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Employers who invest in their employees by promoting a culture of health with comprehensive workplace wellness practices, evidence-based policies and programs and senior leadership support create a genuine value proposition for their employees.

This often translates into improved employee engagement and a healthier, more productive workforce. For the third consecutive year, ����ֱ�� State University is being recognized by the American Heart Association for its work toward achieving that goal.

Kim Hauge, director of employee wellness at ����ֱ�� State, said the American Heart Association 2018 has awarded the university silver level recognition for program design and results for building a culture of health in the workplace.

The American Heart Association created the Achievement Index with its members, a leadership collaborative of more than 40 CEOs from some of America’s largest companies who are committed to applying evidence-based approaches to improve their employees’ overall health. The index uses science-based best practices to evaluate the overall quality and comprehensiveness of workplace health programs. A unique feature of the index is that it calculates an average heart health score for employees of participating companies that securely submit aggregate health data.

“To receive recognition yet again this year from the American Heart Association for workplace health achievement is very gratifying,” said F. Jack Witt, ����ֱ�� State’s vice president for human resources. “This demonstrates the comprehensive approach ����ֱ�� State takes in its wellness programs. Participation in such activities continues to grow at the university, and the positive impact on employee health and well-being is notable.”

More than 1,000 employers completed the index assessment for 2018.

“After going through the rigorous review process, employers are notified several months later whether they may have qualified for a gold, silver or bronze recognition,” Ms. Hauge said. “In addition, employers receive benchmarking reports, which allow for identification of potential areas of improvement. The benchmarking reports allow us to apply a continuous improvement process toward our workplace wellness program, advance our annual performance and move our workforce toward ideal heart health.

“Our employees take a lot of pride in working at ����ֱ�� State and have expressed a real sense of gratitude that ����ֱ�� State has made this investment in their continued health through our workplace wellness program,” she continued.

For more information about ����ֱ�� State’s workplace wellness program, visit www.kent.edu/hr/benefits/wellness.

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Media Contacts:
Kim Hauge, khauge@kent.edu, 330-672-7505
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595