Getting Started – Secure senior level management support

o  Justifications for having a health fair

o  Health risk assessments

o  Be sure to help for high-risk population –  smokers, obese personnel

o  Early detection of diabetes, heart disease risk factors (high cholesterol, high blood pressure)

Health Fair Participation – Identify your audience

o  Workers only, whole family, retirees?

o  Community involvement? Theme?

Health Fair Time Line

o  Be sure to set a date and time Allow 4-6 months of planning time

Health Fair Planning

o  Identify health-related screenings, tests, other activities you will offer Identify educational literature and other learning opportunities wellness fair will provide Include any “fun” activities, or food/beverage needs for the fair

Health Fair Location and Logistics

o  Consider location big enough to accommodate the biggest volume of individuals  at “peak time” periods

o  Determine how booths/stations will be set up

Health Fair Providers

o  Target relevant health/safety-related community and corporate vendors to provide services, educational materials, incentives and giveaways

Health Fair Marketing

o  Determine advertising tools to be used to inform employees/participants (posters, mailings, e-mail)

o  Determine any incentives or giveaways that’ll be included in the fair or used to encourage participation in the fair

Wellness Fair Scheduling

o  Coordinate timing and events with staff and/or volunteers

Wellness Fair Personnel

o  Schedule appropriate professionals Doctor or similar health care personnel to provide patient consultation for review of blood draw lab results

o  Nurse(s) to administer immunizations

o  Administrative/all-purpose individual to facilitate paper work, finger sticks and to provide general assistance

o  Pharmacist or pharmacist assistant if appropriate Dietitian for nutritional counseling suggested personnel designated for wellness fairs

Footnotes

1 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation via Reuters Health E-Line.

2 Kaiser Daily Policy Concerning Health Report, (9/11/03)

3 www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/press/archive/lower_cost.htm

4 “Is Stress Nibbling Away at Your Bottom Line?” By Stephen Alper, Nov. 15, 2002.

5 Wellness in the Workplace, Michael P. O’Donnell, page 415.

6 http – //www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/dayto/dayto_6.html

As reported by Gordian Health Solutions, the effectiveness of wellness programs in improving health and reducing healthcare costs is directly linked to incentives -

o  The more substantial the incentives,

o  The higher the success rate.

Incentives can range from tokens of achievement, like t-shirts, water bottles and sports equipment, to more substantial financial awards, like cash incentives or copay vouchers for the successful completion of a health promotion program.

Nationwide Insurance is seeing results from a small incentive program initiated by among the organization’s onsite nurses.  To encourage lunchtime walking, the worker has informally launched a “shoelace program” modeled after the karate-belt color system.

Staff Members progress through the color scale until they reach “black-lace” status.  The reward system has resulted in more workforce making commitments to walk during their lunch hour.

At the high end of the reward spectrum, some organizations pay cash to personnel who meet wellness objectives. LuK, Inc. offers personnel $250 for kicking the tobacco habit and remaining smoke free for 12 months.

For logging fitness points that add up to 10 miles a month, personnel are eligible for health assessments, which could lead to reward amounts of up to $225.

The most effective motivator, according to Gordian research, comes through linking participation in health promotion programs directly to insurance premiums. Doing so obviously demonstrates to staff members the positive effects of wellness on their own health care costs.

Frequently, the first step in linking wellness programming to insurance coverage is lowering deductibles for wellness care or eliminating deductibles altogether. By adding this benefit, businesses can encourage personnel to undertake routine screenings and other procedures to respond to medical problems before they become chronic.

Early detection benefits both patient health and company health costs.

Incentivizing health promotion program participation with healthcare credits

More frequently, businesss are going beyond increased wellness care coverage and looking to demonstrate the importance of wellness by linking participation to employees’ bottom lines.

Worthington Industries has lately rolled out a health promotion program that authorizes workers to eliminate their portion of the insurance premium by enrolling in a Healthy Options health promotion program.

During the first year of the Healthy Choices program, staff and their spouses complete Personal Health Assessments and medical testings to determine their levels of health risks.

Nurses, dietitians and exercise professionals are available to help moderate- and high-risk participants create individual action plans for improved health through the use of educational materials, behavior modification, telephone help from third-party program health coordinators, and formal health management programs.

By completing the assessments, workforce earn their full premium credit. Because some plans at Worthington require no worker contribution, a cash award takes the place of a credit in those cases.

During year two of the health promotion program, the wellness bar is raised slightly.  To continue to receive the wellness credit, participants in the moderate- to high-risk category are going to be required to work at establishing objectives with third-party health coordinators.

Year three raises the bar again, requiring participants to show progress in meeting goals and to continue to work with health coordinators to reach goals.

After year three, Worthington Industries workers will be on the wellness track.  The company believes that’ll mean a healthier workforce and cost savings for workers and the company.

The well being of Worthington employees is the foundation of this health promotion program, and both employees and the company are expected to benefit from the long-term benefits of the Healthy Choices Health Promotion Program.

While Worthington has taken a broad approach to wellness, other companies have found success in offering incentives in specific areas. Longaberger, for instance, offers a discount on healthcare policies for workforce who don’t use tobacco.

An individual staff member who doesn’t use tobacco saves $7 per bi-weekly pay. for tobacco-free staff members with family coverage whose families are also tobacco-free, the savings increases to $14 per pay.

The next step –  Penalizing harmful behaviors

As it stands, health care is the only kind of insurance that does not focus on penalizing for behaviors that put the insured party at risk. With health care costs rising so dramatically, that could soon change.

Just as an accident likely raises auto insurance premiums, increasing premiums for those who engage in unhealthful behaviors is a possible next step in companys’ attempts to manage healthcare costs.

Reports that workers would support this type of action are stacking up. One Ohio employer conducted an informal survey that indicated workers would consider it a morale increase if health-conscious workers were relieved of some of the burden of subsidizing care for workers who engage in behaviors that adversely affect their health.

Regardless of whether or not this kind of health promotion program gains popularity, one thing is sure –  the need to control the rise in health care costs is becoming ever more pressing.

Take the first step

No matter what the strategy, from offering personnel health resources to providing incentives for healthy behaviors, corporations have a real opportunity to improve morale and productivity, decrease rates of absenteeism and control healthcare costs through wellness.

The first step is committing to taking one, no matter what size effort is appropriate for your corporation.  Big strides start with small steps.

Preventing injuries is a high priority for employers, especially in factory settings like Honda. That’s why the corporation offers a few programsâ.”including line-site process examinations â.”to identify potential hazards and help reduce the chance of injury.

As part of an early intervention program, Honda staff members who are feeling pain can receive a massage of the affected area during work time.

Stretching programs are another effective tool in injury prevention. According to the Best Practices in Manufacturing Web site, Dayton Parts, Inc. (DPI) in Harrisburg, Pa., conducted research that revealed approximately 80% of all manufacturing injuries occurred within the first two hours of each shift.

After beginning a program that required production staff to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes at the starting of their shifts, they saw a dramatic reduction in injuries.

While the DPI program costs about $75,000 a year to operate, combined with other business programs, it has helped bring the annual cost of workers’ compensation from $700,000 to $200,000 per year.6

To help prevent lengthy absences and reduce workers’ compensation claims, Honda instituted a work recovery program. Through the program, workforce that have had an injury can work in a adapted jobâ.”getting better.

Staff Members in the program spend their work days receiving physical conditioning to elevate overall fitness, physical therapy to restore functionality, health education and nutrition counseling.  The program is based on data that shows fewer work days are lost when an staff member stays connected to the work environment.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, www.ohiobwc.com, provides a “10-Step Company Plan” as a guide for corporations in providing health promotion programs that aim to reduce injuries.  The plan includes information on safety and health programs to prevent occurrences of on-the-job accidents, including -

Staff Member involvement – to ensure the success of any corporation health promotion program, staff must take part in the safety and health-management process.

This may be done through safety and health audits, accident examinations, or by forming safety and health involvement teams, focus groups or committees.

Orientation and training plan – Conduct orientation and training sessions to educate staff on the organization’s safety policies.

These sessions should include procedures for the safe use of machinery and tools, chemical hazards and how to prevent contact or exposure, specific job/task safe practices, and hazard recognition and prevention.

Communication – Open communication keeps staff informed and provides suggestions and feedback on the effectiveness of the company’s health promotion program.

Through memos, bulletin boards and staff meetings, important safety and health information can be conveyed throughout the business, keeping all upper management staff and employees knowledgeable about the corporation’s safe practices.

The organization plan also outlines incentives for post-injury procedures, including -

Medical treatment and return-to-work practices – arly return-to-work strategies help injured or ill workers return to work in a timely manner.

Corporations should establish a disability management policy to help injured or ill personnel obtain quality medical treatment, making their transition back to work quick and effortless.

Timely notification of claims – Companys should document workplace injuries immediately after they occur and promptly send that documentation to a claims handler.

Rapidly providing claim information demonstrates care and concern for the injured worker, avoids delays and confusion with the claim process, and decreases the potential for abuse or needless litigation.

Record keeping – Internal documents must be kept to record work-time injuries and to assess the success of the company’s safety efforts.

Business audits, surveys and injury or disease reports can all be used to analyze which safety practices and policies have proven successful, and what areas of wellness need improvement.

Dr. Moore of Nationwide maintains that immunization is the most cost-effective treatment in medicine. for  instance, vaccinating kids against the influenza virus averages a savings (including healthcare costs, parents’ missed work, etc.) of up to $35 per vaccine recipient.

And experts predict that estimate is low, because it doesn’t take into account the rapid spread of the flu.

The American Association of Family Physicians’ Web site, www.aafp.org, offers a advised adult immunization schedule developed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

This schedule, tiered by age and chances of exposure, recommends diphtheria, tetanus, influenza, pneumonococcal, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, measles, mumps and rubella, varicella and meningococcal vaccinations.

Ideas to incorporate avoidance and early detection -

o  Hold a wellness fair and invite businesses that provide screening services for such conditions as blood pressure, blood iron, cholesterol, BMI  and diabetes.

o  Give educational materials about well-baby care and immunizations.

o  Select healthcare coverage plans that include wellness check-ups and immunizations.

o  Provide on-site mammograms for employees.

o  Sponsor on-site flu shots to coincide with flu season.

Benefits of Stress Reduction Programs

While stress can’t be eliminated from life, or even from the worksite, coping skills may be developed with relative ease. Stress management skills lead to decreased absenteeism and more effective, more productive workforce.

Because stress has been shown to contribute to such physical conditions as ulcers, high blood pressure and stroke, stress reduction has a direct impact on improving physical health.

Studies have shown that heart patients who attend stress management programs have 42 percent lower healthcare costs. Other studies have documented a 50 percent reduction in medical services use when stress management programs are employed.

Further, Staff Member Assistance Program (EAP) professionals estimate that 20% of any workforce is affected by personal problems that can influence work performance.

Stress reduction tactics to consider -

o  Give onsite yoga or meditation classes.

o  Organize support groups among staff.

o  Sponsor stress management courses during the workday.

o  Give an worker assistance program that includes both counseling and referral.

o  Give onsite counseling for personnel if a work-related trauma, such as the death of a peer.

Advantages of Prenatal Care and Breastfeeding

The old proverb “an ounce of avoidance is worth a pound of cure” is especially relevant to when applied to preventive measures taken during pregnancy, when a few additional ounces of birth weight can save a child’s life.

During pregnancy, simple precautions can help avoid catastrophic results; giving up smoking, for instance, drastically decreases the risk of miscarriage and pre-term labor.

The March of Dimes reports that if all women took adequate folic acid before conception and during pregnancy, the number of babies born with a neural tube defect could drop by as much as 70%.

The physical and emotional advantages of proper prenatal care to a mother and child are underscored by a strong organization case for offering prenatal wellness benefits. Nationwide’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Michael Moore, estimates costs to care for one baby delivered prematurely could approach $500,000.

First steps in fostering a prenatal program -

o  Invite the March of Dimes to present information about prenatal health at an worker brownbag lunch or breakfast meeting.

o  Hold prenatal care information classes for interested staff members during lunchtime.

o  Give educational materials about the effects of alcohol, drugs and smoking on an unborn child.

o  Provide incentives for adopting healthy life choices during pregnancy.

o  Give prenatal programs and education as part of the company health care package.

Advantages of Use of tobacco Cessation Programs

Instances of respiratory illnesses, cancer and other illnesses can be decreased through smoking cessation efforts. Smoking cessation programs can provide huge opportunities for improved health.

The American Cancer Society reports that smoking staff cost companies an typical of $1,429 per smoker a year in increased healthcare costs over non-smoking staff.

Beginning a use of tobacco cessation program costs an typical of $45 per worker per year, saving organizations an typical of $1,383 per year for each worker who quits use of tobacco. In addition, the American Cancer Society reports that smokers are absent from work 50 percent more often than nonsmokers.

They’re also 50% more likely to be hospitalized and have 15% higher disability rates. Tobacco use decreases onthe- job productivity as well. Staff Members who take four 10- minute smoking breaks a day work more than a month less a year than employees who don’t take smoke breaks.

Places to begin with tobacco use cessation programs -

o  Develop a “buddy” program to provide encouragement for those who commit to stop smoking.

o  Make available lung capacity tests at company wellness fairs.

o  Consider reimbursement for tobacco use cessation tools –  nicotine gum, patches and inhalers.

o  Limit smoking areas in the workplace.

o  Present on-site use of tobacco cessation sessions.

Benefits of Nutrition Programs

Nutrition directly impacts nearly every aspect of physical and mental health. A healthful diet can help protect against such conditions as heart illness, diabetes, arthritis, stroke, certain cancers and depression. Obesity, which is among the most common conditions linked to diet, affects a record number of American Citizens.

The American Journal of Wellness estimates the cost of obesity to United States business to exceed $12.5 billion in healthcare, sick time, and life and disability insurance.

Furthermore, one study reports that obesity raises healthcare costs by 36 percent and medication costs by 77 percent.  To offset the health risks of obesity and poor diet, many businesses have committed to helping workers ensure proper nutrition and undertake weight control programs.

Popular nutrition programs -

o  Give workforce with educational materials or classes on proper nutrition provided by a registered dietitian.

o  Give onsite Weight Watchers meetings or other weight management programs.

o  Give nutritious and health conscience meal options in the cafeteria and vending machines.

o  Clearly post nutrition information for all cafeteria and vending machine items.

o  Offer low cost, healthful, take-home dinner choices for employees and their families.

o  Draw attention to healthy eating habits by providing token incentives, like pencils or ID holders, for achieving five fruits or vegetable servings a day for a week.

Nutrition programs in action

While many companies address weight management through fitness programs, companies are increasingly focusing on nutrition through separate programming. Recognizing the productivity improve and reduced medical expenditures that come with maintaining a healthy weight, many companies might help pay for obesity treatments for employees.

For  instance, to enhance the health of dangerously obese workers, drug maker Wyeth reportedly compensates for stomach-shrinking surgeries that carry price tags of up to $40,000.

A 2003 Society of Human Resource Management study shows that 24% of companys offer weight reduction programs. In Ohio, Honda offers an onsite, registered dietitian who provides individual or group consultations on weight management. Body fat analysis and BMI  measurements are available to staff at any time.

At Grange Insurance’s Columbus headquarters, the cafeteria chef evaluates meals and provides workers basic nutrition information, including Weight Watchers points.

A lot of companies partner with the American Cancer Society to offer nutrition information through the “5-ADay” program, which provides employers free signage and educational materials about the importance of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

The program also offers a fruit and vegetable “frequency card” that gives staff members a free portion of fruit or vegetables after he or she’s purchased a preset number.

Benefits of Fitness Programs

Exercise decreases weight, decreases risks of heart attack and stroke, assists to control blood pressure and diabetes, and improves mood. Studies increasingly show that exercise might also help reduce the occurrence of certain types of cancer.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lately documented another major advantage –  exercise improves the health of the nation’s medical care expenditures.3 According to the CDC, physically active person incur $865 less annually in health care costs than inactive individuals .

Dr. Michael Moore, vice president and chief medical director at Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, maintains that exercise is the most effective tool in health maintenance. “When you might prescribe exercise in a pill, it would be the number-one prescribed treatment in the world,” he said.

In step with Dr. Moore’s prescription, nearly one-third of USA businesses help employees pay for health and fitness center memberships, according to an Associated Press report. Subsidizing health and fitness center memberships is just one way businesses encourage active lifestyles.

Well-liked fitness-forward initiatives -

o  Begin a corporation softball or volleyball league.

o  Compile and distribute information about opportunities to join athletic groups in your community.

o  Give partial or complete reimbursement for exercise facility memberships.

o  Hold aerobics, karate, yoga or other types of fitness classes on-site.

o  Provide extended lunch hours for staff members who commit to lunchtime exercise plans.

o  Introduce an onsite workout facility that is free, or available at a nominal cost, to personnel and their families.

o  Conduct onsite wellness fairs that include fitness demonstrations and promote fitness activities and resources.

Health Promotion program means different things to different corporations. Effective health promotion programs may be as simple as bringing bushel baskets of fresh fruit into break rooms to encourage better eating. They may be as robust as building fitness facilities onsite or paying for obesity treatments.

A driving factor behind the push toward wellness spans organizations of all kinds, sizes and cultures –  that is, healthcare expenditures are spilling over the corporate belt buckle.

The annual cost of medical services in the United States is rising at seven times the rate of inflation.  And the rise in medical costs is one boom pundits expect our economy to sustain.1

This trend makes it increasingly difficult for employers to maintain current levels of insurance coverage. In 2003, health care inflation forced 65% of businesses to elevate employees’ share of healthcare costs.

Seventy-nine percent of large firms said they will increase workers’ share of health costs in 2004.2 But with lost benefits and increased financial burdens come lost morale and productivity.

Corporations are searching for another way. While businesses cannot control many of the supply-side elements contributing to rising health care costsâ.”malpractice insurance rates, the nursing shortageâ.”they can help curb demand. That’s why efforts are being redirected from illness to wellness.

The case for wellness is supported by an ever growing body of evidence demonstrating the high costs associated with controllable health risks -

o  One study reports that obesity raises health care costs by 36 percent and medication costs by 77 percent.

o  Michigan officials estimate physical inactivity cost the state almost $8.9 billion in 2002, a cost estimated to be largely borne by companys through insurance premiums and lost productivity.

o  The not-for-profit National Committee for Quality Assurance reports that the estimated typical cost for postnatal care for women who did not receive prenatal care was $2,341 more than for women who had.  And the indirect costs of unhealthful behavior can be just as high.

Data shows that healthier workforce are more productive, spending more time at work and showing increased “presenteeism,” or productivity, while there. Furthermore, healthier workforce use fewer medical services.

The five leading causes of death in the United States â.” heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes â.”  are directly linked to unhealthy life choices. Obviously, encouraging healthy habits presents an opportunity to improve employees’ well being, reduce the need for health care services and help control costs.

Offering worker wellness benefits â.” large or small â.” represents an intersection between corporate social responsibility and responsibility to stakeholders. Between worker health and corporate health. It’s often the right thing to do for workforce and companys.

Research by Traveler’s Corp. shows a $3.40 return for every dollar invested in Wellness Programs. for many businesses, the choice to offer worker health promotion benefits is easyâ.”one where conscience and pragmatism align.

The challenge arises in selecting  the wellness programs that will deliver the most impact based on trends in your employees’ health risks and medical claims costs.

From large companies to the corner deli, company owners welcome ways to boost productivity, lower rates of absenteeism and cut costs. In like fashion, health promotion programs can range from modest to elaborate.

In deciding where to focus a company’s limited resources, looking at costs, benefits and best practices is a good starting point. This section profiles six aspects of wellness and explores their benefits to workers and employers.