Baptist Health South Florida was one of 16 companies presented the Platinum Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles Award by The National Business Group on Health, a non-profit association of large employers that honors companies for their commitment and dedication to promoting a healthy workplace. Baptist Health has received this top honor for each of the six years the award has been presented, and is one of only five organizations to make the overall list of best employers every year.

Baptist Health, for its Wellness Advantage employee health program, was among 66 employers honored at the Leadership Summit on June 14 sponsored by the National Business Group on Health’s Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being. Platinum awardees were recognized for established workplace well-being programs with measurable success and documented outcomes. Other categories are Gold, for creating cultural and environmental changes that support employees who are committed to long-term behavior changes; and Silver, for employers who have launched significant programs or services to promote living a healthier lifestyle.

“Our Wellness Advantage program has demonstrated over the past 10 years that it works to give employees the tools, education and support needed so that they can make healthier choices and achieve personal health goals,” said Brian E. Keeley, president and CEO of the non-profit, faith-based Baptist Health.  “We have proven that employers and employees can tackle together important health issues such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Prevention is a key component of health reform’s initiatives to control rising costs, and we are honored to be recognized as a role model for other employers.” 

Wellness Advantage offers Baptist Health’s nearly 14,000 employees free services such as on-site fitness centers and employee care clinics; healthy cafeteria menus and vending selections that banish or limit ingredients such as trans fats, sodium and MSG; innovative weight-loss, exercise and disease management programs; and best-practice workers' compensation management, including safe patient handling, and return-to-work programs.
“We are delighted to recognize Baptist Health for its innovation and commitment to providing lifestyle improvement programs designed to encourage healthier lifestyles for their employees,” said Helen Darling, President of the National Business Group on Health. “Baptist Health and its management team recognize just how important a healthy workforce is to increasing productivity and controlling health care costs, and we congratulate them on receiving this award.”

Baptist Health, the region’s largest faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization, has nearly 14,000 employees. Baptist Health includes Baptist, Baptist Children’s, Doctors, Homestead, Mariners and South Miami Hospitals as well as Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Baptist Outpatient Services and Baptist Health Enterprises. West Kendall Baptist Hospital will open in 2011. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization's fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities affiliated with Baptist Health.

The National Business Group on Health is the nation's only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers' perspective on national health policy issues and providing practical solutions to its members' most important health care problems. The Business Group helps drive today's health agenda while promoting ideas for controlling health care costs, improving patient safety and quality of care and sharing best practices in health benefits management with senior benefits, HR professionals, and medical directors from leading corporations.  Business Group members, which include 63 Fortune 100 companies, provide health coverage for more than 50 million U.S. workers, retirees and their families.