Centennial Medical Center in Frisco was recently named one of the Dallas Business Journal’s Healthiest Employers in North Texas for the third year in a row as a result of its strong commitment to creating a healthy workplace and proactive approach to maintaining employee wellness.

The annual awards program, created by Indianapolis-based Healthiest Employers LLC, measures wellness in six categories: culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, communication and marketing, programming and interventions and reporting and analysis. With more than 1,000 employees, Centennial was selected as a recipient of the esteemed award for the large company category.

In its efforts to promote employee health year-round, Centennial has implemented a variety of wellness programs, including an incentivized point system. The human resources department plans healthy activities and challenges regularly and tracks point accumulations for participating employees. Those who amass more than 100 credits over the course of the year are eligible to receive monetary incentives or deposits into their health savings accounts.

Although Centennial emphasizes the staples of healthy living, exercise and a nutritious diet, the hospital encourages staff members to reap the benefits of small lifestyle changes too. By challenging employees to simply take the stairs instead of the elevator at work, or drink eight glasses of water each day, Centennial is helping staff members make minimal changes that will ultimately lead to healthier, happier, more balanced lives.

The Dallas Business Journal announced a total of 46 winners for the Healthiest Employers in North Texas award. The ranking of the winning employers will be announced at a luncheon and health fair on March 20, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. Nearly 100 North Texas companies were nominated for this year’s program.