American Diabetes Association Recognizes U.S. Companies and Organizations as New Health Champions
The Association's Wellness Lives Here (SM) Initiative Encourages Wellness in the Workplace

ALEXANDRIA, Va. and WELLESLEY, Mass., July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Diabetes Association® (Association) today announced 31 new companies as Health Champions as part of its Wellness Lives Here SM initiative. This brings the total number of Health Champions nationwide to 191 companies and organizations in 455 locations. Health Champions are entities that have implemented wellness programs in the workplace and are committed to improving employee health.

The Wellness Lives Here initiative focuses on employee and community wellness by working with organizations to inspire and fuel healthful habits at work and beyond. The new Health Champion designees – ranging from health systems and manufacturers to a state university and public transit authority – have implemented cultures of wellness in their workplaces that provide healthier food choices, promote group participation in physical activities, and encourage healthy habits.

"For many Americans, the majority of our days are spent working sedentary jobs, so it's more important than ever for our workplaces to encourage healthful habits," said Alicia McAuliffe-Fogarty, PhD, CPsychol, vice president of lifestyle management for the American Diabetes Association. "Our Wellness Lives Here initiative is designed to provide employers across the country with a roadmap for promoting heathy habits, and we are pleased to see so many employers working to earn a Health Champion Designation."

The criteria for becoming a Health Champion include the promotion of nutrition and weight management, physical activity and organizational well-being.  The Association promotes Wellness Lives Here year-round with health activation days dedicated to physical activity, healthy meals and diabetes risk awareness.

Teaming up with the American Diabetes Association, Sun Life Financial is the exclusive national sponsor* of Wellness Lives Here. Sun Life is also a Health Champion, encouraging employee health and wellness through seminars, on-site fitness classes, active walking/cycling groups, and an annual Global Wellness Challenge, which in 2016 had over 3,700 participants. 

"We welcome the new Health Champions and applaud them for taking steps to help their teams adopt healthy habits," said Dan Fishbein, President of Sun Life Financial U.S. "Supporting programs like Wellness Lives Here and encouraging other companies to embrace health and wellness in the workplace is a natural fit for our employee benefits business and our commitment to the prevention of diabetes and its related complications." 

The Health Champion designees named today include:


  • Astra Zeneca
  • Bayhealth Medical Center
  • Beebe Healthcare
  • Black & Veatch Corporation
  • ConServe
  • DeKalb Medical
  • Delaware State University
  • District of Columbia Department of Health
  • FCCI Insurance Group
  • Henriott Group
  • HospiceCare
  • Humana Inc.
  • INETICO
  • MillerCoors
  • National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)
  • ONEOK, Inc.
  • PDC
  • PeoplesChoice Credit Union
  • PRA Group
  • Pennington Biomedical Research Center
  • Sacramento Native Center
  • Salem Health
  • Sentara Healthcare
  • Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
  • Steward Health Care Network – Dedham
  • Sutton Senior Center
  • SMP
  • TriHealth
  • Walsh Duffield Companies, Inc.
  • Western Reserve Hospital
  • Volvo Trucks North America

To learn more about the Association's Wellness Lives Here initiative and how your organization can apply to have a Health Champion Designation, visit wellnessliveshere.org. A complete list of the Health Champion designees can be found at diabetes.org/healthchampions .

*Sun Life Financial is the National Sponsor of the Association's Wellness Lives Here initiative, with exclusivity in the national corporate group benefits industry category.         

About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes® and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, the Association's mission is to prevent and cure diabetes, and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial is a leading international financial services organization providing a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individuals and corporate customers. Sun Life Financial has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

In the United States, Sun Life Financial is one of the largest group benefits providers serving more than 60,000 employers in small, medium, and large workplaces across the country. Sun Life's broad portfolio of products and services in the U.S. includes Disability and Absence Management, Life, Dental and Vision, Voluntary, and Stop-Loss insurance. This includes the acquisition of Assurant Employee Benefits in Q1 2016. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com/us.

Media contacts:
 Michelle Kirkwood
American Diabetes Association
mkirkwood@diabetes.org 
703-299-2053

Devon Fernald
Sun Life Financial
devon.portney.fernald@sunlife.com 
781-416-7151

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SOURCE Sun Life Financial U.S.