Counties Manukau District Health Board is proud to be the recipient of the Heartbeat Challenge award, which recognises workplaces that implement policies and programmes to encourage staff to lead healthy, active lives.

Upon accepting the award at a ceremony on Monday the 24th of July, CMDHB CEO Stephen McKernan acknowledged the importance of the health board leading by example and being a role model for the community.

"We are delighted with the significant changes we've made to make CMDHB a healthier and more active workplace," says Mr McKernan. "But it is only a start. We need to make sure we build on this great work, and continue to support our staff to become healthy, active role models and champions, not only within our workplace but within the wider community.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) currently delivers the Heartbeat Challenge programme, in a partnership arrangement with the National Heart Foundation. CMDHBs Let's Beat Diabetes strategy is also using the Heartbeat Challenge programme as a workplace initiative to encourage Counties Manukau employees to develop healthy, active workplaces.

The award is achieved when five significant positive changes are made in three areas; healthy eating, physical activity and smokefree/work-life balance.

"It is fitting that the first organisation to receive this award under the LBD partnership is CMDHB," says Jenny Bratty, ARPHS Workplace Programme Advisor. "The environment CMDHB wishes to provide for staff and visitors is supportive of health and wellbeing and this is a reflection of the supportive environment LBD is also creating in the community".

To achieve this award CMDHB were audited to establish a baseline of health and wellness activity. The baseline helped define CMDHBs activity, which was a mixture of workplace policies to create a supportive environment and personal health programmes such as the Employee Wellness Programme to encourage and support behaviour change.

Some of the changes made: The implementation of a new healthy eating policy, reducing serving sizes in cafes, supplying healthy foods in vending machines, supporting staff in physical competitions like Round the Bays, cheaper gym memberships, yoga classes, the introduction of a smoking cessation programme, a new Spiritual Centre, the establishment of a harassment network and many others.

The Heartbeat Challenge award is renewable every two years, provided the workplace can demonstrate that changes have been maintained and at least one new change or initiative has been implemented in each area.

ARPHS is currently engaged with a number of other Counties Manukau businesses in various stages of the Heartbeat Challenge programme, including, Tip Top Bread, Danisco NZ Ltd, Nestle, Pathways Trust-Northern, HNZ Counties, Ministry Of Pacific Island Affairs, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Kumfs Shoes, Glenbrook Steel Mill and Papakura City Council.

See www.letsbeatdiabetes.org.nz or www.arphs.govt.nz for more information.

For media enquiries please call Lauren Young on 09) 378 8433 or 027 243 9900.