New Guidelines For A Healthy Workplace

On June 12, 2012, HealthLead, the first accreditation for healthy workplaces was launched at a forum at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH.

Joined by representatives from business, government, and non-profit organizations, leaders of US Healthiest introduced this new rating system designed to help organizations improve employee health as a business performance strategy.

Among the first 12 employers to receive accreditation: the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (Arlington, VA); ING DIRECT (Minneapolis, MN); The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH); Target Corporation (Minneapolis, MN); and Intel (Santa Clara, CA).

HealthLead provides independent, third-party verification that an employer meets high standards for a culture, environment, policies, benefits and programs that support employee well-being. It is modeled on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification rating system, and its recent release follows two years of development and pilot testing of a comprehensive set of standards and application and evaluation processes.

At the forum last week, the employers earning HealthLead accreditation were recognized by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health Howard Koh, MD, MPH, other dignitaries, and peers. Nine of these employers shared their best strategies, policies, and programs for employee health during the event.

Employers can use the standards of HealthLead to set and prioritize goals and measure their progress. Said Nick Baird, MD, Chief Executive Officer of US Healthiest, “The HealthLead accreditation process provides organizations with an objective lens to examine current health management and well-being practices. It provides new insights into making value based investment decisions that add to businesses’ bottom lines while protecting, supporting, and engaging their number one asset – their people.”

The HealthLead accredited employers range from Fortune 500s to fewer than 100 workers and cover the business, academic, non-profit, and public sectors. Employers receiving accreditation are:

  • Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (Arlington, VA)
  • DTE Energy (Detroit, MI)
  • HealthPartners (Minneapolis, MN)
  • ING DIRECT (Minneapolis, MN)
  • OhioHealth (Columbus, OH)
  • The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
  • Shape Corp. (Grand Haven, MI)
  • Target Corporation (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Worthington Industries (Columbus, OH)
  • Intel (Santa Clara, CA)
  • Monterey County Public Health Department (Salinas, CA)
  • Alamance Regional Medical Center (Burlington, NC)

Employers of all sizes and sectors will be able to apply for HealthLead accreditation beginning July 2, 2012.

The Ohio State University and US Healthiest plan to collaborate on the development of a health and wellness assessment for institutions of higher education, leading to a version of HealthLead accreditation for colleges and universities.


5 COMMENTS

  1. I am interested in learning more about your program. You may forward info to my email address or via phone, 808-543-4770.

    Thank you!

  2. Jan, it looks like the program is national from the announcement, based on this information.

    Employers receiving accreditation are:

    Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (Arlington, VA)
    DTE Energy (Detroit, MI)
    HealthPartners (Minneapolis, MN)
    ING DIRECT (Minneapolis, MN)
    OhioHealth (Columbus, OH)
    The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
    Shape Corp. (Grand Haven, MI)
    Target Corporation (Minneapolis, MN)
    and Worthington Industries (Columbus, OH)
    Intel (Santa Clara, CA)
    Monterey County Public Health Department (Salinas, CA)
    Alamance Regional Medical Center (Burlington, NC)

  3. I would like to participate in helping to establish the health and wellness assessment for higher education institutes.

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