As the primary sponsor of Blue Zones Project Fort Worth, Texas Health Resources is leading the communitywide well-being improvement movement.With 23,000 employees and more than 400 points of access throughout North Texas, Texas Health is the nation’s largest employer and health system to become Blue Zones Project Approved™, demonstrating how employers can play a significant role in promoting longer, better lives.
Blue Zones Project works with selected cities, including Fort Worth, to transform environments and daily routines in ways that make healthy choices easier. From moving naturally and eating with a plant slant to having a sense of purpose and downshifting to relieve stress, principles are patterned after lifestyles in Blue Zones® areas—pockets of the world where people are most likely to reach age 100 and beyond.
Texas Health helped bring Blue Zones Project to Fort Worth in 2014 and continues to back implementation of the initiative, including improvements to its worksite environment and award-winning Be Healthy program to help employees improve their personal well-being.
“Blue Zones Project is a major priority for our organization, and it reflects the value each member of the Texas Health family places on well-being,” said Barclay Berdan, FACHE, CEO of Texas Health Resources. “We are dedicated to creating a workplace that promotes health and longevity for our employees and providing the people we serve with the care, support, and tools they need to live their best lives.”
Each of the Texas Health’s wholly-owned locations recently completed the Blue Zones Worksite® Pledge—establishing walking paths at all locations, encouraging employees to take “microbreaks” to stretch and move, creating Blue Zones parking spaces, hosting on-site purpose workshops and health screenings, and supporting volunteerism, among other efforts.
“Texas Health Resources is an example of an organization that truly walks the walk,” said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. “Through Blue Zones Project, Texas Health is transforming the well-being of its employees and our entire community. Its vision and innovative leadership are helping Fort Worth become one of the healthiest cities in the nation, and Texas Health stands as a model for employers across the country.”
The Blue Zones Worksite Pledge promotes evidence-based actions and lifestyle principles that help make the healthy choice the easiest choice for employees. This translates into increased productivity and a potential healthcare cost savings for employers. Across the country, more than 454 employers have taken the Blue Zones Worksite Pledge.
Blue Zones Project, Fort Worth currently counts 54 approved worksites, including all 18 locations for the City of Fort Worth. Texas Health is currently the largest employer and health system in the world to earn the designation.
