The Healthiest Employer Awards highlight companies and nonprofit organizations that commit to making wellness a priority and proactively shape the health of their employees.
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The Healthiest Employer Awards highlight companies and nonprofit organizations that commit to making wellness a priority and proactively shape the health of their employees.
Bi-State Development has been recognized as a winner of the 2018 Healthiest Employer Award by the St. Louis Business Journal. The Healthiest Employer Awards highlight companies and nonprofit organizations that commit to making wellness a priority and proactively shape the health of their employees. Companies are judged based on workforce size, and Bi-State Development took top honors in the big employer category against seven other finalists.
“We are fortunate to have some of the most talented and dedicated employees in the bi-state area, and it is our job at Bi-State Development to ensure they have the resources they need to succeed at all levels,” said John Nations, Bi-State Development president/CEO. “We are committed to advancing wellness throughout the organization, and over the years, we have strengthened our education and programs to ensure our employees can achieve healthy, active lifestyles.”
This is the first year Bi-State Development has won the Healthiest Employer Award although it has been named as a finalist for the award for the last six years. That is due to a comprehensive platform of health and wellness resources, including:
A wellness team, including a full-time Wellness Manager, Wellness Coordinator, Wellness Specialist and an on-site Cigna Wellness and Benefits Representative.
Free fitness centers at each facility, free personal training and health coaching sessions at work, healthy vending options, gym subsidies and supportive healthy weight challenges.
Programming addressing all aspects of well-being including financial, social and emotional support in the form of lunch-and-learn presentations, seminars, and fitness classes. Bi-State Development has partnered with other organizations in the area such as Mental Health America, the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program, and the Alzheimer’s Association to help strengthen this initiative.
Flu shots, mammograms, prostate-specific antigen testing and other services available to employees, retirees and their families.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.