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Union Pacific Railroad April 4 won the 2001 C. Everett Koop National Health Award, which recognizes a company's efforts in promoting employee health and wellness, and providing lower health-care costs. UP also won the award in 1994 and 1997.
The C. Everett Koop National Health Award is presented by The Health Project, an organization that aims to change attitudes and behaviors in America's health-care system.
"This award recognizes UP's disciplined approach to improving employee health, providing access to health programs for all employees, and producing measurable results in employee health and health spending," said Dr. Dennis Richling, UP assistant vice president, health services, in a prepared statement.
UP recently won two other 2001 healthcare program awards: Corporate Health and Productivity Management Award from Institute for Health and Productivity Management, and Platinum Well Workplace Award from Wellness Councils of America.
UP officials believe the railroad's Health Track and the System Health Facility Program — which is designed to help employees assess health risks and change behaviors to eliminate those risks — contributed to the recent awards.
More than 17,000 employees participate in the program, which focuses on ten risk factors and chronic health conditions, including physical inactivity, weight gain, smoking and fatigue.
Fifty-three percent of UP's employees who took part in the program lowered their cholesterol and 37 percent stopped smoking.