FCHC recognized by American Heart Assn.

Fulton County Health Center (FCHC) been recognized as a Gold level Start! Fit-Friendly Company by the American Heart Association's (AHA) Start! movement for helping employees eat better and move more.

"Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at Fulton County Health Center. We are honored and excited to be recognized by the American Heart Association's Start! movement as a Gold-Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company," said E. Dean Beck, Administrator at FCHC. "We're committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. This will benefit our employees' health and produce even more positive results for our organization overall."

Gold-level employers offer employees physical activity options in the workplace, increase healthy eating options at the worksite, promote a wellness culture in the workplace, implement at least nine criteria outlined by the AHA in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture and the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce by helping companies make their employees' health and wellness a priority.

American employers face increasing health care expenses and health-related losses in productivity that cost an estimated $225.8 billion a year. Many American adults spend most of their waking hours at sedentary jobs. Their lack of physical activity raises their risk for a host of medical problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Employers face $12.7 billion in annual medical expenses due to obesity alone. Start! helps change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.

Recognition is a critical component of the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program. Employers that join this program qualify for official recognition by the American Heart Association. They are listed on the program's national Web site, as well as recognized at all local Start! Heart Walk events. A special advertising section in the September 18, 2009 issue of Forbes magazine included a complete list of the companies across the nation that have been designated as Fit-Friendly. Qualifying companies also have the right to use the program's annual recognition seal for internal communications and with external, recruitment-related communications.

Participating companies also get free access to program resources such as the free Start! Walking Program, materials to help promote company wellness programs to employees, internal newsletter templates and consultation on CPR / AED (automated external defibrillator) programs. Start! also offers MyStart! Online, a free Web-based fitness and nutrition tracker for companies and individuals. A "dashboard" feature lets HR or wellness managers view employee participation in Start!