CDC announces new initiative on workplace wellness

Atlanta – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be helping 104 employers from eight counties implement strategies to improve employee wellness as part of a new initiative.

The National Healthy Worksite Program aims to help small and midsized employers develop workplace wellness programs to reduce chronic disease and health care costs, as well as increase worker productivity.

CDC and its partner Viridian Health Management will assist the organizations in choosing appropriate strategies, such as nutrition education and smoking-cessation counseling.

According to a CDC press release, the eight participating counties were chosen because of their high rates of chronic disease and poor health habits, as well as their proximity to health resources such as hospitals. At the end of the program, CDC plans to identify best practices that other small businesses can use to develop workplace wellness programs.