National Business Group on Health Honors Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota for Healthy Workplace

Blue Cross receives national award for Promoting Healthy Workplaces

EAGAN, Minn., June 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Business Group on Health, a non-profit association of large employers, today honored Blue Cross and Blue Shield Of Minnesota (Blue Cross) for its commitment and dedication to promoting a healthy workplace and encouraging their workers and families to support and maintain healthy lifestyles.

Blue Cross received the 2010 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award at the Leadership Summit sponsored by the National Business Group on Health's Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being. Blue Cross received a Silver Award for its programs and culture in the workplace that promotes healthy lifestyles for employees. This marks the third year Blue Cross has received an award.

"When it comes to healthy lifestyles, we're proud of being known as an innovative company," said Colleen Connors senior vice president, human resources and facilities services, Blue Cross. "Blue Cross is a leader in prevention and is dedicated to making a healthy difference in people's lives—those of our employees, employers and our members."  

Blue Cross' employee wellness program includes features such as free onsite fitness centers, reduced cost healthy meals in cafeterias, walking meetings, fitness classes, lockers and showers for bike commuters, biometric screening clinics, walking trails on the worksite campus, physical activity monitors, weight management, nutrition support, tobacco cessation and online care rooms (where employees can have a "virtual" visit with a physician).

"We are delighted to recognize Blue Cross for its innovation and commitment to providing lifestyle improvement programs designed to encourage healthier lifestyles for their employees," said Helen Darling, President of the National Business Group on Health. Blue Cross and its leadership team recognize that a healthy workforce is key to increasing productivity and controlling health care costs, and we congratulate them on receiving this award."

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today as a health company: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, taxable organization. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

About the National Business Group on Health

The National Business Group on Health is the nation's only non-profit organization devoted exclusively to representing large employers' perspective on national health policy issues and providing practical solutions to its members' most important health care problems. The Business Group helps drive today's health agenda while promoting ideas for controlling health care costs, improving patient safety and quality of care and sharing best practices in health benefits management with senior benefits, HR professionals, and medical directors from leading corporations.  Business Group members, which include 63 Fortune 100 companies, provide health coverage for more than 50 million U.S. workers, retirees and their families. For more information, visit www.businessgrouphealth.org.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota