UAB has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a Fit Friendly Company for its efforts to provide a workplace culture that promotes healthy living and preventive care. Celebrating in the sun and on the swings are members of the university’s Wellness Committee: Ginny Pelliccio, Bonnie Sanderson, Marie Baisden, MJ Tucker, Anne Kerr-Brown and Joy Johnston.

UAB has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a Gold Level Start! Fit Friendly Company for demonstrating progressive leadership in making the health and wellness of employees a priority.
Specifically, UAB was at a national level recognized for:
• Offering employees physical activity support.
• Increasing healthy eating options at the worksite.
• Promoting a wellness culture.
• Implementing at least nine criteria as outlined by the AHA in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.

“As we have said many times before, one of UAB’s strategic goals is to create a positive, supportive and diverse work environment in which all of our employees can excel,” said UAB Chief Human Resources Officer Cheryl Locke. “The efforts undertaken that led to this recognition are designed to support faculty and staff in their efforts to lead healthy, balanced lives, and we’re delighted to have been honored in this way.”

UAB received the recognition for its efforts to provide a workplace culture that promotes healthy living and preventive care. In addition, the university also provides employees valuable information on health problems so that they have the tools to make informed decisions on improving their health and wellbeing.

For example, UAB employees can take advantage of both the UAB Hospital Fitness Center and the Campus Recreation Center, as well as the wide variety of counseling services and stress management programs offered by The Resource Center/Employee Assistance and Counseling Services.

UAB Hospital employees coordinated UAB’s participation in the Alabama Hospital Association’s “Scale Back Alabama” program, and UAB Hospital established several indoor and outdoor walking routes with posted maps detailing lengths of the routes.

In addition, CPR, first aid and/or the use of an automated external defibrillator training are available to all university employees, and all trans fats have been eliminated from UAB Hospital Cafeteria food preparation.

UAB offers employees many online resources from which to draw, including:
• The www.uabmedicine.org Web site, which offers answers by UAB doctors to health questions, as well as access to a variety of electronic newsletters.
• The UAB Fitness Center’s site at www.uab.edu/campusrecreation, which highlights information on several outdoor activities open to employees (outdoor adventure trip series for walking, hiking, etc.).
• The UAB Eat Right Web site, www.uab.edu/eatright, information central for the university’s EatRight Weight Management Services program.
• The Resource Center Web site, www.uab.edu/eap, which provides information on stress management, depression and other issues, in addition to counseling services for UAB employees.

The UAB Wellness Committee responsible for coordinating many of the university’s health and wellness efforts and for working with the American Heart Association’s Fit Friendly program is chaired by Marilyn Henry, UAB Hospital associate vice president, and Alesia M. Jones, executive director-Human Resource Management specialists.

For more information on the American Heart Association, visit www.americanheart.org.