Community and Worksite Wellness Home

Does your worksite help you live a healthy life? Worksites influence what people eat, how active they are, stress levels, and the use of health benefits. Rising healthcare costs burden employers across Texas, yet many overlook the barriers to healthy behaviors that exist in their work environment. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Worksite Wellness Program wants to change that by offering tools and support to transform worksites in Texas.

The DSHS Worksite Wellness Program, within the Obesity Prevention Program, provides guidance to Texas state agency leaders and wellness planners to find resources to create an effective and sustainable wellness program for their agency. The program seeks to promote good health through prevention to reduce chronic illness and disability and improve productivity outcomes that contribute to employers’ competitiveness.

The DSHS Wellness Program offers tools and resources for building this infrastructure through wellness committees, policy changes, and objectives that address key health behaviors:

• Healthy eating
• Physical activity
• Tobacco use
• Stress management
• Use of preventive screenings and services
• Use of employee assistance benefits
• Support for nursing mothers

These seven objectives have been shown by research and practice to address the health conditions and lifestyle factors that drive healthcare costs, reduce productivity, and increase turnover. The DSHS Wellness Program is here to work with Texas employers and wellness staff to realize the benefits of a healthy workforce and transform their worksites.