About the Playbook
The American Heart Association has launched an ambitious movement to build a culture of health and well-being throughout the country. We’re putting our plan into action where most Americans spend a lot of time — at work. Through the AHA CEO Roundtable, we’ve combined the scientific expertise of the AHA with the experience of some of America’s largest companies to test and promote evidence-based approaches to workplace health. The AHA Playbook is the result of this collaboration. With comprehensive, credible and actionable advice, the Playbook helps you better understand what works in workplace health, and design your programs accordingly.
Pillars of Workplace Health
Based on the latest research, AHA scientists have consolidated key elements of effective workplace health and well-being programs into seven pillars. AHA partnered with leading workplace health expert Dr. Ron Goetzel and his team at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health to outline current best practices within each pillar. In addition, AHA has punctuated this guidance with realworld case studies from AHA’s CEO Roundtable companies, and information about Life’s Simple 7, AHA’s prescription for heart health.
Leadership
Engage the CEO and senior leaders to be role models for healthy living, and to connect programs and policies to individual and business objectives
Policies and Environment
Create a supportive workplace environment with organization-wide policies that make the healthy choice the easy choice
Communications
Ensure a strategic approach to messaging – ideally with employee input—using a variety of delivery channels
Programs
Ground programmatic decision-making in evidence with an aim to reach vulnerable and at-risk populations
Engagement
Promote interaction between employees and programs to build trust and a culture of health
Partnerships
Collaborate with community organizations to address the underlying factors impacting employee health
Reporting Outcomes
Monitor progress on program implementation and evaluate outcomes regularly
Life’s Simple 7
The AHA’s seven steps can significantly improve health and be assessed through the My Life Check tool
Case Studies
Emulate successful strategies borrowed from companies that have extraordinary workplace health promotion programs
The American Heart Association CEO Roundtable
While many employers offer workplace health programs, few have the data they need to know what works best, and the know-how to implement best practices. That’s why more than 40 CEOs from some of America’s largest and most respected companies have joined the American Heart Association to create the AHA CEO Roundtable, dedicated to disseminating evidence-based approaches to workplace health. Learn more about the AHA CEO Roundtable and the members of this leadership collaborative.
A successful business is based on more than financial
reports. It’s about the people. If leadership creates an
environment where health is a priority
…it’s a winning formula for everyone~ Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association