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Physical activity, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate alcohol use and not smoking are essential steps in living a healthy lifestyle and reducing risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. Yet a June 2009 article in the American Journal of Medicine shows only a small portion of adults take these steps—and in fact, the numbers are declining. From 1988-1994 to 2001-2006, the number of people adhering to all five healthy habits decreased from 15 percent to 8 percent.1 In conjunction with this trend, the health care cost burden for obesity alone jumped 82 percent from 2001 to 2006, as health care expenditures on obese adults rose from $167 billion to $303 billion.2 Add into the mix a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers that predicts health care costs for U.S. businesses will grow by 9 percent in 2010 and it is apparent employers must remain focused on employee health —regardless of the economic climate.3 To affect these trends with health care costs, our experience shows an effective health improvement program must include five key components: We have numerous issue briefs on our Website that illustrate how this approach is delivering improved employee health and positive return on investment for our clients. To download free copies of issue briefs that highlight successful, innovative programs at companies such as Herbalife, Duke University and Piedmont Natural Gas, click here. For help with identifying how to achieve similar results, I encourage you to consult with your regional vice president to explore ways that further incorporate these five components as part of your 2010 business plan. Yours in good health,
1 “Adherence to Healthy Lifestyle Habits in U.S.
Adults, 1988-2006,” American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 122, Issue 6 Inside HealthFitness HealthFitness will soon move into the role as lead integrator for health-related programs to maximize engagement of the employee population and drive health improvement results for the systemwide MillerCoors organization. “We are pleased to have been chosen to lead MillerCoors' health management strategy,” said Gregg O. Lehman, Ph.D., president and CEO, HealthFitness. “We have been providing integration services for various clients informally and now we have developed a proprietary standard capability for clients such as MillerCoors as a new opportunity to improve the health of the employee population and to ensure results.” In the expanded role, HealthFitness will be responsible for the overall implementation and management of health-related programs, services and processes, as well as providing an eHealth platform, health risk assessment, health coaching, fitness, health education and behavior change programs to ensure participant engagement strategies are aligned across health-related providers. HealthFitness also contributes to MillerCoors’ occupational health services line through the company’s Golden, Colo.-based Wellness Center by providing on-site physical therapy, ergonomic evaluations, a range of injury prevention services, work conditioning programs and more. To learn more about HealthFitness’ expanded role with MillerCoors, click here.
HealthFitness and Clients Present Successful Strategies for Employee Health at Upcoming Conferences This September, HealthFitness’ Chief Medical Officer Jim Reynolds, M.D., will present with HealthFitness clients Duke University and the University of Louisville to present at the Forum, the annual meeting of the DMAA—The Care Continuum Alliance, in San Diego. DMAA is a trade group that promotes the role of population health improvement in raising the quality of care, improving health outcomes and reducing preventable health care costs. In the DMAA session, Patricia Benson, director of Get Healthy Now at the University of Louisville, and George W. Jackson, M.D., director of employee occupational health and wellness and an associate professor at Duke University, will discuss “Effective Health Management Strategies to Reduce Medical Expenses, Deliver Positive ROI.” This session is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22. To learn more, click here. Also this month, Gregg O. Lehman, HealthFitness president and CEO, will speak as part of a panel discussion on strategies for employee health management success in an economic downturn at the 2009 HERO Forum for Employee Health Management, held in Atlanta, Sept. 22-24. HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization) is a trade association focused on strategy and policies for employee health management.
Additionally, HealthFitness client Piedmont Natural Gas will
present “How to Build a Competitive Edge with a Strong Culture of
Health,” in a 90-minute breakout session at the HERO forum. To learn
more about the HERO forum agenda,
click here.
Best-in-class Practices and Awards
USA Today’s Aug. 25 headline warned the swine flu could infect half of the U.S., “flooding hospitals with nearly 2 million patients and causing 30,000 to 90,000 deaths.”
But are stories such as this just media-fueled hype? The answer: yes…and no.
I recently attended a two-day international swine flu conference in Washington, D.C., where attendees from 47 countries gathered to hear the latest reports about infectivity of the virus and best practices for containing its spread.
At the conference, we learned:
Industry experts predict there will be several waves of the swine flu during the next two years—and it is unknown as to whether each successive wave will be more severe.
There is high concern that as the swine flu becomes more prevalent in Asia and Indonesia, it will combine with the Avian flu to become both highly infective and highly lethal. The first case of swine flu in birds has already been reported.
Employers should not expect adequate availability of the swine flu vaccine for the general population until well into a pandemic outbreak. First doses will go to pregnant women, children under 6, those who are immune-compromised and with certain chronic conditions, and to health care workers.
It will likely take at least two vaccinations three weeks apart to be effectively inoculated against the virus, which greatly reduces the likelihood of actual compliance and leaves many with ineffective immunity if they receive only one dose.
To date, the severity of the swine flu appears to be approaching that of the Hong Kong flu of 1968, which was of moderate intensity but high infectivity with 70,000 deaths in 1968. If history repeats itself, businesses will have little time to prepare before the worst part of a pandemic strikes later this year.
Though predictions about the impact of the virus could be inaccurate, it pays to have a plan in place on how to emerge from a pandemic with your business intact. And to help you understand the complexities of a pandemic down to the granular level, we offer fee-based consulting to develop a comprehensive pandemic plan specific to your organization.
Key things to consider, for example, include developing a strategy for business continuity. We identify the job functions that are essential to keep your organization running and address ways such as cross training to ensure these functions continue.
We also pinpoint human resource policies/procedures that need to be in place. We help you find answers to questions such as: Do you quarantine the sick? How do you handle travel restrictions? And what will your policies be with paid time-off, for instance, if a school closes and the parents need to work from home to take care of their child?
It’s important to note that a pandemic plan is different than a natural disaster plan because the impact of a swine flu outbreak is spread over several months—rather than a one-time hit. With the swine flu, for example, absenteeism can range from 30 to 50 percent for several months as the virus runs its course through your company.
At HealthFitness, we are experts at addressing issues that affect health, wellness and productivity and a swine flu outbreak at your organization is an event that could dramatically affect not only the health of your employees but also absenteeism.
Let us help you prepare to avoid a potential business disaster if the swine flu affects your company. To learn more about our consulting services for pandemic planning, please contact your regional vice president.
Duke’s Targeted Program for High-Risk Employees Delivers Significant Results, Positive ROI
But to effectively motivate individuals to improve their health, it takes more than a personalized program based on risk level alone. To affect behavior change, research shows that programs must also take into account a person’s willingness to change.1
At Duke University, a Durham, N.C.-based nonprofit institution involved in education, research and health care, their Pathways to Change program does just that—and it’s delivering significant results.
Launched in 2000, Duke’s Pathways to Change is a nine- to 12-month targeted healthy lifestyle program for individuals deemed to be at risk for heart disease and/or stroke due to the presence of high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, a body mass index of greater than 30 or pre-diabetic conditions.
Through the program, participants receive monthly, individualized coaching sessions (telephonic or in person) with a registered nurse or a registered dietitian, tailored educational materials, and incentives for completing assessments and for engaging in target health behaviors. To measure progress with biometric changes, the program includes Time 1 and Time 2 health risk assessments.
From 2000 to December 2008, 78 percent of Pathways to Change participants decreased their health risk and 65 percent became risk free for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, weight and diabetes management. During the past eight years, 678 people graduated from the program with a focus on improving their cholesterol level, 687 with a focus on blood pressure, 29 with a focus on diabetes management and 40 with a focus on weight management.
In addition to health improvements, Pathways to Change has also demonstrated a positive return on investment. From 2000-2008, cholesterol participants, for example, had an estimated cost savings of $421,465 with a ROI of 3.19, and blood pressure participants had an estimated cost savings of $349,680 with a ROI of 2.61.
“In a recent analysis of comparing the health risks and health care costs of Duke’s Live for Life and Pathway’s participants to non-participants, non-participants demonstrated a higher average annual cost than participants for 9 out of 10 risk factors,” George Jackson, M.D., director of Employee Occupational Health and Wellness at Duke, said.
Jason Horay, HealthFitness program manager for Live for Life, Duke’s comprehensive program for employee health, said one of the best outcomes from the program has been the appreciation expressed by many of the participants.
For example, a medical secretary who took medication to control both her high blood pressure and cholesterol when she joined Pathways was able to become medication free after completing the program. “Pathways to Change helped to keep me motivated because I always had someone to check on my progress and help me stay on track with my goals, which really made a difference,” she said.
1 Materials prepared for the center based on research from Velicer, WF, Prochaska, JO, Fava, JL, Norman, GJ, Redding, CA. A Transtheoretical Model, Cancer Prevention Research Center. 1998.
Cisco Systems Wins Healthiest Company Award
Anne Anspach, HealthFitness contract manager of the East Cisco Fitness Centers, accepted the award on Cisco’s behalf. There were 50 companies nominated for this award. This is the second year in a row that Cisco has been nominated.
“Cisco strives to be one of the best employers in the Triangle and in the world, and create an environment where integrating exercise, medical screenings and a healthy diet into the work day is a key focus,” Kirsten Weeks, Cisco public relations manager, said.
The Business Leader Media award for healthiest companies is presented to employers with outstanding health achievements in the Triangle community. The award also recognizes companies for their significant investment in the corporate wellness of their employees.
HealthFitness has managed Cisco’s TimeOut Health and Fitness Centers for more than 10 years. TimeOut’s full-service facilities in Research Triangle Park encompass more than 7,500 square feet of dedicated exercise space.
How to Exceed Membership Goals: Insights from Cardinal Health’s New Fitness Center
Dublin, Ohio-based Cardinal Health began partnering with HealthFitness in 2008 to design, develop and manage its 12,000-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness center. And when Cardinal Health opened its facility April 6, a healthy portion of the company’s approximately 2,500 eligible Dublin-based employees lined up to join.
The membership goal for the first full year of operation (through to April 2010) was set at 700. “We exceeded that goal within the first four months of operation and we’re now heading towards our second-year goal of 840,” said Kelly Jones, HealthFitness’ on-site program manager.
Strong senior management support has played a key role in motivating employees, Jones said. Cardinal Health’s senior management encourages employees to work out when it’s convenient for them, including during normal work hours.
Other successful tactics to drive employees to join the fitness center have included offering one hour of free personal training to new members. To date, more than 50 employees joined as a result of this campaign.
Another popular offering at this location is group fitness. The facility has two group fitness classrooms, which currently offer 40 classes per week. Some of the site’s most well-attended classes include Zumba (a fusion between Latin dance and aerobics), spinning and kickboxing.
Industry Insights
In the study, researchers looked at data from 23,153 German patients, ages 35 to 65, from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam Study. The study measured four lifestyle factors: smoking status, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and diet. Healthy lifestyle factors included never smoking, a BMI lower than 30, engaging in physical activity for 3.5 hours per week or more, and a healthy diet pattern (defined as a high intake of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain breads; and eating red meat moderately).
During a mean follow-up of 7.8 years, 2006 participants developed new-onset diabetes (3.7 percent), myocardial infarction (0.9 percent), stroke (0.8 percent), or cancer (3.8 percent). Researchers found those who followed all four lifestyle factors had a 78 percent lower risk of developing a chronic disease than those with no healthy factors. At the individual disease level, the decreased risk associated with keeping all four lifestyle factors were as follows:
• 93 percent lower risk of diabetes
The risk of developing disease decreased progressively as the number of healthy lifestyle factors increased, but the largest reduction in risk came from those people having a BMI lower than 30. This was followed by never smoking, physical activity and following a healthy diet.
Source: Ford ES, et al "Healthy living is the best revenge: Findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition -- Potsdam Study"
Arch Intern Med 2009; 169(15): 1355-62.
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