Delta Dental of Arizona Named One of the State’s Top Employers for Healthy Living

Delta Dental of Arizona understands that fostering a culture of healthy living promotes employee happiness, loyalty and productivity. The state’s top dental insurer goes above and beyond with employee wellness initiatives to help employees maintain their physical, mental and financial well-being. They have now been recognized for the fourth year in a row by Healthy Arizona Worksites Program (HAWP) and Arizona Department of Health Services. HAWP’s Gold Award signifies that Delta Dental of Arizona has implemented evidence-based health initiatives to improve the well-being of their employees, employees’ families and communities.

Delta Dental was among approximately 50 Arizona companies to meet HAWP’s gold eligibility requirements this year. Gold recipients not only set new goals and implement programs, but show they have tracked and documented outcomes and behavioral changes.

“We’re honored to be recognized as a Healthy Arizona Worksite,” said Jolean Fleck, vice president of people and organizational development at Delta Dental of Arizona. “Our employees dedicate so much of their lives to ensuring our local communities receive optimal oral health, so they deserve a workplace that is equally committed to their health and well-being.”

Delta Dental of Arizona’s efforts to support employee well-being include:

• Paid time off for dental appointments
• Paid volunteer time off (Delta Dental of Arizona employees volunteered 453 hours in 2019)
• Tuition reimbursement for employees who want to continue their education
• A wellness discount focused on encouraging preventive care
• Premium discount for tobacco-free employees
• Quarterly lunch-and-learns on a variety of professional and wellness topics
• Annual wellness fair with free, on-site biometric screening and flu shots
• A dedicated and private lactation room with comfortable seating, private refrigerator and reading materials

In addition, Delta Dental of Arizona launched a Smile Task Force in February 2020. This team of employees from across the organization is dedicated to building a connected and engaged company culture by planning various events and activities (including virtual ones) for employees to participate in throughout the year. The goal is to have some fun at work while creating a sense of community and unity amongst employees. As Delta Dental of Arizona, like many companies, transitioned to a largely remote workforce amid COVID-19, the Smile Task Force has found creative ways to help employees stay connected to each other. Examples include sending employees a “night at the movies” box, complete with a Redbox movie code and popcorn; virtual photo contests to show off employees’ pets, family and holiday traditions; and mailing each employee custom Delta Dental face masks for their entire household.

“Delta Dental of Arizona has been recognized as a Gold Level Healthy Arizona Worksite for four consecutive years,” said Sherry Haskins, manager of Healthy Arizona Worksites Program. “As a Gold Level awardee, Delta Dental has completed an assessment of the organization’s worksite wellness program using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Worksite Health Scorecard. Their program provides a coordinated and comprehensive set of strategies designed to meet the health and safety needs of all employees. We are proud to celebrate the commitment Delta Dental of Arizona has shown to build the health and wellness of their workforce.”

Learn more about Delta Dental of Arizona’s healthy initiatives and job openings by visiting www.deltadentalaz.com/career.

HAWP is a public health initiative developed through a partnership between the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. This statewide program provides Arizona employers with training, technical assistance, tools and resources to design, implement and evaluate worksite wellness initiatives.

Delta Dental of Arizona is the leading dental benefits provider in Arizona, serving more than 1.2 million enrollees and more than 3,500 contracted dentists across the state. Passionate about oral health and its importance to generations of families, Delta Dental of Arizona has worked for nearly 50 years to improve oral health by emphasizing preventive care and making dental coverage accessible to a wide variety of employers, groups and individuals. Since 2010, Delta Dental of Arizona, through its Foundation, gave $7 million to support oral health education and disease prevention programs for underserved and uninsured communities across the state.