Mayo Clinic Recognized by the
National Business Group on Health

For Immediate Release

June 29, 2012

Mayo Clinic named one of Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles Award given for promoting a healthy work environment

Mayo Clinic is among 66 employers nationwide that received the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award sponsored by the National Business Group on Health’s Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being in Washington, D.C. Mayo Clinic received the Platinum Award for the second time due to its healthy living programs and ability to continue improving and innovating. Twenty-nine other employers received the Platinum award.

The National Business Group on Health, a nonprofit organization of large employers, initiated the awards eight years ago to honor organizations that demonstrate a commitment and dedication to promoting a healthy workplace and encouraging healthy lifestyles for employees and their families. This is the seventh year Mayo Clinic has been recognized as an employer promoting healthy lifestyles since the program began in 2005.

“Receiving this award is a great honor," says Karen Ytterberg, M.D., chair of the Mayo Clinic Employee Wellness Committee. “It recognizes the commitment Mayo Clinic has made to the health of its employees and celebrates the ongoing success of many wellness programs and activities that have established a culture of healthy living at Mayo.”

Mayo Clinic has many health promotion programs that help its employees achieve the best quality of life possible. By utilizing existing resources, employees can access programs directly related to their individual health situations. Programs and activities at the Mayo Clinic Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, Employee and Community Health initiatives and LiveWell.

health resources work together to focus on healthy lifestyle choices and help employees connect with the appropriate programs, tools and support. These include on-site resources and programs at Mayo Clinic employee wellness facilities, nutrition education, the Wellness Champion program, employee food services, health fairs, the Employee Assistance Program, the Nicotine Dependence Center, collaboration with community health and wellness organizations, telephonic and web-based resources, as well as print communication.

The Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award acknowledges and rewards employers that recognize the need to improve their employees’ health and quality of life. The program serves as a catalyst to encourage all employers to take action by providing the resources employees need to be healthy. Employers can apply for one of two award levels: Platinum, organizations with established workplace well-being programs and have documented measurable outcomes and success; and Gold, organizations that develop cultural and environmental changes that support employees who are dedicated to long-term behavior changes.