For Immediate Release

Contact:          Janette Gidley

                        (304)  293-7086

                        jgidley@hsc.wvu.edu

Morgantown officially designated as “Well City”

WELCOA bestows prestigious award

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(Morgantown, WV – March 6, 2008)   Morgantown, WV has earned the designation of “Well City” from the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA) and the Wellness Council of West Virginia (WCWV).  Morgantown is only one of ten cities nationally who have received this designation.  This nationally recognized award will be presented at a celebratory press conference on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 10:30 am at the West Virginia University Rec Center.   The Well City designation will be bestowed by Stephen LaCagnin, Chairman of the Board of the Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA).

Members of the local business community in cooperation with the Wellness Council of West Virginia and WELCOA have been working towards the Well City designation since 1998.   The Well City Initiative committee was supported by various businesses and wellness leaders and include long-term members Janette Gidley, Chair, with the WVU Foundation; Kristan Rogers, Pfizer; David Harshbarger, UHA/WVU Health Sciences/WVUH; Kim Zaph, WVU; Brett Rice, NIOSH; and is supported by Stephen LaCagnin, Jackson Kelly; Kelly Nix, WVU Extension Service, and many others throughout the years,  To achieve the Well City designation, 20 businesses from the Morgantown area had to earn the ”Well Workplace” designation from WELCOA and 20% of the workforce had to be employed by a designated Well Workplace.  Mayor Ron Justice, area leaders, representatives from various Well Workplaces in Morgantown, the WCWV and WELCOA will be present at the conference to speak about this award.

With more than 2,500 member organizations located throughout North America, WELCOA is highly recognized and regarded for their innovative and results-oriented approach to worksite wellness.  Only a handful of companies each year meet the rigorous standards to achieve a Well Workplace Award.  Morgantown’s Well Workplaces include Mon Health System, University Health Associates,   WVU Health Sciences , WVU Hospitals, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Allegheny Energy, Jackson Kelly PLLC, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, The Dominion Post, NIOSH, WVU Rec Center, HealthWorks Rehab & Fitness,  beBetter Networks, Inc., HealthSouth MountainView Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, Chemtura, Inc., WVU Dining Services, WVU Human Resources, NETL, Monongalia County Health Department, Centra Bank, WVU Mountainlair and Glenmark Holding.  “There is an art and science to designing a results-oriented workplace wellness program.  These companies have mastered this art and science by demonstrating that their programs have advanced employee health, reduced health care costs, and improved productivity and morale,” remarks David Hunnicutt, President of WELCOA. 

The Wellness Councils of America, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is a national non-profit membership organization that is dedicated to promoting healthier lifestyles for all Americans especially through health promotion initiatives at the worksite. In addition to helping organizations build structurally sound wellness programs, WELCOA serves as a national clearinghouse and information center on worksite wellness.

The Wellness Council of West Virginia spearheads the Workplace Wellness initiatives in the state of West Virginia and was the first wellness council in the United States. They are committed to providing education, consulting, programming and networking opportunities to businesses throughout the state and work closely with Governor Manchin’s Office of Healthy Lifestyles.  The WCWV has offices in Charleston, West Virginia and employees based throughout the state.  With 200 plus member companies, they represent over 110,000 employees

To obtain more information about WELCOA please go to www.welcoa.org.  Additional information about the WCWV can be found at  www.wcwv.org .