2020 Employer Heart Disease 

and Stroke Program Profile

The CDC ScoreCard is a tool to help 

employers assess whether their health 

promotion programs are based on the 

best evidence for improving employees’ 

health and wellness. 

https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/initiatives/healthscorecard/index.html 

How Are Employers Doing in Promoting Heart Healthy?

28%of employers have a comprehensive workplace blood pressure control programa

including education, environmental support, and benefits strategies.

On average, employers have 3 of 5 (60%) High Cholesterol Prevention ScoreCard 

strategies in place.

340 worksites (71%) have an emergency response plan to address acute heart 

attack and stroke events. 

Cardiovascular disease is 

America’s costliest disease—

approximately $363 billion 

annually in direct and indirect 

costs in 2016-2017.1 Indirect 

costs—including missed 

workdays—cost about $147 

billion each year.1

 High blood 

pressure and high blood 

cholesterol put individuals at high 

risk for heart disease and stroke. 

You cannot tell who has high 

blood pressure or high blood 

cholesterol levels just by looking 

at them, but about 1 in 2 US 

adults have high blood pressure.2

CDC WORKSITE

HEALTH SCORECARD

1. Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, Benjamin EJ, Bittencourt MS, Callaway CW, , et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics-2021 update: a 

report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;143: e00 –e006. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000950.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hypertension Cascade: Hypertension Prevalence, Treatment and Control Estimates 

Among US Adults Aged 18 Years and Older Applying the Criteria From the American College of Cardiology and American Heart 

Association’s 2017 Hypertension Guideline—NHANES 2015–2018. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2019. 

https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/data-reports/hypertension-prevalence.html. Accessed March 12, 2021.

a

Comprehensive programs refer to a coordinated set of strategies that, include programs, policies, benefits, environmental supports, and links 

to the surrounding community and are designed to meet the health and safety needs of all employees. The 2020 CDC ScoreCard blood pressure 

module does not include any questions related to policies.

What Evidence-Based Practices Does the ScoreCard Assess?

PROGRAMS

Opportunities to 

begin, change, 

or maintain 

health behaviors

POLICIES

Formal or informal 

statements to 

protect or 

promote health

ENVIRONMENTAL 

SUPPORTS

Physical factors 

at work that 

help protect and 

enhance health

BENEFITS

Overall 

compensation, 

including health 

insurance

CS324630-E
HEART DISEASE 

AND STROKE 

PREVENTION 

STRATEGIES

STRATEGYb

PERCENTAGE OF 

WORKSITESC WITH 

STRATEGY IN PLACE

(2020 SCORE)

b

Evidence-based practices (i.e., programs, policies, environmental supports, and benefits) in the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard have a weighted score from 1 to 3 points. 

 The score is derived from the strategy’s impact on population health outcomes and the strength of the supporting scientific evidence.

c

Percentages are based on 480 ScoreCard submissions in 2020..

61% Provide educational materials on preventing and 

controlling high cholesterol

68% Provide educational materials on preventing and 

controlling high blood pressure

58%

Provide and promote free or subsidized lifestyle coaching, 

counseling, or self-management programs that equip employees 

with skills and motivation to set and meet their personal 

cholesterol management goals

59%

Provide and promote free or subsidized lifestyle coaching, 

counseling, or self-management programs that equip employees 

with skills and motivation to set and meet their personal 

blood pressure management goals

57%

Provide free or subsidized blood pressure screening, 

beyond self-report, followed by directed feedback 

and clinical referral when appropriate

Offer access to a nationally recognized training course on 

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) that includes training 

on Automated External Defibrillator (AED) usage

49%

Provide and promote interactive educational programming 

on preventing and controlling high cholesterol

53% Provide and promote interactive educational programming on 

preventing and controlling high blood pressure

34% Make blood pressure monitoring devices available with instructions 

for employees to conduct their own self assessments

44%

Provide free or subsidized cholesterol screening, 

beyond self-report, followed by directed feedback and 

clinical referral when appropriate

75%

78%

78%

75%

Provide health insurance coverage with free or subsidized 

out-of-pocket costs for blood pressure control medications

Have one or more functioning AEDs in place

Provide health insurance coverage with free or subsidized 

out-of-pocket costs for cholesterol or lipid control medications