By Shelby Rainford
On Thursday, June 15, the City of Chandler will receive the Healthy Arizona Worksite Gold Award for the first time at the Third Annual Healthy Arizona Worksites Award Luncheon located at the Verna McClain Wellness Center in Phoenix. The luncheon will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will recognize the City of Chandler and other award recipients for completing the Healthy Arizona Worksites Program (HAWP) and achieving excellence in worksite wellness.
The Healthy Arizona Worksite Award has four different levels of awards based on the initiatives, programs and evidence that the organization is working towards healthier employees and their families.
The Gold Award is the second highest offered and “is awarded to businesses that are tracking and documenting outcomes and behavior change,” according to the Healthy Arizona Worksites website. “Gold level programs have demonstrated institutional support and have integrated worksite health programs with business policies and benefits. Their programming is data and outcomes driven.” Other awards include the Copper, Silver and Platinum Award.
Chandler Wellness Coordinator Kara Boley stated that this is the first time that the City of Chandler has received the Gold Award and stated it was “all based on wellness program offerings such as CPR training and initiatives for wellness.”
In order to receive this award, the City of Chandler had to meet three requirements:
- Attend the HAWP 101 training session.
- Complete the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Worksite Health ScoreCard
- Create a worksite health improvement plan.
After completing these requirements, the organization then creates initiatives and programs as evidence they are making an effort to improve the health of their employees and their families. Ultimately, the worksite health improvement plan leads to a healthier and stronger community.
