The Healthy Arizona Worksite Program (HAWP), a public health initiative, recently recognized Paradise Valley Community College for its worksite wellness. PVCC earned HAWP’s gold status, which acknowledges the college’s support of employee health through policy and systems changes.
HAWP is designed by the state’s Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and encourages workplaces to make healthy living a priority, recognizing organizations that are making efforts to positively affect the health and well-being of their employees, their families, and their community by implementing comprehensive worksite wellness strategies. PVCC checked off all the boxes!
“The majority of Americans spend nearly half of their waking hours at work. Creating efficient, effective and sustainable worksite wellness initiatives have continually been shown to reduce healthcare costs,” said Korey Martinez, PVCC’s Wellness Coordinator and Fitness Center Technician. “This recognition affirms our efforts and motivates us to do more!”
There were three main areas PVCC earned accolades in for HAWP:
- Improving health and wellness through biometric and health screenings.
- Creating a supportive physical and social environment for health improvement (tobacco free policies and incentives, subsidized gym memberships).
- Providing health education (Breakout sessions, memos, newsletters, etc. focusing on the 8 dimensions of wellness)
Looking ahead, stress management will be a major focus for PVCC’s employee wellness program, given the ongoing pressures associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to promote programs to help identify and manage stress.
In addition, PVCC’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) kicks off July 1 and will offer various support services for employees and their families, such as 24-hour crisis help, counseling, and peer support groups. Call 1-800-395-1616 or visit ibhsolutions.com/members.