First Educational Organization in Stark County to Earn Honor
Walsh University has been recognized as a Gold-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association. The Fit-Friendly Worksite Recognition is an award given by the American Heart Association’s My Heart. My Life. Initiative and honors worksites like Walsh for creating a culture of health in the workplace through progressive leadership and employee wellness initiatives. Walsh is the first educational organization in Stark County to earn this honor.
To achieve Gold-Level recognition, recipients must:
- Offer all employees physical activity support at the worksite.
- Have increased the number of healthy eating options available to employees at the worksite.
- Promote a wellness culture at the worksite.
- Embrace at least nine criteria as outlined by the American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
"We are excited to be able to enhance the quality of our Walsh community members' lives through our wellness initiatives on campus," said Director of University Wellness Megan Allen. "Our goal is to continue to enhance the culture of our University and allow our employees to experience a work-life balance. We are also excited to continue to move forward and we hope to obtain the Platinum award!"
Walsh’s University Wellness Department is dedicated to promoting a holistic and values-based approach to a healthy life-style guided by Walsh’s Catholic faith. The Wellness Office provides campus and community-wide health educational opportunities as well as diverse mind, body, and spirit programming that enhances a whole person's well-being. Health and wellness initiatives have included the Get Physical Series which provides regularly scheduled exercise programming such as Strength Training, Active Yoga, and Walking activities throughout the year. Walsh’s Healthy Lifestyle Management program includes services focused on disease prevention, healthy weight management, Tobacco cessation support, and general nutrition guidance. In addition, the annual employee and student Health and Wellness Fair provides free health care screenings such as eye tests, bone density and blood pressure.
The Fit-Friendly Worksite program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping worksites make their employees’ health and well-being a priority.
American employers are losing an estimated $225.8 billion a year because of healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity, and those numbers are rising. 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 is working to change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
For more information about the Fit-Friendly Worksites program and how it’s helping to improve the health of Americans by focusing on the workplace, visit heart.org/worksitewellness.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. To improve the lives of all Americans, the American Heart Association provides public health education in a variety of ways. They team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more, visit heart.org.