Business Group on Health Honors UPMC and UPMC Health Plan with Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being Award

Pittsburgh (May 1, 2023) – UPMC and UPMC Health Plan were among only 50 large employers to be honored with the prestigious Business Group on Health Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being Award. The national organization recognized UPMC and UPMC Health Plan's commitment to advancing employee well-being through comprehensive, innovative benefits and initiatives.

The award announcement was made during the Business Group's 2023 annual conference, "Winning Strategies: Impactful, Innovative, Inclusive," in Washington D.C. This is the 18th year that the award has been presented, and is the 13th time that UPMC and UPMC Health Plan have received it.

UPMC and UPMC Health Plan were specifically recognized with the Excellence in Mental Health award. Their virtual behavioral health services—offered through MyHealth@Work—launched in the fourth quarter of 2022. This service expansion created a fast, easy way for UPMC employees and their covered spouses/domestic partners to obtain clinical care and counseling coordination for anxiety and depression.

"Being able to quickly provide clinical care and counseling to our employees and their covered dependents ensures we are making mental health a top priority, which ultimately leads to a healthier workforce," said John Galley, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at UPMC.

Ellen Kelsay, president and CEO of Business Group on Health said that "in the face of ongoing challenges, the award winners all enhance the lives of employees and their families through their innovative health and well-being programs. In addition, their leading-edge programs address critical issues—such as health equity, social determinants of health, and affordability—with an eye toward better health and well-being outcomes for everyone."

The 2023 winners come from a variety of industries: banking/financial services, health care, insurance, manufacturing, professional services, technology, and utilities, and others. A full list of winners is available at the Business Group on Health website.

Award applicants were assessed on their approach to leadership, strategy, and culture; holistic well-being, including mental health, financial security, physical health, social connectedness, and job satisfaction; engagement and the employee experience; health equity; and metrics and evaluation. Companies can apply based on their U.S. or global workforce populations.

LuAnn Heinen, vice president of the Business Group, said that "the 2023 winners serve as a model for other companies and organizations looking to amplify their benefit offerings. We congratulate each and every one of the honorees for setting such high standards and for being employers of choice."

Applicants for the Best Employers award do not have to be members of the Business Group. Entries are reviewed by a panel of peer employer judges.

Some of the winning employers received additional honors for excellence in the Mental Health, Health Equity, or Global Health and Well-Being categories.

The winners of the Excellence in Mental Health Award demonstrated an organizational strategy to address mental health with goals and measurables outcomes, as well as active leadership involvement. They all had initiatives or programs that support adolescent mental health and address suicide ideation and substance use disorders.

Winners of the Excellence in Health Equity Award were recognized for their work to ensure that all employees have the opportunity to reach their full health potential. All have incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion into their health and well-being strategies. Furthermore, they engaged employee resource groups and/or community leaders in health awareness and education campaigns, provided opportunities for employees to find health providers that matched their identity and culture, and assessed disparities in engagement with health and well-being offerings or health outcomes among different employee populations.

Employers that were honored with the Excellence in Global Health and Well-Being Award skillfully navigated challenges as they met the myriad needs of employees in multiple countries. They also demonstrated a commitment to equity with a set of standard benefits offered to their global workforces. Mental, physical, and financial health offerings—as well as leave benefits—were most likely to be integrated into their global consistency efforts.

###

About UPMC Insurance Services

UPMC Insurance Services serves nearly 4.5 million members and is owned and operated by UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider and insurer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. UPMC Insurance Services provides commercial products through UPMC Health Plan for both groups and individuals. Its commercial products also include workers' compensation and employee assistance from nationally known Workpartners®. Government products include Medicare Advantage plans (UPMC for Life); special needs plans for those who are eligible for Medicare and Medical Assistance (UPMC for Life Complete Care and UPMC Community HealthChoices); a Medical Assistance plan (UPMC for You); and Children's Health Insurance Program plans (UPMC for Kids). Community Care Behavioral Health Organization—one of the nation's largest nonprofit managed care behavioral health organizations—is also part of the Insurance Services Division. Community Care offers a full range of services to commercial and Medical Assistance members. For more information, visit upmchealthplan.com.

Y0069_231796_C