On Friday, January 13, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that Shelby County was one of 7 sites nationally selected for their National Healthy Worksite Initiative. Viridian Health Management, based in Phoenix, AZ, is implementing this initiative in all 7 sites. MBGH is working with CDC and Viridian to identify interested employers in Shelby County and we hope that several of our members will apply!
As a selected site, 15 employers from Shelby County will be participating in a two year program to implement program, policy and environmental supports for physical activity, nutrition and tobacco use. These participating employers will receive intensive, on-site support to build a worksite health program that is tailored to their organization and the needs of their employees. Support will include:
- Assistance in building a worksite health program
- On-site health assessment and evaluation
- On-site program management support/capacity building
In addition, participating employers will receive training, technical assistance, and will engage with other local and national participating employers and experts.
Eligible employers must:
- Have fewer than 1,000 full-time employees (although there are special provisions for autonomous divisions of larger employers)
- Offer health insurance to eligible employees
- Demonstrate capacity commitment and meet program requirements
- Not currently have a comprehensive wellness program in place (although eligible employers may already have some of the components of a wellness program).
Get a copy of the eligibility details.
The program targets small to medium sized employers and will include employers in each size category (100 or fewer full-time employees: 101-250 full-time employees; 251-1,000 full-time employees).
Interested Shelby County employers can apply for the program between January 20, 2012 and February 24, 2012 by filing a certification form on the National Healthy Worksite Initiative website. More details regarding employer eligibility will be provided on the certification form itself once it is available. Invitations for participation will be made in May 2012.
Two webinars will be held on January 20, 2012 so if you are interested in participating in the program, please click the time below and register for one of the webinars. Both webinars are identical so you only need to register for one webinar.
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM CENTRAL
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM CENTRAL
You can review the webinar slides if you can't make the webinar.
Get answers to Frequently Asked Questions from employers about the program.
Shelby County was selected based on prevalence of chronic disease, health outcomes, and healthy behaviors; availability of community resources to support a sustainable program (including MBGH!); and high health disparities. Read more on the site selection process in the webinar slides above.
Don't hesitate to get in touch with Cristie Travis if you have any questions or need additional information!