In Southern New England, four companies were recognized for taking significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace as part of the 2018 results of the American Heart Association Workplace Health Achievement Index. The American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, created the Index with its CEO Roundtable members, a leadership collaborative of more than 40 CEOs from some of America’s largest companies who are committed to applying evidence-based approaches to improve their employees’ overall health.

In Southern New England, the following companies were recognized in the Workplace Health Achievement Index:

• Brown University, Gold level
• CVS Health, Gold level
• Southcoast Health, Gold level
• Town of Westerly, Gold level

The Index uses science-based best practices to evaluate the overall quality and comprehensiveness of their workplace health programs. A unique feature of the Index is that it calculates an average heart health score for employees of participating companies that securely submit aggregate health data.

More than 1,000 organizations completed the index assessment this year and, of those companies, 75 percent received either Gold, Silver or Bronze recognition. Organizations receive benchmarking reports, which allow them to identify potential areas of improvement so that they can advance their annual performance and recognition.

“The American Heart Association congratulates these local companies and thanks them for their efforts in cultivating healthier workplaces and communities, as part of our mission to build a culture of health and well-being throughout the country,” said Dr. Jennifer Jarbeau, the Board President of the American Heart Association of Southern New England, and a Cardiologist at Kent Hospital.

The Association’s Workplace Health Achievement Index allows companies to measure the effectiveness of their workplace health programs, as well as the overall heart health of their employees. Unlike other existing organizational scorecards, the Index also scores companies on the heart health of their employees based on Life’s Simple 7^® – the Association’s scientifically validated definition of ideal heart health. The key factors contributing to optimal heart health include smoking cessation, maintaining a healthy weight, staying physically active, eating a healthy diet, managing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, and keeping blood sugar at a healthy level.

Scientific 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 a significantly lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and live, on average, approximately 10 years longer than people with two or more risk factors.

The American Heart Association’s Workplace Health Solutions offers a suite of evidence-based tools to help optimize current employee health programs. These tools leverage the science behind the Index while improving consumer engagement and promoting healthier behaviors. For more information, visit www.heart.org/workplacehealth.

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. 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.

For Media Inquiries: (401) 228-2324

Jennifer  Bray – jennifer.bray@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and strokeassociation.org