Nearly 16,000 local employees benefiting from healthy work program
(Utica, NY – April 22, 2013) The American Heart Association is recognizing 14 Utica-area organizations as Fit-Friendly Worksites. Each company promotes physical activity and health in the workplace. Through the Fit-Friendly Worksite designation, the American Heart Association works locally with area employers on their wellness and health programs. These 14 companies are being recognized for efforts in the most recent application period.
The American Heart Association congratulates the following five organizations on their new Gold level Fit-Friendly status:
- Cazenovia Children’s House
- Central New York Psychiatric Center
- Human Technologies Corp.
- Madison County
- Preferred Mutual Insurance Company
Nine Utica-area organizations renewed their Gold level Fit-Friendly status:
- Carbone Auto Group
- Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
- Herkimer County Community College
- Lewis County General Hospital and Residential Health Care Facility
- Masonic Care Community
- Pratt & Whitney HMI Metal Powders
- Slocum Dickson Medical Group, PLLC
- SUNY Institute of Technology
- Utica National Insurance Group
Thirteen organizations were recognized with Fit-Friendly Gold level status during the July 2012 application period:
- AmeriCU Credit Union
- Charles A. Gaetano Construction
- ECR International, Inc.
- Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare
- Fiber Instrument Sales
- First Source Federal Credit Union
- NYCM Insurance
- NBT Bancorp
- Sitrin Health Care Center
- St. Elizabeth Medical Center
- Rome Memorial Hospital
- The House of the Good Shepherd
- Utica College
The American Heart Association would like to congratulate Gilroy, Kernan & Gilroy Insurance for renewing its Platinum Fit-Friendly status in the July 2012 application period.
Nearly 16,000 Utica-area residents are currently working for companies who have received the American Heart Association designation. The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping companies make their employees’ health and wellness a top priority.
American employers face increasing healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity that cost an estimated $225.8 billion a year. 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 Fit-Friendly recognition helps change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
Fit-Friendly Worksites reach Gold and Platinum level status by implementing various activities and programs to encourage physical activity, nutrition and culture enhancements, such as on-site walking routes, healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines, annual employee health risk assessments and online tracking tools.
These companies will also be recognized at this year’s Fit-Friendly Symposium. This new event will be held on May 29 at Vernon Downs. The Symposium is designed to educate local companies on the benefits of wellness programs in the workplace. Attendees will have the ability to ask questions during an expert panel discussion sponsored by Gilroy, Kernan & Gilroy Insurance. For more information on the Symposium, please contact the American Heart Association at (315) 266-5403.
“The Fit-Friendly Workplace Program offers a unique, easy-to-implement opportunity for corporations to increase employees’ physical activity, which will help improve their health – and their employers’ bottom line,” said Dick Mattia, American Heart Association Executive Director in Utica. “Even people who haven’t exercised regularly until middle age can reap significant benefits by starting a walking program.”
For more information about the Fit-Friendly Worksites Program and how it is helping to improve the health of Americans visit startwalkingnow.org.