Wellness Program A to Z

Five reasons to have a wellness program   

1   The U.S. spends more dollars on healthcare than any other nation yet we are not the world’s healthiest

o  Largely sedentary   

o  Smoking is still popular   

o  Stress is at epidemic levels (WHO)   

o  Alcohol continues to take its toll on American Citizens   

2   Much of the illness in the U.S. is preventable

o  Tobacco and alcohol are leading causes of death   

o  As much as 70 percent of the cost of healthcare is driven by preventable illness   

3   Health Care costs continue to rise

o  Healthcare premiums continue to rise and to be passed on to the employee   

o  Health Care cost are normally the number one benefit cost to most companys    

4   The workplace is an ideal establishing to address health and well being

o  Most Americans work   

o  Poor health habits take a toll on American business   

o  Corporations have a vested interest in health related issues.   

5   Research validates that health promotion programs can improve health, save money, and even produce a Return On Investment (ROI).

o  Aldana,S.G. (1998). Financial impact of corporate health promotion and methodological quality of the evidence.  The Art of Wellness. Vol 2, Number 1.   

o  Wilson, M.G. (1996). A comprehensive review of the effects of corporate wellness on health related outcomes -  an update.  The American Journal of wellness. Vol 10, Number 6.   

o  Wilson, M.G. (1996). A robust review of the effects of corporate wellness on health related outcomes -  an update.  The American Journal of wellness. Vol 11, Number 2.   

o  Chapman, L.S. Proof Positive -  an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of company wellness. 3rd ed. Seattle -  Summex Corporation, 1996.   

o  Pelletier, K.R. A review of the health and cost-effective outcomes studies of robust wellness and illness avoidance programs at the worksite -  1993-1995 Update.  The American Journal of Health and Promotion. Vol. 10, Number 5.   

Key Components of a Health Promotion Program   

Physical Wellness - Focuses on the development, maintenance, or improvement of one’s fitness   

Sample Physical Wellness Programs / Workshops

o  Annual health testing

o  Regular exercise

o  Good safety habits

Emotional Wellness - Focuses on all aspects of mental fitness

Sample Emotional Health Promotion Programs / Workshops

o  Stress management workshops

o  Dealing with aging

o  Addictive behaviors

o  Parenting

Financial Wellness - Focuses on bettering the quality of life of workforce by helping families and individuals in becoming financially stable

Sample Financial Health Promotion Programs / Seminars

o  Financial management

o  Savings and Investing

o  Credit and Purchasing

o  Insurance and Estate Planning

Spiritual Health Promotion - Focuses on promoting a healthful inner self

Sample Spiritual Wellness Programs / Seminars

o  Be sure to encourage daily devotional readings

o  Give regular service opportunities

o  Give a daily/weekly/monthly chapel (meditation) time during work hours

Nutritional Wellness - Will meet the needs of the personnel through group and individual nutritional services

Sample Nutritional Wellness Programs / Workshops

o  Individual nutritional Assessment

o  Individual and group counseling

o  Educational classes

o  Weight loss health promotion programs

Many employers, as part of their efforts to contain rising health care costs, are beginning health promotion programs variously described as wellness, lifestyle programs, health and productivity management, population health management and, simply, health promotion programs.

The purpose of this article is to consider whether such health promotion programs improve health. If so, do they in turn reduce utilization of health care services and reduce health care expenditures?

The popular media have done much to promote the concept of company health promotion. Last year, In Business -  Madison1 magazine printed a story accompanied by a table reporting an impressive range of Return On Investment -

Return on Investment (Per dollar ROI for lifestyle programs)

o  Coors $6.15

o  Kennecott $5.78

o  Equitable Life $5.52

o  Citibank $4.56

o  General Mills $3.90

o  Travelers $3.40

o  Motorola $3.15

o  PepsiCo $3.00

o  Unum Life $1.81

Source -  2004 T.E. Brennan Business, as reported

Would these ROIs stand up to rigorous empirical analysis of the data? What factors produce such disparate returns among these health promotion programs? and does the published literature, subject to colleague review of scientific methods, support the ROIs stated here?

Health and Productivity Management

Illness and injury associated with an unhealthy lifestyle or modifiable risk factors is announced to account for at least 25% of worker health care expenditures.

The most meaningful of these risk factors are stress, tobacco use, overweight or obesity, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol use, and poor nutritional habits.

Over the past two decades, a selection of groups at the local, state, and national levels have promoted the concept that health risk reduction and care management programs can improve worker health, and that worksite health education, health risk management, and benefit counseling should complement standard medical insurance benefits.

The intensity of health promotion programs range from bulletin board, flyer or newsletter information to onsite fitness facilities, health risk reduction classes, and personal lifestyle change coaching.

Health promotion programs today often include a health risk appraisal  to evaluate each worker’s modifiable risk factors of illness. Program coordinators then target interventions to those that are at increased risk through personal communications and individual follow-up.

Extensive wellness programs could include classes on health risk reduction and job safety, fitness and exercise activities, fitness center memberships, and reductions in co-payments or premiums for staff members who adhere to advised health screening guidelines.

Along with this, some employers are restructuring health benefits and stimulating employees’ cost-sensitivity when accessing healthcare.5 These changes are intended to reduce employees’ need for and utilization of healthcare, yielding reduced group medical care costs.

Demonstrated reductions in health care expenditures should then provide corporations with a powerful bargaining chip in negotiating lower health insurance premiums during future terms.

Evidence basis -  A range of Return On Investment estimates

The empirical research has produced results as varied as the popular media on Return On Investment (ROI). Notwithstanding, evidence continues to grow that well-designed and well-resourced wellness and disease avoidance programs provide multi-faceted payback on investment.

Coworker-reviewed investigations and meta analyses show that Return On Investment is achieved through improved employee health, lowered benefit expense, and enhanced productivity.

o  Goetzel and colleagues, in their meta-analysis of two dozen articles summarizing economic examinations of health and productivity management programs, found an typical return of $3.14 per $1 invested in traditional health promotion programs.  The Return On Investment estimates for the individual health promotion programs ranged from $1.49 to $13.7,

o  Aldana reviewed 72 articles and concluded that wellness programs achieve an average Return On Investment of $3.48 when considering health care costs alone, $5.82 per $1 when examining absenteeism, and $4.30 when both outcomes are considered.

o  Ozminkowski and collagues conducted a 38 month case study of 23,000 participants in Citibank, N.A.’s wellness program and stated that within a 2 year period, Citibank realized a ROI between $4.56 and $4.73.10

Follow-up studies found improvements in the risk profiles of participants, with the high-risk group bettering more than the “usual care” group1 as a result of more intensive health promotion programming.

o  Chapman’s 2004 meta-evaluation of 42 studies, ranking overall validity of the studies, reports cost-benefit ratios from $2.05-$4.64.

In addition to immediately quantifiable cost reductions, scientists have announced a variety of spin-off benefits -  greater productivity, intellectual capacity, and reductions in disability12 and absenteeism.9,13,14,15

Such wellness programs might also have positive effects on worker perceptions of the business and worker morale, even among nonparticipants.  These outcomes go beyond savings in direct health care costs to provide non-health related Return On Investment (ROI).

Tailoring wellness program to maximize Return On Investment (ROI) Health promotion programs aim to reduce the health risks of employees at high risk while maintaining the health status of those at low risk.

A variety of disease management interventions are available to fit the specific risk profiles of various worksites. Insurers and businesses now seek to calibrate their interventions in order to achieve optimal risk reduction and costeffectiveness.

In 2001, Univ. of Michigan scientists reported on stable trends in health care costs for over 2 million current and former staff in an 18 year data set.

The mean cost increase per risk factor gained ($350) was found to be more than double the mean cost decrease per eliminated risk factor ($150).

In other words, increases in costs when groups of workers moved from low risk to high risk were much greater than the lowers in costs when groups moved from high risk to low risk. Their conclusion -  Programs designed to keep healthy people healthy will likely provide the greatest return on investment.

On the contrary, Pelletier’s meta-analysis and other health promotion program evaluations18 suggest that individualized risks reduction for high-risk staff within the context of extensive health promotion programming is the critical element in achieving positive clinical and cost outcomes in workplace interventions.

Dose-Response?

Several factors might affect the impact of various health promotion programs and the ultimate ROI, including cultural and environmental factors, workforce demographics, level of participation and longevity of the health promotion program.

Most cost-benefit studies have been conducted in large organizations with more than fifty staff members. But researchers have shown that similar results could be acquired by small organizations with as few as five staff members actively involved in a well-managed health promotion program.

Various studies also suggest that even relatively modest levels of participation can achieve substantial wellness program impact. Contrary to reports by the popular media that such wellness programs require more than 70 percent participation, published reports of at least one case showed positive Return On Investment (ROI) with 51 percent participation.

Length of intervention appears to be a more salient variable -  an impact on health costs normally requires three-to five years of wellness programming.

Future developments

Despite the abundance of positive wellness program evaluations, several caveats remain. Negative results are less likely to be reported or published, thus biasing the Return On Investment upward.

Uncertainty persists regarding the specific impact of the various health promotion program components. But as these health promotion programs take hold, further research and investigation will enable fine-tuning of health promotion program investments.

Meanwhile, the preponderance of data and the strength of the published research stand in favor of a positive Return On Investment for health promotion programs.

Indeed, the organization case for such wellness programs is now well enough defined that some insurance brokers offer discounted rates to organizations that institute or subscribe to wellness programs.

Future questions will focus on how to best to combine comprehensive and focused interventions, the intensity of elements, and how to calibrate the dose-response model to achieve a target Return On Investment (ROI).

Here, employers, personnel, and researchers will need to collaborate to define mutual objectives as for both clinical and cost outcomes.

Sources -

1. In Business -  Madison. Madison, WI -  September 2004. p. 39.

2. Anderson DR, Whitmer RW, Goetzel RZ, Ozminkowski RJ, Wasserman J, Serxner S. Health Enhancement Research Organization Committee. American Journal of Wellness 2000; 15(1) -  45-52.

3. Manning J. Health Promotion movement gains ground among businesses, health insurers. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 19, 2004.

4. Chapman LS. Specialist opinions on “best practices” in corporate wellness (WHP).  The Art of Health Promotion Newsletter, July/August 2004 - 1-6.

5. Fronstin, P, and Werntz, R. EBRI Issue Brief No. 267, March 2004. Washington, DC - Staff Member Benefits Research Institute (EBRI).

6. Powell C. Experts urge businesses to promote worker wellness strategies. Akron Beacon Journal. October 25, 2004.

7. Goetzel RZ, Juday TR, Ozminkowski RJ. AWHP’s Worksite Health, Summer, 1999.

8. Goetzel, RZ. Absolute Advantage. Washington DC - Wellness Councils of America. Vol 1(8); 2002.

9. Aldana SG. American Journal of Health Promotion 2001; 15(5) -  296-320.

10. Ozminkowski RJ, Dunn RL, Goetzel RZ, Cantor RI, Murnane J, Harrison M. American Journal of Wellness 1999; 14(1) -  31-43.

11. Ozminkowski RJ, Goetzel RZ, Smith MW, Cantor RI, Shaughnessy A, Harrison M.  The impact of the Citibank, N.A. J Occup Environ Med. 2000; 42(5) -  502-511.

12. Serxner S, Gold D, Anderson D, Williams D. J Occup Environ Med. 2001; 43(1) -  25-29.

13. Riedel JE, Lynch W, Baase C, Hymel P, Peterson KW. American Journal of Health Promotion 2001; 15(3) -  167-191.

14. Edington MD, Karjalainen T, Hirschland D, Edington DW. AAOHN J. 2002 Jan; 50(1) -  26-31.

15. Aldana SG, Pronk NP. J Occup Environ Med. 2001 Jan; 43(1) -  36-46.

16. Pelletier KR. American Journal of Wellness. 2001; 16(2) -  107-16.

17. Edington DW. American Journal of Wellness 2001; 15(5) -  341-349.

18. Leatherman S, Berwick D, Iles D, Lewin LS, Davidoff F, Nolan T, Bisognano M. Health Affairs 2003; 22(2) -  17-30.

19. Erfurt JC, Holtyn K. J Occup Med 1991; 33(1) -  66-73.

20. Serxner S, Anderson DR, Gold D. American Journal of Wellness. 18(4) -  1-6, iii, 2004 Mar-Apr.

21. Serxner SA, Gold DB, Grossmeier JJ, Anderson DR.

As companies today continue to compete in the global economy, cost containment strategies are going to be increasingly important. Controlling the rising cost of staff member ill health is becoming a priority for corporate leaders.

The emerging corporate culture in the U.S.  is one which has an worker population centered in health, wellness and safety.

Creating a corporate strategy for wellness and disability management makes good company sense.  The following eight-step process ensures a strategic, integrated, needs-driven and results-oriented approach.

The following process works best in organizations with strong leadership and a long-term commitment to employee health.

1. Identify Your Health Promotion Program Champion

This individuals should be a leader in your business and a strong advocate of health. Typically this is an individual who actively pursues his or her own personal quest for optimal health.

The health promotion program champion must’ve the resources and authority to drive the program forward.  The program champion’s key role is to ensure the strategic plan for health is aligned with the company’s company objectives, strategic focus and organizational values.

For  instance when the business promotes that “our strength is our individuals ” the wellness program must demonstrate how programs will nurture and protect that valuable resource.

2. Form Your Wellness Strategy Team

The Wellness Strategy Team should include decision makers and stakeholders from areas of the company that can influence health and the company’s bottom line.

These areas may include; finance, HR, training and development, health services, compensation and benefits, employee assistance services (EAP), advertising, facilities, safety and health, rehabilitation, cafeteria or food services and the union. A team of six to eight representatives is recommended.

The role of the Strategy Team is to develop and implement the strategic plan, look for opportunities to promote health, ensure the health promotion program is integrated into key areas of the corporation, streamline efforts, maximize corporation resources and health promotion program examination.

3. Complete an Organizational Health Audit

The purpose of an Organizational Health Audit is to evaluate your existing wellness programs and services, physical environment and policies and procedures that support health.

It is also crucial that you look at your organizational culture or “how things are done” around the corporation.

Members of the Strategy Team complete the Audit independently and then meet to discuss their examination. During the examination process, health issues and opportunities are discussed in preparation for the development of the strategic plan.

4. Analyze Your Corporation’s Cost Pressures

Cost pressures are identified by evaluating  a number of areas including; benefit costs, Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) claims, drug usage, type of paramedic claims, absenteeism data and employee assistance program (EAP) utilization.

This process helps to target areas that can be positively impacted by a health promotion program and to provide a baseline for reviewing  change.

5. Conduct a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) or Employee Needs and Interest Survey

The next step is to determine your worker’s health risks, interests and readiness to change. A confidential health risk assessment can accomplish many goals.

It provides a baseline from which to measure personal lifestyle changes, provides employees with relevant health information, arouses employees to take charge of their health and helps in health promotion program planning.

Most health risk assessments provide individual reports and a corporate report identifying high-risk areas in the corporation.

A lot of companies prefer to administer customized needs and interest survey to evaluate employee needs.  The advantage of this approach is that the organization is able to gather information on the employees’ perceived wellness program needs and interests.

This information may be incorporated into the strategic plan. Administering a recent survey also has the added benefit of fostering a sense of worker ownership to the health promotion program.

6. Create Your Strategic Plan for Wellness

The strategic plan should incorporate information collected from the Organizational Health Audit, your company’s cost pressures, and health risk appraisal data or employee survey results.

The strategic plan ought to include your health promotion program mission, three or four goals and a few health promotion programs under each objective.  The strategic plan provides a framework to encourage, support and evaluate “best health practices.”

It is also important that the plan align itself with the vision, objectives and objectives of the corporation.

The sample strategic plan that follows was created for blue jeans maker Levi Strauss and Co. (Canada) Inc. Levi Strauss and Co.’s mission statement and aspirations (how staff interact with each other in a corporation environment) guided the development of the plan.

Levi Strauss and Co.’s aspirations include the following statement -  Above all, we want satisfaction from accomplishments and friendships, balanced personal and professional lives, and to have fun in our endeavors.

The health promotion program plan included a number of components to ensure that it embraced this statement including the following -

1. A vision statement, which tied in with the corporation’s aspirations.

2.  An incentive system to encourage and reward the accomplishment of healthy milestones.

3. A recognition system to applaud success.

4. Friendly competitions between Levi Strauss and Co. locations to ensure a fun environment.

5. Opportunities to participate in small group educational health promotion programs to foster team support.

6. Initiation of support groups for workers completing health promotion programs (i.e. smoking control support group).

7. Programs dealing with work and family balance.

Other information that was assessed and used to create the plan included -

1. Business demographics

2. Focus groups

3. Cultural audit

4. Top drug report

5. employee assistance program (EAP) utilization

6. Employee benefit services report

7. Health and dental claims

8. Operational performance summaries

9. Health risk appraisals

7. Prep a Business Case to Support Your Plan

Your company case for wellness provides the necessary details for approval at the upper management level.  The company case includes -

1.  The Strategic Plan for Health

2. A proposed wellness program budget

3. Marketing strategies

4. Program leadership options

5.  An implementation plan

6. Analysis methodology.

In presenting the strategic plan it is imperative that you highlight how the plan aligns itself with the strategic direction of the organization.

The health promotion program budget should include educational resources, advertising costs, rewards and incentives, leadership costs and supplies.

Marketing and Advertising strategies should address how the wellness program are going to be promoted and rolled out to various groups within the business i.e. decentralized locations, high risk staff, older staff.

Program leadership should address how volunteers are going to be used, internal resources  and whether consultants have been proposed. All play an equally important role in the implementation of your health promotion program.

The wellness program implementation plan should incorporate the following kinds of programs that help create awareness of positive health practices, assist personnel in making lifestyle changes and initiatives, which support long-term change.

Awareness wellness programs create an awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyle practices and motivate staff to take the next step. Examples of awareness wellness programs include posting educational posters, newsletter articles and lunch and learn seminars.

Lifestyle change wellness programs are more robust and longer in duration. They’re designed to assist staff in changing behavior. Examples of lifestyle change wellness programs are nutrition education programs, stress management programs, back care courses and use of tobacco control programs.

A supportive corporate environment encompasses everything from corporate policies and procedures, the physical environment and creating a corporate culture that supports good health practices. Follow-up sessions and support groups for workforce who’ve completed 6-10 week health promotion programs also provide a supportive environment for long-term change.

Evaluating the effectiveness of wellness is ongoing. A formal examination must be conducted yearly and could include; re-administering steps three to five, wellness program participation statistics and a year end survey to revisit “soft” issues like morale, wellness program satisfaction and future wellness program direction.

8. Solicit Input and Communicate Your Plan

Employee input is critical to the long-term success of your wellness program.  An Employee Advisory Committee ought to be formed to roll out the plan. Another key responsibility of this team is to solicit feedback from all levels of the business to ensure buy-in.

Front line Manager’s Information Sessions and focus groups are also important. This group needs to buy-in to the notion that they play a key role in supporting positive health practices.

Regular meetings are advised with front line managers to receive ongoing input, address issues and orient new managers.

Conclusions

The World Health Corporation’s definition of health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.”

In order for us to create healthful workplaces, health promotion programs must have a health promotion program champion, have employee ownership, be executive management supported, results driven and strategically aligned with the overall company goals of the company.

Health Promotion program that embrace these qualities will have a positive impact on an organization’s bottom line. Canadian research points to many case studies where onsite health promotion programs have resulted in decreased absenteeism, lower claims and increased productivity.

Organizations who’ve embraced wellness as part of “how they do business” have one thing in common. They demonstrate a commitment to their most valuable resource â.” their individuals .

They understand the increased pressures associated with downsized organizations, a rapidly changing workplace, an aging work force and the challenge of balancing work and family obligations.  And they share a common belief that healthful staff members are happier, absent less and more productive.

References -

Design of Wellness Programs by Michael P. O’Donnell. 1995. Published by the American Journal of Wellness.

Pro Fit-ability by Veronica Marsden. Group Health Care Management. May 1997.

Meeting Expectations by Laura Mensch. Worker Health and Productivity. August 1999

7 Steps to Health Promotion by Daphne Woolf and Veronica Marsden. Group Health Care Management. February 1996.

Published in the Journal of Wellness for Northern Ireland, Issue 9, March 2000

Want some health promotion program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or improve upon your current health promotion program?

The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any health promotion program budget! the Health Promotion Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Health Promotion Progam Ideas

o  Policy - Conduct an Worker Needs and Interest Survey

o  Policy - Develop a management/employee Health Promotion Committee

o  Policy - Pick heath programs that cover costs for weight control and use of tobacco cessation

o  Policy - Waive co-payment or reimburse for preventive health care visits

o  Program - Display handouts on a variety of wellness topics for workforce to take

o  Program - Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a selection of topics of interest to employees

o  Program - Identify personnel who are mentors or champions for healthful activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees

o  Program - Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.

o  Program - Plan monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic

o  Program - Post a Wellness Bulletin Board and update it monthly

o  Program - Promote messages from national health observances during the month

o  Program - Publish and/or post healthy tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.

o  Program - Sponsor a benefits fair

o  Program - Sponsor organization fitness and healthy eating challenges

o  Program - Sponsor company health fairs or other onsite events

Nutrition Programs

o  Policy - Offer free, healthful snacks for staff members (fruit, nuts, popcorn)

o  Policy - Provide healthful meal choices in cafeterias and at corporation events

o  Policy - Provide information to staff about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria

o  Policy - Start a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria

o  Policy - Stock vending machines with healthier options

o  Policy - Subsidize healthful foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples might  be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)

o  Program - Coordinate a weekly or monthly healthful lunch club

o  Program - Have pamphlets available on a variety of healthful consuming topics

o  Program - Include nutrition articles in corporation newsletters

o  Program - Schedule a healthy food tasting contest Free

o  Program - Schedule educational sessions at lunch-time on a selection of nutrition topics of interest

o  Program - Sponsor an employee healthy food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or buy a cookbook for all employees

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

o  Policy - Consider flexible work schedules so that workforce can participate in weight-loss programs

o  Policy - Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs

o  Program - Form a support group to help staff members who are attempting to lose weight

o  Program - Locate registered dieticians near your workplace as a resource for employees who want information on healthful eating, meal planning or weight control

o  Program - Make available individual counseling for personnel trying to lose weight

o  Program - Give onsite fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician

o  Program - Schedule an educational session on diet myths and healthy eating

Physical Activity Programs

o  Policy - Allow flexible work schedules to encourage exercise

o  Policy - Create a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights

o  Policy - Create accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes

o  Policy - Make certain to encourage personnel to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance

o  Policy - Establish a health and fitness center with aerobic equipment, weights, aerobics classes, fitness professionals

o  Policy - Hold walking meetings

o  Policy - Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)

o  Policy - Give decreased health club membership fees to all staff

o  Policy - Give facilities for employees to secure bicycles

o  Policy - Schedule 5 â.” 10 minute stretch breaks during the day

o  Policy - Subsidize gym membership for personnel who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)

o  Policy - Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or corporation sports team

o  Program - Make certain to encourage stairwell use and incentives

o  Program - Install a basketball hoop outside

o  Program - Promote and support community walks or fitness events

o  Program - Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods

o  Program - Provide periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage exercise

o  Program - Schedule educational sessions on fitness activities

Use of tobacco Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs

o  Policy - Create a smoke-free grounds

o  Policy - Develop a smoke-free worksite

o  Policy - Be certain to encourage the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com

o  Policy - Reimburse for tobacco replacement products

o  Policy - Subsidize the cost of smoking cessation workshops

o  Program - Give flyers and information on health effects from tobacco use and smoking cessation

o  Program - Schedule awareness sessions to motivate workforce to attempt to quit tobacco use

o  Program - Schedule on-site use of tobacco cessation workshops

Staff Member Medical Testing

o  Policy - Discount medical insurance premiums or reduce co-payments for staff members who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors

o  Policy - Install blood pressure monitoring equipment

o  Program - Offer flu shots for staff and family members

o  Program - Give HRAs to all personnel, including counseling and follow-up

o  Program - Make available periodic blood pressure (BP) screenings and follow-up

o  Program - Provide periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Be certain to work Life Balance Programs

o  Program - Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance

o  Program - Give and promote an worker assistance program

o  Program - Provide information on substance abuse prevention

o  Program - Give brochures and information on stress management and mental health

o  Program - Provide brochures and information on work life balance, like financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.

o  Program - Give supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organizational stressors, etc.

o  Program - Review company policies and work schedules to identify organizational stressors

o  Program - Review the staff member assistance program to ensure it is meeting the needs of the employees and company

o  Program - Schedule educational sessions on stress management and work life balance

o  Program - Schedule seminars on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance topics

Health testings are important health promotion programs to identify chronic illness in their early stages. Once identified, wellness intervention programs can help prevent a disease from progressing.

Working with local hospitals and other companies, you are able to obtain information on providing screening and intervention programs that could improve your employees’ health and save your business money in absenteeism, treatment for illness complications, and decreased productivity.

Listed here are some ideas to help get you began.

Based on your Worker Needs and Interest Survey and the demographics of your workplace, consider offering periodic screenings to find specific health risks like -

o  Blood Pressure (BP) Checks to identify employees with pre-hypertension or hypertension (high blood pressure),

o  Cholesterol Screenings for total, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and/or Triglycerides

o  Blood Sugar Screenings fasting or non-fasting to screen for possible diabetes,

o  Body composition, such as Body Mass Index  or body fat measures

o  Bone density for potential risk of osteoporosis,

o  Cancer screenings such as, skin examinations, mammograms, or PSA screenings,

o  Vision checks for glaucoma, or visual acuity

o  Other screenings depending on your worker population and needs

Your local hospital, corporation physician practice, or health department my provide assistance. Notwithstanding, if you have a young workforce you may want to concentrate on health promotion programs that will keep them healthy rather than screening for early identification of chronic disease.

The focus of your health promotion program may  be healthful lifestyle practices to reduce risk and prevent illness.

In addition to the health testings, consider offering a HRA to all personnel.  The HRA will help to identify factors that might lead to additional risks, like tobacco use history, stress levels, perception of health, family history, job satisfaction, support systems, and psychological health.

Frequently the screening results are included on the Health Risk Assessment, which provides a more comprehensive snap shot of health risks.  The summary results provide the important information to plan appropriate interventions.

Health Promotion Program Interventions

The key to the success of screenings and Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) is the interventions or follow-up programs.  The information from the screenings increases awareness and often motivates staff to consider making healthier changes.

It’s the follow up interventions that provide the essential support and assistance needed for workforce to actually make and maintain those changes.

The interventions can include individual follow-up and ongoing counseling, individual or group health coaching on the risk factors, behavior change programs, and/or organizational support. Examples include -

o  Strategies to lower blood pressure

o  Managing diabetes

o  Taking care of your heart

o  Healthy eating

o  Weight loss strategies

o  Increasing physical activity

o  Smoking Cessation

Of course, this is for individual information only. Any follow-up interventions planned by the organization would be based on interest expressed by the employee.

Based on the results and your Wellness Committee goals you can plan the best strategies for your business and workforce. Consider the community resources available to provide services, such as health associations, hospitals, health care providers, and/or public health agencies.

HRAs, are an assessment tool or questionnaire scientifically designed to identify health risks and outline information to assist person in making healthful changes that impact their health and prevent chronic disease.

HRAs have four standard elements in workplace establishings -

o  A Questionnaire

o  A Computerized Program to Evaluate Health Risk

o  Confidential Individual Reports

o  Group Summary Report

Person complete a lifestyle questionnaire that includes for instance nutrition practices, height and weight, exercise habits, family history, stress perceptions, tobacco use history, and work satisfaction.

Another important feature to consider is readiness to change questions to determine participation interest. Including biometric testings such as cholesterol and blood pressure causescreases the advantages of an Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) by providing a more precise health assessment and as a result bettering lifestyle choice decisions and health promotion program choices.

Nonetheless, it’s crucial to determine if the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) may be used without including this information.

The questionnaire information is entered into a computer program and a personal confidential report is generated that summarizes health risks as well as information on how to lower risk factors.

Individual reports are completely confidential. Depending on the reason for implementing the Health Risk Appraisal, it’s vital that you consider the type of report the business will receive as well.

A group report summarizing major risk factors and recommendations for wellness programs to start in order to reduce worker and organization risks provides valuable information for your wellness program.

The HRAs can be used to -

o  Bring awareness to individual staff member’s health status

o  Motivate personnel to make healthier lifestyle changes

o  Coach high-risk employees

o  Plan wellness programs based on the identified needs

o  Assess wellness program success by comparing Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) completed at set intervals such as each year.

There are lots of benefits to considering a part-time or full-time occupational and environpsychological health nurse (OHN). Occupational health nursing is the specialty practice that provides for and delivers health and safety programs and services to staff, and worker populations.

The practice focuses on promotion and restoration of health, avoidance of illness and injury, treatment of work and non-work related injuries and illnesses, and protection from work related  and environmental hazards.

OHN roles can include -  Case management, Counseling, Wellness, Legal and regulatory compliance, Clinical services, and Hazard detection and controls.

The American Association of Occupational and Environmental Health Nurses is the national association, www.AAOHN.org.  The State Chapter also has a website with information including local chapter information to help you find a contact near you, www.NCAOHN.org.

Health educators can design, conduct and evaluate activities that help increase the health of all your workers. They are subject matter experts who could  be a valuable asset regardless your health promotion program needs and objectives.

They can help form a Health Promotion Committee and implement many of its wellness programs and services, for example or depending on the structure and time commitments of your Health Promotion Committee, they can also coordinate the entire wellness program as well.

Integrating the activities of the Committee and/or Health Promotion Expert services within your operations, including within your safety and occupational health program will provide additional benefits!

We’re planning company health promotion programs to help you feel better and stay healthy. In order to plan health promotion programs that best meet your needs and interests we would like your suggestions!

Please take several minutes to answer some questions about your interests. Your answers are going to be combined with those of other’s and reviewed to help plan health promotion programs for you. Do not sign your name.

Please complete the survey today and return it to__________. Thank you for your valuable input! Your help is important for planning successful wellness programs. Return the completed form by _____________.

Rate your interest on a scale of 1 â.” 3 with one (1) being of little or no interest; two (2) being of some interest and three (3) indicating that you are very interested. Indicate your response by circling or “Xing” the number.

I am interested in -

Participating in health promotion programs before work 1 2 3

Participating in wellness programs after work 1 2 3

Participating in wellness programs during my lunch break 1 2 3

Learning healthful eating choices to lose weight 1 2 3

Sports nutrition 1 2 3

Healthier cooking 1 2 3

Helping my children eat healthier 1 2 3

Quick, healthy meals for busy life choices 1 2 3

Healthy snack choices 1 2 3

Learning how to quit tobacco use 1 2 3

Attending courses to help me quit tobacco use cigarettes 1 2 3

Stress Mangement skills 1 2 3

Balancing work, family, and personal life 1 2 3

Time management skills 1 2 3

Participating in a beginning fitness program 1 2 3

Planning time to exercise for busy individuals  1 2 3

Getting health information that I can peruse or watch at home 1 2 3

Learning about cancer avoidance 1 2 3

Heart health choices 1 2 3

CPR and First Aid 1 2 3

Team sports activities at work 1 2 3

Learning how to stretch 1 2 3

Learning how to elevate intake of fruits and vegetables 1 2 3

Parenting Topics (age of kids -  ) 1 2 3

Onsite exercise classes -  walking Yoga aerobic other -  1 2 3

Medical testing like blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar 1 2 3

Program investigation might  be the last step, but it must be planned at the beginning of your efforts! Examination helps you identify what parts of the health promotion program are working well and what parts need improvement.

Then, based on the analysis data, adjustments could be made to fine-tune your health promotion program.   Adjusting the health promotion program based on analysis data is critical to its continued success.

Analyzing your wellness program doesn’t have to be complicated.  HOWEVER, it is important to plan how you’ll monitor your wellness efforts and determine success during the planning phase.

In addition remember to evaluate the wellness program based on the goals and goals you already identified during your planning process.

In order to evaluate your wellness program you need to have a system to document specifics as you go along.  This can be as simple as maintaining file folders on wellness programs that are offered, or a computer document with a table or spreadsheet summarizing information collecting.  Consider -

o  Program topic and numbers of workforce who participated

o  The numbers of pamphlets taken by workforce or distributed and on what topics

o  The number of participants in a behavior modification program and how many met their objectives as well as how many attended all of the sessions

o  Numbers of staff who continued the healthy behavior change following the health promotion program?

o  Overall staff member satisfaction with the wellness program or each topic. Here’s a sample examination form.

Depending on your objectives and objectives, gather desired data and compare it to previous data collected during the initial assessment to determine when the objectives were met.  Such data might include

o  Absentee rates

o  Injury rates

o  Health risk factors Insurance costs

Summarize and Report Wellness Program Results

Once you’ve accumulated all the analysis information it needs to be reviewed with the Health Promotion Committee and summarized. You’ll probably have positive results and some areas where a change is needed or additional focus required for continuous improvement.

This not-so positive information may be used to make any needed changes as well as to plan for next year and is crucial to include in your report.

It is crucial that you communicate the health promotion program results to both senior level management and staff.  Consider how senior level management ordinarily receives reports on operations and productivity issues and include the annual health promotion program report in the same format.

At some companies the reports are made during upper management meetings using presentation styles such as power point slides.  At other companies, graphs and bar charts are the norm or a list of the objectives and the summary outcomes reported.

No matter the format, it is crucial that you convey the outcomes and successes achieved, including any anecdotal stories, in addition to areas for improvement. Make sure to link the outcomes to the business mission and bottom line whenever possible.

Staff Members want to receive the same information!  Consider using the same communication channels used when informing workforce of the health promotion program -

o  Company newsletters,

o  Bulletin boards,

o  E-mails

Additionally consider celebrating successes and recognizing achievements by -

o  Posting pictures from events

o  Highlighting success stories

o  Posting pictures of successes

o  Scheduling a celebration

o  Recognizing champions

Armed with data, Health Promotion Program topic preferences, objectives, and objectives â.” and a Health Promotion Committee rearing to get things done â.” it is now time to decide how best to take action.  This website provides tools to help you!

You can read about the different types of health promotion programs offered by other companies to get an idea of what may work for your company.

When your planning phase was well executed, you should simply have to follow through with the plans you’ve already made.

Important Wellness Program considerations include -

1. Formally Introduce the Wellness Program and consider policy statements that state the importance of the health promotion program.  Examples include a general policy regarding the commitment to worker safety and health in addition to specific policies like No Use of tobacco, Healthy Eating and Exercise.

2. Communicate Your Program -  the best planned health promotion program with great health promotion programs will not be beneficial if your personnel don’t know about it or don’t understand the choices or how to participate.  Communicate your health promotion program using a variety of methods to ensure the message and “how-to’s” are heard!

Health Promotion Program Communication Strategies could include -

o  Newsletter articles

o  Postings on the corporation’s intranet or internet

o  A designated Champion of the health promotion program

o  Formal or informal meeting to announce health promotion program, “the kick-off”

o  pamphlets / table tents,

o  Bulletin boards / kiosk where all material is promoted or found,

o  Email / phone messages,

o  Mailings or distributions

3. Use Health Promotion Program Incentives -  You will be amazed to determine what people  will do for a free T-shirt.  Incentives can both support and motivate participation among staff members.

Consider both formal or organization incentives and informal or wellness program rewards/prizes from local resources to reinforce participation in Health Promotion Programs. Either way, it’s crucial that you provide incentives that are attractive and meaningful to your employees.

Company Structural or Formal Health Promotion Program Incentives -

o  Discounts on staff member medical insurance premiums or co-pays, or contributions to 401K programs, staff member stock choices, or other mechanisms.  Click here for additional information on medical plan incentive ideas

o  Gym/Gym discounts or enrollment fee coverage

o  Public transportation vouchers

o  Flexible work time options

o  ”Wellness Days” off work

Rewards/Prizes or Informal Wellness Program Incentives -

o  Cash â.” a very effective incentive!

o  Prize incentives such as gift certificates to heart healthful restaurants; music player to use while exercising, emergency kits, or any other prizes that would motivate your staff members.

o  T-Shirts, water bottles, or other cheap rewards

4. Assess community resources available to provide some wellness services.  The local health department or your business healthcare provider may  be able to assist you with this information.  There are also vendors throughout the State providing great wellness services for businesses. They’re available to help you strategize and find the best options available.

5. Implement your wellness program as planned documenting information and outcomes as you go like numbers of participants, dates of activities, and any other special details you are tracking.