GlaxoSmithKline Named A Top Employer for Promoting Healthy ...( National Business Group on Health N...)

National Business Group on Health Names Leading Companies that Promote a

Healthy Workplace

PHILADELPHIA, May 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The National Business Group on Health (NBGH), a national non-profit organization of large employers, today named GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) a leader in providing a healthy workplace and promoting a healthy lifestyle for employees and their families.

GSK was among 52 employers to receive the Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award at the Leadership Summit sponsored by the National Business Group on Health's Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity. GSK received a Platinum Award -- the highest honor -- for its commitment to fostering a culture that supports healthy high performance.

"GSK's mission is to help people do more, feel better, and live longer," said Ann Kuhnen, Vice President, Employee Health Management US. "To accomplish this with our employees and their families, our goal is to design programs and communication plans that support them in adopting healthy lifestyle practices and making informed healthcare decisions."

Putting Employee Health in a National Context

The United States faces an enormous challenge in reforming its healthcare system. But systemic solutions cannot be implemented without addressing the underlying cause of the current healthcare crisis: the epidemic of chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease and their complications.

These diseases are increasingly preventable, and largely treatable, yet they account for the vast majority of healthcare spending. In fact, $3 of every $4 spent on healthcare in the US(1) goes to treating the 45% of Americans(2) with at least one chronic disease. That astonishing statistic only includes treatment; the economic impact of chronic diseases, including treatment and lost productivity, was $1.3 trillion in 2003.(3)

"The United States runs the risk of losing its
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