Advancing Employer Cultures of Health and Well-being: Lessons for Business Coalitions and Employers

Publication: Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine; August 2025; Volume 67, Number 8 pp 581-587

Authors: Fabius, Raymond MD; Bildner, Michele DrPH; Goldfarb, Neil I. BA; Kirshenbaum, David MBA; Thayer, Dixon BS; Kiwi, Ivor R. MBA; Phares, Sharon E. PhD.

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Objective

The aim of the study was to determine the impact of a collaborative effort by employers to improve their organizations’ cultures of health and well-being.

Methods

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation partnered with two organizations to help employers use an established methodology—an industry-validated baseline assessment, along with a strategic roadmap and guidance from physician executive experts. Employers implemented this approach and simultaneously participated in a structured monthly learning collaborative.

Results

The average projected improvement in the culture of health scores from baseline to year end was 80 points, moving from 60% to 71% achievement of the benchmark score.

Conclusions

This research demonstrates that employers working collaboratively and following an appropriate sequence of scientific-based approaches can demonstrate a positive trend in organizational cultures of health and well-being scores pointing to the possibility of sustainable culture change.