To The Editor:

The Health Initiative would like to thank Blevins Auto Group; Hoose, Knight and Associates; Hospice and Palliative Care of St. Lawrence Valley; Mapleview Dairy Farm; Ogdensburg Pepsi Cola Bottlers; Potsdam Building Blocks Day Care; Potsdam Food Coop; Town of Madrid and Town of Waddington for their year-long commitment in helping us create a marketable small business health promotion programming model and gain a better understanding of the joys, challenges and strategies of providing worksite wellness programming for micro employers.

In 2010 the New York State Department of Health awarded one grant in the state to develop worksite wellness programs in rural areas. The Health Initiative was chosen to receive this grant to test a model for providing cost effective, comprehensive worksite health promotion programming for micro employers (employing less than 75 employees).

This model included development of a wellness committee comprised of a designated wellness champion from each participating business, creating policy and environmental change to make the healthy choice the easy choice for employees while at work, group education program and incentive campaigns as well as individual health risk assessments, biometric screenings and one-on-one wellness coaching.

We want to express our deepest appreciation to these businesses for their help and support for the Health Initiative in completing this project and for their outstanding commitment to improving the health and well-being of their employees.

Carol A. Zimmerman, Health Initiative, Inc., Potsdam