Glendale Community College was recognized recently by the Healthy Arizona Worksite Program as achieving the Gold Level of excellence in worksite wellness.

The Healthy Arizona Worksite Award recognizes employers making efforts to positively affect the health and well-being of their employees, their families and their community by implementing comprehensive worksite wellness strategies. To qualify for the Gold Level of the award, employers need to support employee health through policy and systems changes.

Glendale Community College, 6000 W. Olive Ave., received this recognition by supporting employee health and implemented programs to create a healthy workplace. Margo Bates, GCC wellness fitness supervisor, represented GCC at the Virtual Healthy Arizona Worksite annual event earlier this summer.

“Since employees spend nearly half of their waking hours at work, the workplace should be an important setting for promoting healthy behaviors,” Ms. Bates stated in a news release. “Effective wellness initiatives have been shown to reduce healthcare costs.”

The Healthy Arizona Worksites Program is a public health initiative offered by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Its mission is to help employers successfully implement worksite wellness initiatives to improve the health of their employees.