Riverview Health Honored with Mission: Fit-Friendly Worksite Award

Riverview Health has been recognized as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association for helping employees eat better and move more.

“We’re honored to be recognized by the American Heart Association as a Platinum-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite because it reflects our dedication to creating healthy workplaces,” said Mary Valdez, vice president of operations at Riverview Health Physicians. “As we continue to improve the health and well-being of our community, it’s important that we lead by example and make the health of our employees a priority as well.”

To achieve this honor, Riverview Health implemented several initiatives that promoted a healthy culture in the workplace, which resulted in overall improved total cholesterol and hemoglobin A1C biometrics from 2009 through 2015. Some of the customized wellness programs provided to employees included the Holiday Hold, Waist Reduction, Reduce Your BMI, Spring into Motion and Cholesterol Education & Awareness. Employees at Riverview Health also have access to an online wellness portal allowing them to view various health and wellness resources. In addition, walking paths around the hospital were established to further encourage physical activity among employees.

The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping companies make their employees’ health and well-being a priority. 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 many 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.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Our mission drives everything we do. To improve the lives of all Americans, we provide public health education in a variety of ways. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join us, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any of our offices around the country, or visit heart.org.