The City of Grand Rapids needed a wellness solution that could meet the needs of a diverse 24/7 municipal workforce, from administrative staff and shift workers to public safety teams. Traditional wellness programs failed to reach many employees. The city needed a platform that didn’t just track behavior: it had to motivate it.

Grand Rapids partnered with Advanta Health to integrate ActiveFit+, a fully customizable and equitable wellness platform. The platform delivered real-time tracking, flexible participation options, and meaningful incentives across a range of healthy activities, from walking and gym visits to mental health check-ins and financial wellness content.

Wellness originally started as a once-a-year Wellness Month. Over time, leadership and union representatives saw the need for something more comprehensive. Our city manager brought a
strong commitment to wellness from his previous role in Austin. That helped establish a full-time position focused on improving workplace culture and long-term employee health.

We have a very diverse workforce, so customization is critical. Our HR model is hands-on and employee-centered, so our wellness partner needed to align with that. Advanta consistently said yes to customization. That level of responsiveness is why we chose them over more rigid options.

It took time, which we expected. But it was a highly collaborative process. Advanta helped us create something that truly fit our organization. From an admin side, it was smooth. On the user side, the platform is intuitive and easy. We rarely get support questions, which is a great sign.

We’ve seen a noticeable shift, especially with new employees. For many, this is now their primary way of participating in wellness. The flexibility to choose how they engage has made the program more accessible and appealing across the board.

Don’t rush. Know what your employees need and trust that. Build something that fits your people. Advanta was a strong partner for us because of its flexibility and willingness to listen.

We look at participation and incentive attainment. Some employees engage only through the app. Others prefer live events. Both are valid. What matters is that we now have a tool that meets people where they are.