The American Heart Association (AHA), a global force for healthier lives for all, has awarded the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) national gold-level recognition for its commitments to employee health and well-being as measured in the Association’s 2023 Workforce Well-being Scorecard™.

The Scorecard brings together the latest research and insights from industry experts to help business leaders build a science-backed, employee-centric culture of health and well-being. The tool allows employers to evaluate how their policies and procedures compare to leading best practices in areas such as mental health support, addressing burnout, financial well-being, health equity considerations and more. Companies that complete the Scorecard receive a recognition level based on their alignment with established guidance, along with actionable strategies to support improvement and a dashboard to benchmark their progress against peer organizations.

In 2023, 492 organizations completed the Scorecard; 8% were recognized with an achievement level of platinum, 42% gold, 33% silver, 12% bronze, and 5% complete.

The AHA awarded gold-level recognition to the BPU in 2022 and silver-level recognition in 2021.

The BPU’s program includes such aspects as biometric screening, lunch and learns on various topics of physical, mental and financial well-being, wellness corners and flu clinics. Central to the program is the earning of “wellness points” awarded for preventative medical appointments, exercise, vaccinations and wellness challenge participation. The BPU maintains a twenty-four hour, seven-day-a-week employee gym.

The utility’s program also was named first in its company size regionally through Business First’s Western New York Healthiest Employers competitions from 2019 to 2023. The BPU program placed in the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America sponsored by Springbuk from 2021 – 2023. This competition also is based on a national, non-biased group of representatives from academic, medical and wellness companies.

“At the Jamestown BPU, the safety and health of our employees comes first. The American Heart Association’s Workforce Well-being Scorecard helps us to stay on top of the latest advancements in workforce health and well-being, so we can create the best environment possible for our employees and their family members,” said BPU General Manager David L. Leathers. “We are dedicated to building a culture that helps everyone thrive, both in and out of the workplace.”

The Workforce Well-being Scorecard is a free resource offered by the American Heart Association’s Well-being Works Better platform, which helps business leaders unleash the power of a healthy, happy workforce. Distinct from traditional wellness programs, Well-being Works Better empowers employers to champion the mental and physical health and well-being of their employees and provides actionable guidance to meet their organization’s unique needs. Participating employers also have the opportunity to be nationally recognized by the American Heart Association.

“Championing a healthy mind, heart and body for employees is good for their health and good for our work force,” added BPU Human Resources Director Tammy Anderson. “Healthy employees are generally more productive and sick less often. Organizations who create a culture of health and wellness in the workplace can improve employee retention and organizational reputation.”

Lutes leads a group of employees that meets regularly to discuss and develop BPU Health and Wellness annual plans. The team represents various BPU departments and includes: Martha Abers, Brad Albright, Jarrett Devereaux, Todd Hoaglund, Cynthia McFadden, Gloria Miranda, Shannon Pattyson, Becky Robbins and Kristen Vanstrom. Human Resources Director Anderson is a resource to the team, providing guidance regarding regulations and related human resource topics.

Trenton Lutes, BPU Health and Wellness Team Leader, continued, “It’s an honor to be recognized by the American Heart Association again this year. I feel that this award was earned not only through the hard work of our wellness team, but also by the dedication of our employees to the wellness program. So, a big congratulations to all on this achievement.”

To learn more and view a full list of recognized organizations, visit heart.org/workforce.