Winners of the Crush COVID Employer Challenge Announced By RIBGH

Winners of the Crush COVID Employer Challenge Announced By RIBGH

The Rhode Island Business Group on Health (RIBGH) has announced the winners of the Crush COVID Employer Challenge. 

The Challenge was a pro-worker protection competition designed to help workplaces become engines of curbing the spread of COVID-19 and reducing its health impacts through the promotion of and adherence to prevention measures and chronic disease management. 

Employers who competed won points for engaging in specified prevention activities such as working to overcome vaccine hesitancy, promoting to employees’ adherence to Covid-19 social distancing at the workplace and at home, and informing employees about programs available to prevent and better manage chronic diseases, such as diabetes, that make one more vulnerable to the impacts of COVID and other illnesses.

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The winners in the contest’s three categories of employers and examples of their point winning activities are as follows:

·      The co-winners for large employers with 250 employees or more are Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI and Teknor.Apex. These employers finished in a tie for first place.  Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island actively promoted the Crush COVID Challenge App and Choosing Wisely resources to employees, conducted a comprehensive communications campaign featuring content from senior leaders and state government officials, and established a Future of Work Council that meets on a weekly basis to discuss all things COVID-19. Teknor Apex supported both remote and onsite workforces during the pandemic, requiring significant policy and environmental updates, including specific protocols for drivers who were exposed to additional risks and provided onsite COVID testing and a vaccine clinic.

·      In the midsize group of employers with between 100 and 250 employees, the winner is Delta Dental of RI.  Delta Dental created a digital punch card for employees to fill out by completing wellness activities and fighting against COVID. Wellness prizes were raffled off in a live zoom call.

·      Among small employers, those with under 100 employees, the winner is Wood River Health Services.  Wood River Health Services promoted and supported staff vaccinations and working through their Wellness Committee provided regular updates to employees about ways to reduce the impact of COVID and improve health both at the workplace and at home.

Al Charbonneau, Executive Director, RIBGH said,  “The work these employers have done during the Challenge not only helped combat COVID; it will pay lasting dividends in sustained, improved health for their workforces.”

“We appreciate the support of all businesses that helped keep their employees safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said RIDOH Executive Director for the COVID-19 Response Tom McCarthy. “Innovative programs like The Crush COVID Employer Challenge all contributed to the progress we have made combating COVID-19. The new programs and activities employers put in place as a result of the Challenge will help prevent further spread of COVID-19 and promote overall health.”

More than 20 Rhode Island employers participated in the Challenge. The RIBGH Crush COVID Employer Challenge Committee selected the winners based on a combination of the greatest number of compulsory points earned, most creative employee engagement programs.