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American Heart Association Launches Roundtable Effort
aha hard hats

The American Heart Association has launched a new initiative, Hard Hats with Heart Roundtable, for the Greater Sacramento and Central Valley areas. Hard Hats with Heart is the area’s first ever, industry-specific health initiative focused on integrating policy, system and environmental changes that can yield positive health outcomes and address health concerns for some of the area’s top employers. The American Heart Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

The Hard Hats with Heart Roundtable will convene local industry stakeholders quarterly to collectively identify workplace challenges, dominant behaviors impacting health, and key health risk factors causing craftworkers to be disproportionately affected by heart disease and stroke. Some startling facts that demonstrate the need for this initiative include:

One out of four construction workers are overweight.

One out of four construction workers use tobacco.

One out of 25 construction workers have diabetes.

Nearly half of all construction workers don’t get enough exercise.

“The success of any company depends on the health and wellbeing of their employees. For too long craftworkers have been affected by chronic diseases that can be reduced or prevented with education and moderate lifestyle changes. Clark Pacific is proud to be part of the Hard Hats with Heart Roundtable and to work with our peers to create a culture health in the construction industry,” said Bob Clark, Co-CEO of Clark Pacific.

The first roundtable meeting was held on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. Common health concerns discussed among member companies included the need to destigmatize support for mental and emotional well-being as well as better education around the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The AHA will work with the member companies to build comprehensive health frameworks tailored to their employee’s needs and existing infrastructure.

“Being together with other industry leaders and hearing they are experiencing similar challenges with employee health and wellbeing was enlightening. To be able to learn from and support each other will be instrumental in elevating the success of the local construction industry,” said Brian Gini, Co-CEO of Collins Electrical Company, Inc.

Member companies of the AHA’s Greater Sacramento and Central Valley Hard Hats with Heart Roundtable include: Clark Pacific, Collins Electrical Company, Inc., CVC, McCarthy Building Products, Otto Construction, Pacific Coast Building Products, Visionary Home Builders, and Royal Electric.

The Dallas-based American Heart Association organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with them on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800- AHA-USA1.