Linn County Board of Health announces healthy worksite Wellness Award winners

CEDAR RAPIDS – The Linn County Board of Health today announced the winners of its Healthy Worksite Wellness Awards during a breakfast ceremony at Elmcrest Country Club.

There were five award categories based on employer size:

Winner of employer with fewer than 50 employees: Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency

Areas of Excellence:

• Employees are encouraged to take stretch breaks; posters highlighting injury prevention stretches are displayed throughout the worksite.
• Employees are provided with a 100% tobacco-free work environment.
• Plans to create a community garden and expand nearby paths to encourage walking breaks.

Winner of employer with 50-99 employees: Lil' Drug Store Products

Areas of Excellence:

• Leadership support from the CEO; he has a treadmill desk!
• Onsite cooking classes.
• Partnerships with nearby businesses to share walking paths.

Winner of employer with 100-249 employees: Midwest Metal Products

Areas of Excellence:

• Committed to employing a smoke-free staff; implementing a new policy where no smokers will be hired. If employees test positive for tobacco they pay a higher insurance premium.
  • Staff is reimbursed for the purchase of home fitness equipment.
  • All staff take a five minute walk at 1:30 p.m. everyday.
  • And, they scored the only 100% for the Nutrition Category; fresh foods are brought onsite daily from Hy-Vee and Prairie Soup Company.

Winner of employer with 250-750 employees: SourceMedia-The Gazette

Areas of Excellence:

• Employee health is highlighted in company's vision statement.
• Nutrition policy ensures healthy options in vending machines and at company events and meetings.
• There is strong leadership support from across the company.
• And they have a 100% tobacco-free campus.

Winner of employer with greater than 750 employees: St. Luke's Hospital

St. Luke's Areas of Excellence:

• Implemented healthy food preparation practices in the cafeteria. The healthy options and nutritional content is clearly displayed.
• Healthy meals are priced lower to encourage healthy eating.
• Stress relief techniques are part of new employee orientation and wellness is emphasized from the beginning with new hires.

New this year Honorable Mention Award went to Van Meter Industrial for receiving the second highest score among all 35 business, and demonstrating an unyielding commitment to worksite wellness.

Van Meter's areas of excellence:

• Employees are reimbursed $50 a year for entry fees to participate in community physical activity events.
• 10-minute group stretching sessions are offered before each shift begins.

• Scales and blood pressure equipment are available in the break room at all times.
• And most importantly, wellness is emphasized at every level and at every company event. Van Meter's leadership truly embodies the "culture of health."

Businesses and organizations were invited to submit nominations to the Healthy Worksite Wellness Award program. Linn County Public Health conducted 35 assessments with organizations in the public, private and non-profit sector. There was no cost to the businesses to participate.

This was the 4

^th

annual Healthy Worksite Wellness Award program and demonstrates Linn County's commitment to creating a supportive work environment for employee health.