Linn County Board of Health Worksite Wellness Award

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

The Linn County Board of Health Worksite Wellness Award was developed by the Healthy Living Coalition in order to create a system for recognizing local worksites that offer healthy work environments. The objective of the award was to increase the Board of Health’s involvement in community collaboration while recognizing effective strategies in wellness promotion. Using the Centers for Disease Control CHEW assessment tool, based on policy/systems change and environmental surroundings, Health Education Specialists from Linn County Public Health perform free onsite assessments during a six week time period. The result is a detailed report highlighting areas of wellness success and areas in need of improvement along with recommended strategies followed by an award for businesses in five categories achieving the highest scores. Participation has increased 100% since its launch in 2009. Business commitment to health and wellness promotion can increase employees’ ability to make healthy choices, either through increased awareness or availability of healthy options. As many Linn County residents spend time in the worksite environment, businesses are an important partner for achieving the goal of preventing a further rise in the percent of residents who are overweight.