Six SC companies earn LiveLifeBlue workplace wellness awards

BlueCross® BlueShield® of South Carolina presented its LiveLifeBlue℠ workplace wellness awards to six businesses across the state this week.

BlueCross created the LiveLifeBlue awards to encourage fellow South Carolina employers to play an active role in promoting health and wellness. The recipients have implemented corporate policies and programs such as tobacco-free workplaces, healthy catering and healthy vending machines and company-sponsored fitness challenges. In addition, the companies have even addressed emotional well-being by offering financial counseling.

Each company submits its own nomination. An overall winner and two winners from each region are chosen.

The overall winner was The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, chosen for its extensive health and fitness efforts aimed to benefit its employees while also branching out into the community with positive, innovative programs such as a monthly health challenge, the SC Working Well Initiative, MUSC Moves! and Prevention Partners’ WorkHealthy America project. As an example of MUSC’s success in building partnerships, one organization  that participated in the Charleston Healthy Business Challenge drew more than 60 participating businesses. Employees also joined in BlueCross’ National Walk@Lunch Day ™ to help raise awareness of exercise opportunities during the workday. MUSC has also leveraged health awareness materials from the S.C. Public Benefit Authority (PEBA) to let employees know about free PEBA Perks preventive health benefits. These benefits include preventive health screenings, generic medications, flu shots and shingles vaccines, all at no charge to employees.

The regional winners were:

• Upstate – Applied Engineering Solutions (under 500 employees), Greenville; and Glen Raven, Inc. (over 500 employees), Anderson
• Midlands – Irmo High School (under 500 employees), Columbia; and Richland County School District 1 (over 500 employees), Columbia
• Lowcountry – Charleston Southern University (under 500 employees), North Charleston; (No over 500 employees nominee this year).

“Companies across South Carolina are investing in wellness programs because the return is not only in the savings in their own health plan, but in the improved quality of life for their employees. We congratulate these companies for raising the bar for health and wellness to become LiveLifeBlue winners,” said BlueCross Senior Vice President Matt Shaffer.