February 4, 2014 - ZOLL Achieves Platinum Status as an American Heart Association Fit-Friendly Company for Third Consecutive Year
MEDIA CONTACT: |
Diane Egan |
ZOLL ACHIEVES PLATINUM STATUS AS AN AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION FIT-FRIENDLY COMPANY FOR
THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR
February 4, 2014—CHELMSFORD, MASS.—ZOLL Medical Corporation, a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, has been recognized for the third consecutive year as a Platinum-Level company by the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Fit-Friendly initiative for helping employees to eat better and move more.
“Physical activity and employee wellness are important priorities at ZOLL. We are especially honored that the AHA, a national health organization closely aligned with ZOLL’s core mission of improving outcomes from cardiac arrest, recognizes our commitment to providing the best workplace environment possible,” said Richard A. Packer, Chief Executive Officer of ZOLL. “This designation benefits our employees’ health and produces positive results for our company overall.”
The wellness culture at ZOLL has taken many forms to encourage employees to lead more active and healthy lives. Enrollment in the exercise, yoga, and fitness programs, offered at a discount in the onsite gym, increased by 13% from 2012. And the number of requests for gym badges is up over last year. The company added on-site chair massages for employees to assist with reducing stress. Stress reduction offerings are also available through ZOLL’s employee assistance program, as are monthly webinars and telephonic coaching that help employees resolve personal issues and meet life’s challenges.
ZOLL subsidizes the heart-healthy menu options offered daily in the cafeteria as well as the healthy choice vending machine, which offers such fare as yogurt, fruit, veggies, and water. It’s also not unusual to see groups of employees making use of the marked 1-mile walking path on the ZOLL campus. In addition, ZOLL has instituted a smoke-free campus and offers smoking-cessation programs.
The Fit-Friendly Companies Program is a catalyst for positive change in the American workforce to help companies make their employees’ health and wellness a priority. Platinum-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 American Heart Association in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture
- Demonstrate measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness
American employers face increasing healthcare 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 regular 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. AHA’s program helps change corporate cultures by motivating employees to start walking, which has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
“The Fit-Friendly Companies Program offers a unique, easy-to-implement opportunity for corporations to increase employees’ physical activity, which will help improve their health and their employers’ bottom line,” said Elizabeth Van Dahm, Senior Director, Heart Walk. “Even people who haven’t exercised regularly until middle age can reap significant benefits by starting a walking program.”
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke—America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. AHA teams with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any AHA office around the country, or visit www.heart.org.
About ZOLL Medical Corporation
ZOLL Medical Corporation, an Asahi Kasei Group company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and monitoring, circulation and CPR feedback, data management, fluid resuscitation, and therapeutic temperature management, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, and lay rescuers treat victims needing resuscitation and acute critical care. For more information, visit www.zoll.com.
About Asahi Kasei
The Asahi Kasei Group is a diversified group of companies led by holding company Asahi Kasei Corp., with operations in the chemicals and fibers, homes and construction materials, electronics, and health care business sectors. Its health care operations include devices and systems for acute critical care, dialysis, therapeutic apheresis, transfusion, and manufacture of biotherapeutics, as well as pharmaceuticals, diagnostic reagents, and nutritional products. With more than 29,000 employees around the world, the Asahi Kasei Group serves customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.co.jp/asahi/en/.
Copyright © 2014 ZOLL Medical Corporation. All rights reserved. ZOLL is a registered trademark of ZOLL Medical Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Asahi Kasei is a registered trademark of Asahi Kasei Corporation. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.