believe that healthier employees will allow us to continue to provide quality service to the health care community,” said Melissa Bird, Director of Human Resources at CIPROMS.
Employees who participate in the program will have a biometric screening, a wellness consultation with a health coach, and one year of access to the health coach to help achieve health goals. Each company’s aggregate results will be used to determine relevant programming that support physical activity, good nutrition, and tobacco-use cessation.
CIPROMS’ first campaign is a Water Challenge in which employees are encouraged to drink eight 8-oz glasses of water a day for four weeks. A wellness committee is being formed that will use the screening results, input from the Viridian health coach, and guidance from the CIPROMS Human Resource Director to plan future events and programs.
The CDC program is supported through the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund, and is designed to assist employers in building successful workplace wellness programs by implementing science-based disease prevention and wellness strategies to help reduce chronic diseases. All program and implementation support to participating employers will be provided by Viridian Health Management over a 12-month period.
“Employers can increase productivity, cut health care costs and reduce the burden of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and other health problems in their workforce by making it easier for employees to be physically active, eat healthy foods, and not smoke,” said CDC Director, Tom Frieden, M.D. M.P.H. “Our National Healthy Worksite Program is providing valuable tools to help employers create effective workplace wellness programs that will benefit employees and their families, their community, and the nation as a whole.”
The eight participating communities are Buchanan County, Mo.; Harris County, Texas; Kern County, Calif.; Marion County, Ind.; Philadelphia County, Pa.; Pierce County, Wash.; Shelby County, Tenn.; and Somerset County, Maine.
The communities were selected because of their high rates of chronic diseases and health risk behaviors such as smoking and physical inactivity. Also important in the community selection process was the availability of local resources to support a sustainable workplace health program, such as proximity to hospitals and existing community health promotion programs.
Employers in the eight communities volunteered to participate and were chosen based on interest and industry diversity. A variety of large, medium, and small employers are volunteering to participate in this opportunity to improve the health and well-being of their employees.
Other participating employers in Marion County, representing approximately 2,100 employees, are:
- ILab LLC, Indianapolis, small, services
- One Click Ventures, Greenwood, small, retail
- HC1.com (formerly Bostech Corp), Indianapolis, small, services
- The Broadbent Company, Inc., Indianapolis, small, finance, insurance & real estate
- H.J. Umbaugh & Associates CPA LLP, Indianapolis, small, finance, insurance & real estate
- Med Shield, Inc., Indianapolis, small, finance, insurance & real estate
- TKO Graphics, Indianapolis, mid-size, manufacturing
- Bosma Industries for the Blind Inc. (Bosma Enterprises), Indianapolis, mid-size, manufacturing
- Day Nursery Association, Indianapolis, mid-size, services
- Buchanan Group Inc., Indianapolis, mid-size, services
- CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, Indianapolis, mid-size, services
- Indiana State Department of Health, Indianapolis, large, public administration
At the end of the program, a national evaluation will document best practices and models on how to successfully implement workplace health programs in small worksites more broadly.
A complete listing of all selected employers and more information about the program can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/NationalHealthyWorksite.
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