Altru Health System has reached a major milestone in its ongoing commitment to employee wellness by becoming the first organization in North Dakota to earn Certified Blue Zones Worksite status.
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This recognition reflects Altru’s multi-year effort to create a healthier workplace through evidence-based changes to policies, environment, and culture, making healthier choices more accessible for employees, patients, and visitors. The program has already delivered measurable benefits including reduced first-year employee turnover, lower use of tobacco waivers, and improvements in physical, social, and purpose well-being metrics. These organizational improvements in workforce wellness contributed to a 26.4 percent reduction in healthcare costs. The achievement comes at a time when burnout and stress in healthcare remain critically high. Altru has empowered its employees to move more, eat better, connect with colleagues, manage stress, and find purpose through several key initiatives. A total of 847 employees engaged in Blue Zones activities by joining walking groups, attending Purpose Workshops, or participating in volunteer events. One hundred fifteen leaders completed Leading Well-Being Workshops, and 1,785 employees finished a Blue Zones well-being assessment.
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Additional measures included indoor and outdoor walking path signage to encourage daily movement, healthy options in vending machines, creation of downshift rooms for staff to relax or pray, and the transformation of the Altru Eatery into a Blue Zones Project Approved restaurant offering nutritious, plant-based options. Blue Zones is a nationally recognized leader in workplace well-being, and its Worksite Certification program draws on two decades of research in community and longevity science to help organizations foster thriving environments. In Grand Forks, Altru integrated the Blue Zones approach into its culture over several years, aligning people, spaces, and policies to achieve lasting change.
Meghan Compton, Chief Administrative Officer of Altru Health System, said that working with Blue Zones has strengthened the organization’s culture, placing employee health and wellness at the center of its mission. She expressed pride in the collective efforts of staff who serve the community with dedication and compassion. Employees at every level have participated in creating an environment that encourages healthy choices, leading to greater engagement, workplace pride, and measurable cost savings over the three-year implementation period.
Ben Leedle, CEO of Blue Zones, praised Altru for successfully adopting the Blue Zones framework and addressing some of the toughest workplace wellness challenges in healthcare. He highlighted the organization’s dedication to building a culture of well-being and expressed confidence that Altru would continue to advance employee health and community wellness in the years ahead.
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