Purdue remains No. 1 for second year in Healthiest Employers of Indiana

For the second year in a row, Purdue University has received first-place recognition in the 2024 Healthiest Employers of Indiana, an awards program created to honor people-first organizations that prioritize the well-being of their employee population. Purdue competes in the 5,000+ Employees category, which is the largest of the competition. 

Companies were recognized because of their commitment to workplace wellness and their exceptional health and benefits offerings. Increased flexibility, work-life balance and mental health resources have proven to be common trends among Healthiest Employers honorees, especially post-pandemic.

It’s no surprise that in the first-place spot once again, Purdue is no exception to those trends and more, all of which are supported via the Healthy Boiler Wellness Program. Providing the foundation for the university’s benefits package, the Healthy Boiler Wellness Program takes a comprehensive approach to overall health and wellness through its five pillars: behavioral health, financial wellness, physical health, social wellness and work-life integration. Since its launch in 2018, participation in annual physicals has risen from 48% to 62% in 2023, with the completion of an annual physical required to earn Healthy Boiler incentives.

The Healthy Boiler Portal serves as the program’s central hub, allowing individuals to complete challenges, track their progress and access educational resources, including Healthy Boiler workshops, monthly challenges, incentive offerings and Healthy Boiler Bingo. 

Purdue offers educational wellness programming, preventive care and ongoing treatment programs, and resources to help the members of the diverse Purdue community improve their overall well-being. A vital part of this initiative is the onsite health clinic, the Center for Healthy Living (CHL), which has three locations to serve employees on the West Lafayette, Fort Wayne and Northwest campuses.

At the CHL, patients are at the center of all care provided, which includes primary care, treatment for common illnesses, health coaching, medication therapy management, behavioral health counseling and more. Preventive care is provided at no charge for benefits-eligible employees and family members ages 8 weeks and older covered on a Purdue medical plan.

Additionally, Purdue has established partnerships with specific providers to offer specialized care options at affordable rates. Behavioral health support and resources are available via Purdue’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Employees also have access to a variety of additional mental health resources.

“It is a great honor to be recognized by Healthiest Employers, especially two years in a row,” said Candace Shaffer, associate vice president of benefits and payroll in Human Resources. “Our goal year after year is to ensure that Purdue employees and their families have access to benefits that best support their overall health and wellness, from medical plans and behavioral health resources to financial wellness support, flexible work schedules and more. And to do that, we are focused and deliberate in studying our data and claims, analyzing population health and utilizing employee feedback in order to enhance, improve and expand our benefits to best meet the wants and needs of Purdue’s faculty and staff.”

Award applicants were evaluated across six key categories: Culture and Leadership Commitment, Foundational Components, Strategic Planning, Communication and Marketing, Programming and Interventions, and Reporting and Analytics. Completed assessments were ranked with the proprietary Healthiest Employers Index, a 1-100 rubric for wellness programming. The survey is scored and powered by Springbuk, a health intelligence platform that simplifies data-driven decision-making with an intuitive user experience, predictive modeling and curated action steps. 

Questions

Questions about Purdue’s benefits and/or the Healthy Boiler Wellness Program can be directed to Human Resources at 765-494-2222 or via email at hr@purdue.edu.