DMU Earns Second Platinum Wellness Award

DES MOINES, IA (09/17/2012)(readMedia)-- Des Moines University was recognized with its second platinum level Well Workplace Award, the highest distinction achievable from the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA). DMU earned its first award in 2009 and is still the only educational institution to receive this honor.

The Well Workplace Award recognizes organizations that have fully embraced responsibility for maximizing the health and well being of its employees. Areas of focus include smoking cessation, nutrition, physical fitness, self-care and stress management. Awards are designated in bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels.

"The value we place on our wellness programs at Des Moines University is reflected in the designation of 'wellness' as an institutional core value and one of the five guiding principles that define us as an organization," said DMU President Angela L. Walker Franklin. "This award shows we believe it, value it and live it!"

DMU has an on-campus 25,000 square foot wellness center equipped with a nutrition kitchen for demonstrating healthy cooking, as well as an incentive-based wellness program for employees. The University offers annual personal wellness assessments, one-on-one health coaching, personal training and fitness classes to students, employees and their families.

The honor will be presented at the Wellness Council of Iowa (WCI) award dinner on September 20. WCI, a non-profit, membership-driven organization based in Des Moines, is the Iowa affiliate of WELCOA. Serving more than 190 member companies, WCI's activities affect tens of thousands of Iowa workers and their associates.

Des Moines University is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, health care administration, anatomy, biomedical sciences and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' pass rate on national examinations and board certifications is consistently higher than the national average and the rates at similar institutions.