Rochester, NY — The American Heart Association is recognizing 4 local organizations as new Fit-Friendly Worksites. Fit-Friendly Worksites promote physical activity and health in the workplace. Through the Fit-Friendly Worksite designation, the American Heart Association works locally with area employers on their wellness and health programs. More than 32 companies with 83,000 local employees benefit from healthy work program. These organizations are being recognized for efforts in the most recent application period.
The American Heart Association congratulates the following companies on their new Gold level Fit-Friendly status: Nixon Peabody, LLP, the Town of Penfield, the Town of Perinton, and Thompson Health.
The American Heart Association congratulates the following companies on their renewed Gold level Fit-Friendly status again this year including Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Regional Transit Service, University of Rochester, Vnomics Corp., CooperVision, Inc., The City of Rochester, Constellation Brands, Inc., Dixon Schwabl, Iberdrola USA, Monroe Community College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Xerox Corporation, Verizon Wireless and Monroe County as well as recurring Platinum level Fit-Friendly status from ESL Federal Credit Union, and Pharos Systems International, Inc. Constellation Brands also received the Worksite Innovation award along with their Gold level Fit-Friendly status.
More than 83,000 Rochester residents are currently working for 32 companies who have received the American Heart Association designation. The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping companies make their employees’ health and wellness a top priority.
American employers face increasing healthcare expenses and health-related losses in productivity each year. 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.Fit-Friendly Worksites reach Gold and Platinum level status by implementing various activities and programs to encourage physical activity, nutrition and culture enhancements, such as on-site walking routes, healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines, annual employee health risk assessments and online tracking tools. Platinum, in particular, distinguishes itself by requiring demonstration of measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness such as percent reduction in absenteeism.
“The Fit-Friendly Workplace Program is a simple program for employers to integrate into their workplace. It encourages employees to be healthy and physically active while corporations support a culture of overall wellness in the workplace,” said Marc Natale, Executive Director of the Rochester American Heart Association. “The program will improve employee’s health and is a prestigious accreditation from the American Heart Association.”
For more information about the Fit-Friendly Worksites Program and how it is helping to improve the health of the Rochester community visit www.heart.org/worksitewellness or call #585.371.3112.
Media Contact:
Jackie Mangione
c/585.967.7749
About the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers in Rochester. We 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 or to get involved with the Rochester affiliate, call 1-585-371-3112, visit the local Rochester website www.heart.org/RochesterNY.