Wellness

Contributor:
Rob Krieg, JD, CEBS
Principal, Health & Welfare Consultant
Hill, Chesson & Woody

N.C. Prevention Partners has released their 2012 Prevention Report Card. While North Carolina is doing well with tobacco cessation measures with a grade of B, there is still a lot of work that is needed to be done surrounding nutrition (F), physical activity (D) and Obesity (F).

Some interesting findings in the survey this year include the fact that only 10.8% of adults in North Carolina eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and the effect of a poor diet is reflected in North Carolina's adult obesity statistics – a whopping 66% of N.C. adults are overweight or obese. Alarmingly, 30% of children ages 6-11 are also overweight or obese.

Everyone must do their part to help control these alarming rates.  Workplace wellness continues to be on the forefront of employee benefit strategies as groups look for ways to bend the trend of rising healthcare costs causes by unhealthy workers.

Contributor:
Elizabeth Williams
Administrative Assistant & Wellness Committee Member
Hill, Chesson & Woody

Did you know breakfast essentially means breaking the fast? When you wake up in the morning it’s important to get your body ready for the day and hydrate properly. Most people mistake stomach growling for hunger pains when actually your body could be craving water. Your body is made up of 25% solid and 85% water so why not get out of bed a drink a glass of water?

A study from The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, (volume 92 number 8) showed that drinking 500 ml increased thermogenisis (heat production) by 24 percent.  This increase of metabolic activity before a meal will support more efficient digestion and fat metabolism.

Contributor:
Twyla Hutchins, RN, BSN, COHN-S, Medical Management Officer
Hill, Chesson & Woody

HCW wants to extend heart-felt congratulations to our clients who won the Healthiest Employers of the Triangle award given by the Triangle Business Journal. This recent event honored 20 local companies that support a healthy environment for their employees and HCW is very proud to call 5 of them our clients:  Mulkey, Inc., CATO Research, North Carolina Medical Board, Wyrick Robbins and Smith Debnam.

Wellness programs provide so many benefits to businesses – including some that are not readily thought about, such as a huge boost to morale! According to Well-Being by Tom Rath, people who exercise just 2 days a week are happier and have significantly less stress.  Now that’s a gift worth giving at the holiday season or any season! 

Contributor:
Twyla Hutchins, RN, BSN, COHN-S, Medical Management Officer
Hill, Chesson & Woody

America has spoken and the results are clear. Overwhelmingly, employees now believe in providing incentives for positive behavior change. It is beneficial when you put a carrot out in front of someone to entice them to improve their health. On the contrary, less than a third were willing to endorse the stick approach for unhealthy behaviors. That's interesting, since behavioral science tells us that people will react stronger to something that is being taken away than to a nice carrot. 

This is a guest blog post from our HR partner CAI.  CAI is a trusted resource for N.C. employers for HR, compliance and people development.

The uncertain economy has caused many employers to maintain a lean workforce. As a result, employees are often working additional hours to get their jobs done. The expanded workweek may prevent employees from attending children’s events, socializing with friends or taking quality time for themselves.

As an employer, it is important to know the negative effects associated with an improper balance between work and life. People who spend most of their waking hours working are much more likely to suffer from exhaustion, stress and poor sleep habits. The side effects from frequent overtime hours could spiral into business hazards, such as regular absenteeism, decreased retention and poor work performance.

Taking steps to help your staff members achieve work/life balance will provide your organization with a number of benefits. The following are some of the positive changes companies that value and incorporate work/life balance initiatives have seen:

Contributor:
Katherine Fernandes, Client Service Representative
Hill, Chesson & Woody

Did you know that behaviors such as poor diet, stress, and lack of exercise are among the leading causes of healthcare costs?  Personal choices often affect an employee’s likelihood of developing serious chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancers.  With that in mind, why wouldn’t prevention and wellness be a major priority of any employer?

By providing employees with the tools and motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle, an employer can do more than save themselves from paying hefty medical costs; they can ensure a healthier and happier workplace.

HCW considers workplace wellness a high priority. Our employee-led Wellness Committee provides the following toolkit to our staff:

Contributor:
Twyla Hutchins, RN, BSN, COHN-S
Medical Management Officer
Hill, Chesson & Woody

On July 23, The New York Times opinion writer, Mark Bittman, argued that taxes, on things like sodas and unhealthy, over-processed snack foods, would “reduce consumption of unhealthful foods and generate billions of dollars annually. That money could be used to subsidize the purchase of staple foods like seasonal greens, vegetables, whole grains, dried legumes and fruit.” How would that theory impact North Carolinians? Over 422,000 children in our state are food insecure (defined as being unable to consistently access adequate amounts of nutritious food that is necessary for a healthy life.) That puts us at 2nd in the nation, just under Louisiana.

Contributor:
Twyla Hutchins, RN, BSN, COHN-S, Medical Management Officer
Hill, Chesson & Woody

I think it is safe to say that wellness is the buzz word these days in the healthcare industry.  Who doesn’t want to get their employees in tip top shape and shave a few points off that dreaded renewal?  But, what are the differentiators when it comes to wellness programs, and how do you tell what you are getting when purchasing wellness from third party vendors? How do you compare carrier offerings?

Before I tell you what to look for, consider using a neutral third party to help you take a look.  Using your benefits broker with a wellness consultant on board can become a real differentiator right out of the gate.  Every carrier on the street and every vendor wants you to believe that his or her product is the best. But, letting someone who doesn’t have a dog in the fight help you evaluate the programs might help you win the best program.   Compare and contrast all the components and decide what best meets your needs.

Beyond that neutral eye, here are the questions you are going to want to ask.  Most of these questions apply to both vendors and carriers, but program integration is the key when using a combined approach.

Carrier or Third-Party Administrator Programs

We had so many great discussions during our first Eleven in '11 class, "How to Keep Your Wellness Program From Running Out of Steam." Why stop now just because the class is over?

Voice your ideas around worksite wellness engagement as a comment to this blog post and be entered for a chance to win a free, in-person wellness planning meeting with HCW's own Medical Management Officer, Twyla Hutchins, RN, BSN, COHN-S.

Wondering what to say? It’s easy!

• Do you have a wellness program that's thriving?

• Maybe you have some great new ideas to jumpstart your employees in 2011 and motivate them to participate in your company’s Wellness Program?

Whatever it is, your peers want to hear from you! The contest ends Feb. 18, so don’t delay. Not only will you be sharing great ideas; you'll also be getting new ones in return. So, comment below and be heard!

Contributor:
Twyla Hutchins, RN, BSN, COHN-S, Medical Management Officer
Hill, Chesson & Woody

When developing your wellness program, a well thought-out strategic plan is essential to impacting the bottom line. As a recent article in Employee Benefit News reports, studies are finding that companies are increasingly investing in wellness but are they developing a cohesive plan, targeting the right initiatives, and measuring the outcomes? Apparently many companies are struggling with finding the right metrics and how to measure outcomes. Evaluation is essential to measuring the effectiveness of any program. 

The trend for 2011 is toward implementing outcome-based programs. Gone are the days of rewarding employees for just showing up! But to continue in this direction, employers need to develop a multi-year strategy instead of putting immediate standards into place. This will allow employees to feel success as they gradually develop healthier lifestyles.