This post was created on 11/12/2019.
Land O’ Lakes, FL – (November 12, 2019) – Pasco County Schools is ranked 42 nd on the list of 2019 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America, up from 71st place in 2018.
The Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America award culminates a year-long wellness awards program that Healthiest Employers® hosts across the United States. Award applicants are evaluated across six categories: culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, marketing and communications, programming and interventions, and reporting and analytics.
This award positions Pasco County Schools as an exemplary leader for effectiveness of population health and well-being. Only one other Florida school district ranked among the top 100.
“I’m most proud of the strides our wellness program has made the last eight years,” said Kurt Browning, Pasco County Superintendent of Schools. “We began our current wellness program in 2011, after years of escalating medical and pharmacy costs, and have saved employees more than $11 million in co-pays for office visits, lab services, and generic medication,
The district’s health plan budget was increasing at a rate of 9- to 12-percent annually. Since the implementation of the Pasco Go Healthy program, the district has avoided more than $117 million in medical and pharmacy expenditures. The data shows that more members are choosing to manage their care at the five (soon to be six) on-site health and wellness centers.
The success of the district’s wellness program is reflected in the participation numbers that continue to increase every year. In 2018, 80 percent of eligible employees participated in some type of service provided by the program. High participation in the program helps improve compliance and decrease care gaps, such as seen in the mammogram screenings. Last year, 64 percent of women were compliant with recommended mammogram screenings, which is an 18 percent improvement from the previous year. The district also experienced a lower prevalence of heart attacks and strokes and a decrease in the average risk score.
Pasco County Schools consists of approximately 100 locations and employs more than 12,500 full- and part-time team members. The district is committed to building an organizational culture of wellness through the creation of a data-driven strategic plan that is designed to offer numerous opportunities to all district employees and their families.
