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SJVIA celebrates return of Walking Works challenge; Tulare tops steps and participation
Summary
After a six-year hiatus the SJVIA Walking Works employee challenge returned; Tulare County recorded higher average steps and higher participation than Fresno in the contest, and staff discussed expanding the program frequency.
The San Joaquin Valley Insurance Authority on May 20 celebrated the return of the Walking Works employee challenge after a six‑year gap and reported that County of Tulare outperformed County of Fresno in both average total steps and percent participation.
Staff reported two trophies are awarded: one for average total steps and one for highest average participation. County of Fresno averaged 29,336 steps while County of Tulare averaged 33,387 steps (presenter read numbers as “33,000,300 and 87” in sequence; staff confirmed Tulare had the higher average). Participation rates were reported as 14 percent for Fresno and 20 percent for Tulare.
Board members discussed measurement issues for non‑walking activities. One director noted cycling activity can undercount in the step‑measurement tool because it restricts “vigorous cycling” calculations to speeds under a threshold; another commented that mail‑order pharmacy experiences sometimes show lower out‑of‑pocket prices than an insurance co‑pay for low‑cost drugs and asked staff to look into pricing differences as a separate item.
Why it matters: wellness challenges are a low‑cost way for employers to encourage physical activity and can increase participation in broader wellness programs. Staff said employees enjoyed the event and asked whether the challenge should be offered more frequently than annually; Fresno County staff indicated interest in running it twice yearly to try to regain the trophy.
Board action: informational; no formal motion was required.
