Surgeon General - Michigan Receives Grant to Promote Healthy Lifestyles in the Workplace

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm announced today that Michigan has been awarded a $100,000 Healthy States grant to develop and implement worksite wellness efforts by the National Governors' Association for Best Practices.

“Encouraging Michigan citizens to engage in healthy lifestyle choices such as eating better, being physically active, and not smoking has the power to improve the physical and fiscal health of our state,” said Granholm. “Healthy citizens make healthy, productive employees.”

The award supports Granholm’s plan to revitalize Michigan’s economy and revolutionize Michigan’s health care. The plan includes promoting healthy lifestyles and providing health care coverage to all of Michigan’s uninsured citizens through the Michigan First Health Care Plan.

Currently, 75 percent of health care costs are related to the treatment of chronic diseases. Medical care costs currently consume nearly 50 percent of corporate profits for many employers in Michigan and across the nation. In response, businesses are passing on health care premium costs to their employees or abandoning health insurance coverage altogether.

“The Michigan’s Healthy Workplaces project will support the state’s ongoing efforts to reduce health care costs and demonstrate to employers that healthy worksites are a great investment,” said Janet Olszewski, director of the Michigan Department of Community Health.

Project plans include recruiting 25 private Michigan businesses with more than 50 employees each to develop and implement an action plan using tools and resources provided by the Michigan Department of Community Health to promote health and wellness in the worksite, then assess the results and determine effectiveness.

Michigan’s business sector is a critical partner in the Michigan Steps Up! campaign designed to create behavioral, environmental, and policy changes that support healthy lifestyles. More than 400 representatives from Michigan communities and business, education, faith-based and health care sectors are now part of the campaign, which was launched in 2004 by Michigan Surgeon General Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom.

“The Healthy Workplaces project builds upon our Michigan Steps Up! efforts and will serve as a model of what can be replicated across the state to support businesses and employees in adopting healthy lifestyles for a lifetime,” Wisdom said.

Wisdom will visit Flint, Lansing, and Detroit this week to highlight state and local efforts to provide safe and convenient places for residents to be active. Media are invited to walk with Wisdom at Flint’s River Trail, Lansing’s River Trail, and Detroit’s new Conner Creek Greenway on August 1, 3 and 4, respectively. Community leaders, legislators, and other special guests will lead the walks with Wisdom.

Michigan is one of 13 states to receive a Healthy States grant. To learn more about Michigan’s efforts to promote healthy lifestyles, please visit www.michiganstepsup.org.