Cigna Recognizes Shelby County Government for Commitment to Employee Health and Wellness

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cigna has selected Shelby County Government as the winner of its annual Cigna Well-Being Award in Tennessee for demonstrating a commitment to improving the health and well-being of employees through workplace wellness programs.

Shelby County Government offers employees multiple avenues to improve their health, including free biometric screenings and health assessments, access to personalized health coaching, onsite fitness centers and a bike rental program, and health education programs and seminars.

The County also offers programs to help employees better manage chronic conditions and sponsors activities that help foster a culture of health, including produce giveaways, health fairs, healthy cooking demonstrations, healthy food choices in vending machines and fitness demonstrations and activities.

"Employers in both the public and private sectors are faced with the dual challenges of rising costs and helping employees keep their peak level of productivity," said Greg Allen, president for Cigna in Tennessee. "Through their wellness initiatives, Shelby County Government is investing in both employees and the Memphis community. They are also helping to shape an approach to well-being that other employers can learn from and adopt."

Participation and engagement rates in the County's wellness program have increased each year since the program began in 2012. Today, over 8 in 10 county employees have completed a health assessment or biometric screening, and Mayor Luttrell's Healthy Shelby 5K is in its fourth year. Employees receive a discounted race entry and are encouraged to create teams among departments. Proceeds from the race directly benefit one of the three Healthy Shelby initiatives: infant mortality, chronic disease, and end of life care. Since 2013, nearly $95,000 has been raised for these initiatives through participation in the race.

"County employees receive weekly messages about improving their health, and many use a new onsite fitness center. Additionally, our Healthy Shelby 5K Festivals have been a great way to encourage physical fitness and educate County employees and citizens about health issues. Many community partners helped sponsor our prevention message campaigns designed to reduce infant mortality, hypertension and strokes. We've achieved very positive results through these employee and community-based initiatives," said Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

Shelby County Government has been recognized as a Healthier Tennessee Workplace through the Governor's Foundation for Health and Wellness and is also a recipient of the American Heart Association's Fit Friendly award, and the Memphis Business Group on Health's Culture of Health award.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. employers lose more than $225 billion each year in productivity due to employee health problems. Cigna created the Well-Being Award to recognize employer clients that have a positive impact on the health and well-being of their workforce.

Applicants were evaluated based on the core components of their wellness program, including the goals, implementation, incentives, leadership engagement and employee participation. All applications were reviewed and judged by an internal review committee from Cigna.

About Shelby County Government

Shelby County was established in 1819. It is the State of Tennessee's largest county both in terms of population and geographic area. Its county seat is the City of Memphis. Shelby County is governed by a mayor-commissioner form of government. The mayor and each commissioner serve a four-year term. Together, the administration and the Board of County Commissioners are responsible for governing the most populous of Tennessee's 95 counties. With a personnel staff of over 5,000, they have the direct duty of providing services for 927,644 citizens, according to the 2010 census.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation CI is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 90 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160714006175/en/