PHOENIX -- The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) received platinum level recognition for the third consecutive year from the statewide Healthy Arizona Worksites Program for demonstrating data-driven programming and leveraging cross-sector collaborations to improve the health, well-being and equity of employees and the community. The platinum level award recognizes organizations making an impact both within and beyond their walls addressing one or more of the many health challenges impacting communities across the state.
“This year, with the drastic business changes we were forced to make to address the COVID-19 emergency, earning recognition as a Healthy Arizona Worksite is especially meaningful,” said Jami Snyder, AHCCCS director. “As our work at home environment continued throughout 2021, AHCCCS employees reported increased work/life balance and job satisfaction. I am proud of the AHCCCS team for not only being active participants as remote work employees, but also sharing and promoting those values in the community.”
The AHCCCS Healthy Living Program for employees, now in its fifth year, encourages fitness and exercise, general nutrition, knowledge and education, community support activities and awareness of whole body health. Scheduled physical activities included mindful meditation, wellness walking groups, weekend hikes, and classes led by employee volunteers. In addition, wellness information such as healthy recipes, mental health resources, physical fitness videos, health fair and screening opportunities, to name a few, were shared through internal communication channels to help employees across the state have access to a wide range of information to improve their health and well-being.
“This year, we created virtual healthy living events - like individual hikes, cooking demos, webinars on maintaining healthy habits, recipe sharing, and other ways for employees to connect virtually and support each other,” said Sky Mills, Chief Human Resources Officer. “In fact, we plan to normalize much of that online connection into our standard business practices even as we emerge from the pandemic.”
The Healthy Arizona Worksites Award, a public health initiative offered by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, recognizes employers 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.
ABOUT AHCCCS
Founded in 1982, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System serves 2 million children and adults in Arizona who meet qualifications for acute or long-term federal Medicaid healthcare coverage. Built on a system of competition and choice, AHCCCS is a $14 billion program that operates a mandatory managed care system. Contracted health plans coordinate medical services delivered by more than 104,000 healthcare providers.
