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Courtesy Lauren Cavazos,

Scientific, evidenced-based instrument rates, recognizes workplace health programs and workforce heart health

(Laredo, Tx)-The results of the American Heart Association 2020 Workplace Health Achievement Index were announced today and United ISD achieved national Silver recognition for taking significant steps to build a culture of health in the workplace. United ISD is one of 776 organizations that completed the Index assessment this year, evaluating the time period of July 30, 2019 to June 30, 2020. Of the organizations that completed the Index assessment, 35% received gold recognition, the highest percentage to date, 29% silver and 25% bronze.

The American Heart Association, a global force for longer, healthier lives, created the Index with its CEO Roundtable, a leadership collaborative of more than 45 members from some of America’s largest companies who are committed to applying evidence-based approaches to improve their employees’ overall health. The Index is a web-based scorecard that looks at organizational best practices and aggregates employee health data to evaluate the overall quality and comprehensiveness of workplace health programs. Studies show that worksites with a culture of health with comprehensive, evidence-based policies and programs, and senior leadership support are more likely to have engaged employees and a healthier, more productive workforce.

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 through Life’s Simple 7®,the American Heart Association’s definition of ideal cardiovascular health based on seven risk factors. Life’s Simple 7® includes smoking status, physical activity, weight, diet, blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure. Companies receive benchmarking reports, which allow them to identify potential areas of improvement so that they can advance their annual performance and recognition.