City Of Phoenix Receives Well Workplace Designation

March 13, 2001

Listen to comments from City Manager Frank Fairbanks

The city of Phoenix has received a Well Workplace Gold Award from Wellness Councils of America, a national organization dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles for Americans through health promotion activities in the workplace. The Gold Award, which recognizes organizations that have developed comprehensive, strategic, results-oriented wellness programs, designates the finest such programs in the country.

While 500 companies have received a Well Workplace designation since the program began in 1991, the city of Phoenix is only the second organization in the Phoenix metropolitan area and the largest municipality in the nation to receive this honor. Wellness Councils of America has bestowed the Gold Award on only 300 workplaces nationwide.

"We're proud to receive this coveted distinction," said City Manager Frank Fairbanks. "We had some stringent guidelines to meet, but we care about the well-being of our employees and it shows. Earning this designation is one more reason why the city of Phoenix is an employer of choice."

The city of Phoenix earned the award largely because of the efforts of the Personnel Department's Workplace Wellness Program and the Wellness Council comprised of employees from every department who share health information. As part of its integrated approach, representatives from the city's health insurer, CIGNA HealthCare, also serve on the Wellness Council and help to facilitate the wellness program. Using the slogan "Feel Better, Work Better," the city's workplace wellness program has implemented a flu shot program, more than 70 wellness classes, brown bag lunch talks, health screenings and an annual wellness fair, all at no cost to employees.

The city also offers employees T'ai Chi and yoga classes during lunch or after work in city locations for a nominal fee, as well as professional counseling services through both internal and external Employee Assistance Programs and CIGNA Behavioral Health to promote better mental health. CIGNA HealthCare provides additional free wellness classes to employees in City Hall and remote work sites alike on more than 25 topics, including disease management, stress management, back care, cholesterol and hypertension, healthy eating, parenting, eldercare and more.

Phoenix has partnered with CIGNA HealthCare, Eli Lilly and Company, Schering-Plough and American Medical Screening Ltd. to operate 35 Health Education Centers throughout the city where employees can pick up health information pamphlets and check their blood pressure, weight and body composition. Employees perform an average of 2,571 self-tests daily at the centers. One-third of the Health Education Centers is open to the public.

At the award ceremony in City Hall today, American Medical Screening announced that it would provide funding to establish 15 additional Health Education Centers throughout the city.

The Well Workplace designation also resulted from the city's outstanding benefits package, safety record, policies on balancing work and family life, disability prevention and accessibility, community involvement and integration of health promotion into the organizational structure.

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