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From working on several past projects together, R&H Construction and Rose Villa knew they had much in common. Now, the construction company and the Milwaukie-based senior living community company have one more similarity to talk about when they get together.

In the past six or seven months, both companies have become certified by a statewide campaign to improve the health and wellness of Oregonians using principles developed through a program called Blue Zones.

The program is the result of research conducted by Dan Buettner, who traveled the world identifying places where people were living at least 100 years As he examined the lifestyles of the centenarians he discovered, he found nine similarities 鈥� including incorporating moderate activity into daily tasks, maintaining strong connections with family, and regularly using stress reduction techniques 鈥� that formed the basis of the Blue Zones program.

The program has since expanded to include a statewide campaign, the Blue Zones Project, which aims to encourage entire communities to work together to support health and wellness in their schools, restaurants and grocery stories, worksites and government centers. The idea of the statewide campaign, which arrived in Oregon last year, is to get everyone in the state to take a small step in adopting one of the Blue Zones’ principles and then share it with others.

鈥淪mall changes can add up to big differences,鈥� Karen Swanzy, human resource generalist with R&H, said.

Construction companies have long placed an emphasis on developing strong safety programs. In the past few years, though, the construction industry has been trending toward adding features that support the health and wellness of their employees.

鈥淥ur safety program has always been a high priority,鈥� Swanzy said. 鈥淏ut in the last couple of years, it’s become more than just safety; it’s about the wellness piece too.鈥�

Blue Zones Project Oregon offered a way to take the commitment that R&H already had to the overall wellness of its employees and not just reinforce it, but help spread it beyond the company.

鈥淭he whole (Blue Zones) platform resonated with me,鈥� Swanzy said. 鈥淥ne of the things I really liked 鈥� was that it’s more of a community. If an employee goes home and tells his wife, and their family adopts it, and the kids talk about that at school, you can get the word out and make a big difference.鈥�

In earning a Blue Zones Project certification, which R&H obtained in August, the company has come up with a whole new roster of wellness-related events, from walking meetings and trading out seated desks in jobsite trailers for stand-up desks to organizing company stand-up paddle excursions and bike rides.

Rose Villa also has added new programs and events for its employees since it began working toward a Blue Zones Project Oregon certification, which it received last month. Rene Swar, Rose Villa’s wellness director, said the new approach is already making a positive difference, especially a decision to allow employees to use a pool that previously was reserved for residents.

鈥淭he residents love seeing the staff use the pool,鈥� Swar said. 鈥淚t’s brought people together. The (residents) get to see the staff outside their usual work environment, and the residents are a great inspiration (for the staff).鈥�