By: Dawn Brand Fluher—
Muncie, Ind.—Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital recently received the 2016 bronze level recognition in the American Heart Association’s inaugural results of the Workplace Health Achievement Index , a science-based and evidence-informed measurement that assesses and recognizes workplace health programs. Initiated by the AHA’s CEO Roundtable, the Index provides employers with best practices to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of workplace health programs.
“We are honored to have achieved the bronze recognition in workplace health from the American Heart Association,” said Sara Lynn, Fitness Coordinator at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. “A key strategy at IU Health is to build a supportive culture that engages employees and helps improve health outcomes.”
The Workplace Health Achievement Index is unique in that it scores and recognizes companies both on the structure of the workplace health program and employee’s heart health based on the AHA’s seven behaviors and metrics for ideal heart health – Life’s Simple 7®. Research shows that improving these seven factors can lead to significant reductions in heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other health problems. In addition, people who achieve ideal cardiovascular health by age 50 have significantly lower lifetime risk of heart disease and stroke, and live, on average, approximately 10 years longer than people with two or more risk factors.
“The stakes are high. We are acting now to improve the health of our team members,” said IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital’s Orthopedics Service Line Leader Paula Tyler. “The science-based approach to assessing the quality of health programs and the overall heart health of our employees also serves as a roadmap for continuous quality improvement for our workplace health programs and incentives.”
Comprehensively designed and fully implemented workplace health programs can help with job satisfaction and employee retention, as verified by a Nielsen 2016 Employee Health Survey. The Workplace Health Achievement Index gives companies a specific framework they can adopt to improve the quality and effectiveness of their programs, while learning from one another. The AHA CEO Roundtable companies serve as a learning laboratory environment to develop, test and refine the Workplace Health Achievement Index, as well as additional resources for practical use.
For more information on the AHA’s continuous quality improvement in the workplace and additional workplace health resources, visit www.heart.org/workplacehealth.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers. 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, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital serves as a tertiary referral center and teaching hospital for East Central Indiana and part of Indiana University Health. IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and maintains 1.2 million square feet of facilities. More than 17,500 patients are admitted every year and more than 310,000 outpatient procedures are completed annually. Michael Haley is President. Learn more at iuhealth.org/ball-memorial.
