About Washington Wellness
Our Mission
To engage state employees, retirees, and their families in their own health and wellness through self-management, resources, and a supportive environment.
Our Vision
Creating a "culture of health" where all state employees, retirees, and their families actively engage in lifestyle behaviors that improve and sustain vitality for work and life.
Our History
In January 2006, Governor Gregoire directed Steve Hill, Health Care Authority Administrator, and Mary Selecky, Secretary of Health, to launch Washington Wellness, a statewide wellness initiative to improve the health of Washington State employees, retirees, and their family members. To carry out this ambitious directive, Washington Wellness was fully staffed in January 2007 and resides within the Health Care Authority. In 2009, Washington Wellness was incorporated into the Public Employees Benefits Board Plan Management Department, and the staff has become the Integrated Employee Health and Productivity division, of which Washington Wellness is the main product. Wellness coordinators have been designated by state agencies and higher education institutions to plan, implement and improve wellness work in their own organizations, and Washington Wellness provides training and support to wellness coordinators to do this work. It takes more than a dedicated wellness coordinator, however, and the most successful state organizations find that a coordinated, integrated effort is needed to improve employee health and productivity.
Washington Wellness has been supported by two advisory committees: The Health and Productivity Committee and the Wellness Coordinator Advisory Committee. The Health and Productivity Committee is led by the Secretary of Health and the Health Care Authority Administrator with Governor appointees from cabinet level agencies, a union representative, and outside expertise. They provide guidance from the senior leadership perspective. The Wellness Coordinator Advisory Committee consists of wellness coordinators representing a variety of agencies and higher education institutions. This group advises Washington Wellness staff on projects that are carried out by wellness coordinators.
Washington Wellness also helps supports the work of the Washington Health Foundation, tasked with improving the health of all Washington state residents.
Our Goals
Our goal is to make healthy choices easier for state employees, retirees, and their families. Most of our work is behind the scenes, helping to change state worksite policies and working with state agency senior leaders and wellness coordinators to affect change at the agency level.
The long-term outcomes for Washington Wellness are:
- measurable reduction in health risks
- measurable increase in productivity
- positive impact on medical costs
- positive return on investment
To achieve these long-term outcomes, Washington Wellness has been tasked with addressing these behavior change goals:
- completion of health risk assessments
- increased physical activity
- improved food selection
- increased completion of preventive care measures
- reduced tobacco use
Campaigns & Initiatives
Washington Wellness is working to improve the health of Washigton State employees, retirees, and dependants through campaigns, initiatives, and projects focused around the five key behavior changes as put forth by legislature: completion of the health risk assessment, increased physical activity, improved food selection, increased completion of preventive care measures, and reduced tobacco use.
Washington Wellness works with state agency Wellness Coordinators on campaigns (large, time-specific events with a message that may span multiple behavior change areas), initiatives (large, ongoing bodies of work directly tied to specific behavior change goals and organizational system change), and projects (smaller, agency-level work that addresses a single specific initiative goal or organizational system change area). To see all of these, check out the Washington Wellness Resources on the Resources page.
Our Press
For press releases, logos, and other official materials, check out our Press page.
Contact
For specific information on what your Washington State agency is doing, contact your Wellness Coordinator directly. If you do not know who the Wellness Coordinator for your Washington State agency or higher education institution is, please contact your HR department. For general inquiries, or if your HR department does not know who the Wellness Coordinator is, please call us at (206) 521-2030 or email us directly.
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Scott Pritchard |
Washington Wellness
Health Care Authority
PO Box 21847
Seattle, WA 98101-3847
Phone: (206) 521-2030
Email: info@washingtonwellness.gov
Website: www.washingtonwellness.gov
Governor Gregoire Creates Washington Wellness
"Washington Wellness will help us work together to improve the health of Washington's employees, retirees, and their families.
Government must play a leadership role to promote prevention and wellness. I believe Washington is especially well-suited to serve as a model by promoting healthy behavior among our own employees and retirees. We not only improve the health of state employees and retirees, but also enhance their ability to serve state citizens.
I encourage all state employees, retirees, and their families to participate in health and fitness programs and track their individual progress. Together we can make Washington the healthiest state in the nation."
~ Governor Chris Gregoire ~