The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) announced it has received the 2025 Aetna Workplace Well-being Platinum Award, the highest level of recognition offered by Aetna. This marks the fourth year in a row that CMS has earned the award for its continued efforts in building a culture of health and well-being for State of Illinois employees.
The Aetna Workplace Well-being Award recognizes employers that demonstrate a strong commitment to improving employee well-being through impactful programs, strategic initiatives, and effective outreach.
“This continued recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to the physical, mental, and financial well-being of our employees, retirees, and their families,” said Raven A. DeVaughn, CMS Director. “Earning the Platinum Award for a fourth consecutive year is a powerful affirmation of the work we do to support a healthy, resilient, and engaged workforce.”
Over the past year, CMS implemented and expanded several initiatives that contributed to this year’s recognition, including:
- Expanding access to programming for spouses and dependents, further extending the reach and inclusivity of wellness resources.
- Strengthening the “Be Well” brand through consistent messaging and creative campaigns across digital platforms, newsletters, and events.
- Launching a comprehensive communication strategy that leveraged multiple channels including webinars, email, Facebook, LinkedIn, the Be Well webpage, and agency-specific updates.
- Enhancing the Wellness Ambassador Network, now representing 36 ambassadors across 25 state agencies, ensuring program visibility and engagement at the agency level.
- Providing educational content through engaging webinars and events including:
- Motivational Monday sessions
- Financial wellness education from MetLife
- Mental and social well-being sessions from ComPsych
- Nutrition and cooking demonstrations in partnership with Wellness Concepts
- Delivering successful wellness challenges such as:
- Fall into Wellness with 1,263 participants
- Walk Around Illinois 2024 with 1,178 participants
- Identifying and addressing health risks through targeted screening efforts:
- Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Campaign: Out of 3,387 completed screenings, 161 returned positive for hemoglobin, with 78% of those participants taking follow-up action.
- Skin Cancer Screenings: As part of a pilot initiative, 297 employees were screened; 30% were referred to a dermatologist for severe dermatological findings.
- Higi Health Stations: 35,023 sessions completed statewide, including 27,936 blood pressure tests and 18,264 weight measurements — a testament to the continued demand and utility of accessible health screening tools.
- Integrating social determinants of health into programming strategies to ensure that wellness initiatives address diverse needs and barriers across the employee population
CMS manages over $7 billion in annual benefit expenditures and serves more than 466,000 individuals through comprehensive benefit programs.
