Viridian Health Management Provides Best Practices for Creating a Workplace Wellness Culture

Viridian Health Management to Provide Practical Tips for Effective Employee Engagement at 7^th Annual Ohio Employee Health and Wellness Conference

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Corporate leaders are realizing that worksite health initiatives are a strategic priority to help achieve business objectives and positively impact the health of employees. However, in order to reap the benefits of a successful worksite health initiative, organizations must first invest in making a real shift in their company culture to effectively build and sustain worksite wellness over time.

“Promoting healthy lifestyle choices through worksite health programs can positively modify health-risk behaviors, dramatically improve the health and productivity of employees and their families, and reduce healthcare costs that are driven by chronic diseases.”

Viridian Health Management, an integrative healthcare services provider focused on improving individual and population health through comprehensive health management programs, will be at the 7^th Annual Ohio Employee Health & Wellness Conference in Columbus, Ohio on September 18, 2012.

Viridian President and CEO Brenda Schmidt and Vice President of Business Development Marissa Hudson will lead one of 10 interactive workshops to share their expertise on effective employee engagement, provide creative and proven strategies focused on communication initiatives and design, and discuss case studies of employers who have implemented successful worksite health strategies.

“Keeping employees healthy is more critical than ever,” said Schmidt. “Promoting healthy lifestyle choices through worksite health programs can positively modify health-risk behaviors, dramatically improve the health and productivity of employees and their families, and reduce healthcare costs that are driven by chronic diseases.”

Industry Thought Leaders in Integrated Healthcare Services and Worksite Wellness

Viridian Health Management shares the following recommendations to help organizations create a culture of health in the workplace that will be embraced by employees, lower individual health risks and become integrated into the organization’s overall strategy:

Build a solid foundation by securing support from senior leadership. Every employer wants a healthy, productive workforce. A strong foundation for building a successful worksite health culture starts with having the whole-hearted support of executive leaders and corporate managers. Corporate leaders have the opportunity to be the catalyst for change within their organizations to impact the health of their employees by creating healthy work environments through workplace health promotion programs, policies and practices that make it easier for employers to make healthy choices.

Develop your worksite health program so it’s relevant to your employees. Worksite health initiatives can improve employee productivity, reduce absenteeism and increase your organization’s bottom line. But are you really reaching all eligible employees with your current program? The key to engaging employees and maintaining the momentum of a worksite health program is to provide opportunities and incentives that will increase participation, while implementing the environmental supports and policies to make the healthy choice the easy choice at work. By diversifying your company’s health activities to accommodate older employees and employees with disabilities, you can take worksite health to the next level and maximize ROI.

Infuse worksite wellness into your organization’s business strategies for greater sustainability. To make employee wellness initiatives compelling and sustainable, companies should tie their worksite wellness programs into every aspect of their business. By embedding worksite health as a key business strategy in your core operations, your organization will improve its business reputation, create brand differentiation, increase employee retention and satisfaction, lead your industry in worksite wellness best practices, and improve stakeholder engagement. Providing employees with comprehensive wellness programs not only provides them a way to improve their health, but it also demonstrates corporate social responsibility for your organization.

As an industry leader in worksite wellness, Viridian Health Management continues to work with former President Bill Clinton and CGI America to address the challenges in developing and implementing cost-effective wellness programs, as well as establishing partnerships with other organizations that are also committed to improving the health of American workers. Viridian also is pleased to be the national implementation contractor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Healthy Worksite Program to establish comprehensive worksite health programs based on Viridian’s proven ability to deliver evidence-based programs that enhance employee health, reduce chronic disease and lower healthcare costs.

Conclusion

Supporting the health and productivity of the workforce is of paramount importance. A strong commitment from senior leadership to establish and maintain a worksite health program is crucial to its success. Only the dedicated organizations that truly embrace worksite health as an integral part of their business philosophy are the ones that will see a significant return on investment.

About Viridian Health Management

Viridian Health Management is a healthcare improvement company focused on improving individual and population health through its pioneering health coaching techniques, integrative approach to wellness, powerful technology platform and actionable analytics. Its comprehensive health management solutions combine evidence-based and emerging best practices for worksites, communities, the public sector and healthcare partners. Viridian focuses on engaging individuals to make healthy behavior changes that result in better health outcomes and financial savings. To learn more, visit online at www.viridianhealth.com, email [e-mail] or call 877-486-0140.