College Wins "Healthiest Company" Award

Knox College has been named one of the 48 "Healthiest Companies in America" out of more than 1,000 companies evaluated by the College's health management program. Interactive Health Solutions (IHS) of Arlington Heights selected Knox and the other winners on the basis of data gathered in 2006 and 2007 from more than one-million participating employees and their spouses.

IHS conducts individual on-site health screening evaluations, including blood tests for 36 risk factors. IHS gives each participant a report that summarizes risks and suggests areas for improvement.

Knox's award came in the "Most Improved" category, which recognizes companies whose participating employees made the greatest overall improvement in their scores from 2006 to 2007.

"Knox is proud of the improvements that employees have achieved this year," said Tom Axtell, Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services.

"It benefits each participating employee when they are given expert guidance on how to live better, and it benefits the employee, the College and society as a whole to save on health care costs by making better-informed choices," Axtell said.

IHS health screenings often lead to participants seeking preventive treatment or changing lifestyle, to maintain their scores in a healthy range, according to Joseph O'Brien, President of IHS.

"Employees are assessed before they are symptomatic, rather than after they become ill," O'Brien said in a news release announcing the awards. "The program increases employees' health awareness and accountability, and solves the problem of people not getting the attention and care they may need."