The Providence Business News honored Arpin Group for being among the healthiest employers in Rhode Island.
Arpin employees have been getting healthier every year since the company began implementing a series of wellness initiatives. Arpin conducts annual screenings and wellness clinics to assess biometrics such as blood pressure and glucose levels.
All of the initiatives are designed to identify early onset of health issues and stress factors so that employees can seek care and advice before they develop serious health problems.
"If we don't catch anything during our screenings or during the annual physician wellness visit, that's the best possible result," said Pamela Ryan, vice president of human resources. "Even if we detect a single health warning sign in one employee, it has the potential to save that person's life. It will also reduce lost time from work, additional unplanned and unbudgeted family expenses, and decrease the odds of a major lifestyle change or permanent impairment."
Ryan, who accepted the award on behalf of her staff, recognized every Arpin Group employee who has embraced wellness as a personal and family initiative.
The goal of the Arpin wellness program is to educate employees and motivate them to take the steps necessary to prevent long-term health consequences and improve quality of life. Arpin Group is proud to support its families by keeping them healthy and strong.
One of the wellness initiatives, that was showcased during the awards ceremony, is a new program developed to motivate employees to obtain a health assessment, biometric screening and annual physical. These incentives include a $750 company contribution to a single plan health savings account member or a $1,200 contribution to each member of a family plan health savings account. Next year, the company plans to build upon its goal to reward wellness by giving up to a 20 percent discount off the premium if an employee completes additional health initiatives.
The Providence Business News annually recognizes companies - large and small - that have health and wellness initiatives and believe in encouraging employees to adapt healthy lifestyles.
Based on company size, finalists are chosen based upon scores in six wellness categories: culture and leadership commitment, foundation components, strategic planning, communication and marketing, programming and interventions, and reporting and analysis. Judging is performed by an independent, outside group, Healthiest Employers, a privately held technology and data research company with a focus on wellness. Top honorees were named in each size category at an August awards luncheon in Providence.
Out of 40 applicants, 28 honorees were chosen based upon a 75-question assessment, scored using a proprietary system that automatically ranks organizations based on their individual answers.