Tax Collector's Office Receives Worksite Wellness Award

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Anne Gannon, Constitutional Tax Collector, has announced that her agency is the recipient of the 2012 South Florida Worksite Wellness Forum Award in the small business category. Bestowed by the Florida Heart Research Institute in partnership with the Consortium for a Healthier Miami Dade, the award honors organizations that have, according to the Institute, "demonstrated a commitment to employee wellness and whose programs produced positive health outcomes."

Gannon commented "I am very proud of our employees that embraced our wellness initiative. Florida Heart Research's Wellness Award is a wonderful recognition of their commitment to creating healthy habits for themselves and their families."

Gannon's agency has long been involved with wellness initiatives, including an innovative and long-term risk reduction program with partner Karelia Health. The motivation for the program implementation was to better the health of her employees while driving down escalating health care costs—both of which have taken place. "Rising health insurance premiums are alarming to businesses of all sizes. That's why they want to engage in strategies to combat escalating premiums. Companies want to control health benefit costs to protect their bottom line," said Gannon.

The award was presented to the Constitutional Tax Collector's Office on April 20^th during the 2012 South Florida Worksite Wellness Forum and Awards at the Miami Beach Resort in Miami Beach. Bill Carew, President of Karelia Health accepted the award on behalf of Anne Gannon and the Office of the Constitutional Tax Collector. "This is a terrific example of how strong leadership can deliver exceptional results," Carew said. "By partnering with Karelia Health, the agency has dramatically reduced the incidence of chronic disease, reducing healthcare costs for taxpayers while improving the health, productivity and quality of life for workers."

The agency's focus on workforce health is not new—in fact, Gannon was one of the first officials to implement a non-smoking policy. However, to truly implement a sustainable, long-term positive effect on the health of her employees, Gannon felt that a programmatic approach tied to health care costs was necessary. "I believe that government agencies need to step up and do our part to hold the line on costs," said Gannon.

About The Constitutional Tax Collector
The Constitutional Tax Collector serving Palm Beach County collects and distributes over $3 billion annually in taxes and fees. The Office collects property taxes for every local government agency that has the power to levy, serves the county's agent for the administration of business tax receipts and tourist development taxes, issues driver licenses, identification cards, titles and registrations for automobiles, trucks, mobile homes and vessels as agent for The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and serves as agent for The Department of Environmental Protection, The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, and The Department of Revenue. The Constitutional Tax Collector is a separate and independent governmental entity to ensure freedom from influence by local or state agencies with the power to levy. The Tax Collector's budget is approved by the Florida Department of Revenue.

ABOUT KARELIA HEALTH
The mission at Karelia Health is to save money and lives by preventing and reversing the progression of chronic illness in individuals at high and emerging risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and lifestyle related cancers. Karelia Health was originally founded in 1985 as Corporate Health Services of America and later as Health Navigators, LLC by Peter Townsley and Charles Taylor, MD. The core operating philosophy of the business originates in the field of preventive cardiology and has since been codified in the medical literature by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) through the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Protocol III (NCEP-ATP III) Guidelines. For more information visit www.kareliahealth.com.

SOURCE Karelia Health