MONTEREY COUNTY’S FIRST BLUE ZONES PROJECT APPROVED™ WORKSITES RECOGNIZED

SALINAS, CA — March 5, 2020 — Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, Taylor Farms and Montage Health are looking beyond business charts and working now to make Salinas one of the healthiest cities in the country. As the primary sponsors of Blue Zones Project Monterey County, these businesses are leading the communitywide well-being improvement movement. Combined, these work forces total over 5,400 employees, and together they are demonstrating how employers can play a significant role in promoting longer, better lives.

Blue Zones Project works with selected cities, like Salinas, to transform environments and daily routines in ways that make healthy choices easier. From moving naturally and eating with a plant slant to having a sense of purpose and downshifting to relieve stress, principles are patterned after lifestyles in blue zones areas—pockets of the world where people are most likely to reach age 100 and beyond.

“On Wednesday, March 11, Blue Zones Project Monterey County will recognize Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, Taylor Farms and Montage Health for their leadership and dedication to creating workplaces that promote health and longevity for their employees by implementing programs that improve their personal well-being,” said Tiffany DiTullio Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Monterey County.

The Blue Zones Worksite Pledge promotes evidence-based actions and lifestyle principles that help make the healthy choice the easiest choice for employees. This translates into increased productivity and a potential healthcare cost savings for employers. Across the country, hundreds of employers have taken the Blue Zones Worksite Pledge.

“Becoming a Blue Zones Project Approved worksite is an incredibly significant achievement,” said Pete Delgado, President/CEO for Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. “One of our top priorities is ensuring that our workplaces reflect the advice we give other employers and the community as a whole. Specifically, the importance of making the healthy choice the easy choice for your employees. Encouraging walking meetings, creating quiet spaces for staff to unwind and offering healthy food choices are just a few of the actions we took to become approved. We hope our designation inspires other organizations to take similar steps to become an approved worksite.”

We spend a majority of our time at work, and whether a company has 50 employees or 5,000, employers can play a huge role in improving the overall health of a community.

“The investment in our community begins with an investment in our employees; we strive to give them the opportunities and resources to reach their highest potential and live healthy lives,” said Bruce Taylor, CEO of Taylor Farms. “Our strategy is to provide a work environment that attracts and retains partners who are capable, committed, and empowered to make a positive impact. Blue Zones Project has helped Taylor Farms elevate our employee initiative and we are excited to offer them new resources so they can reach their wellness goals through walking groups, purpose workshops, an employee rooftop garden, lunch and learns, and company sponsored wellness events.”

Making substantive changes to a worksite, like improving the foods served in a cafeteria or eliminating sugar-based beverages, can reinforce the idea that healthy doesn’t have to be hard.

“We’re excited to be participating, and as a Blue Zones Project sponsor, we think the Power 9 principles are a great fit with our longstanding focus on wellness. We’re very proud to be a Blue Zones-approved work site,” shared Steven Packer, MD, President and CEO of Montage Health.

Local media is invited to attend the news conference on Wednesday, March 11^th to hear more from the CEO’s of Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System, Taylor Farms and Montage Health about how the best practices implemented at their organizations led to Blue Zones Project approval and the impact the initiative has had on their employees.

“We applaud SVMH, Montage Health, and Taylor Farms for creating a culture of well-being in Monterey County,” said Michael Acker, SVP and General Manager, Blue Zones Project. “Through Blue Zones Project, SVMHS, Montage Health, and Taylor Farms are making the healthy choice the easy choice for their employees and the broader community. The steps they’ve taken within their own organizations will serve as a model for employers across the county looking to improve the health of their workforce.”

To learn more about how you can get involved in Blue Zones Project Monterey County, visit montereycounty.bluezonesproject.com.