Corportate Wellness Programs: Effective Corporate Wellness Program communication

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 15-12-2008

Corporate Wellness Program communication is important to all aspects of Wellness and preventive medicine and is relevant to:
• Healthcare provider-patient relationships
• An individual’s exposure to, search for, and use of Corporate Wellness Program information
• Effective counseling and patient education for behavior change
• Content of public health messages and community campaigns

Effective health communication should have these attributes:
• Accuracy: content is valid and error-free
• Availability: delivered or placed where the intended audience can access the information
• Balance: content presents benefits and risks of potential actions
• Consistency: content is locally consistent over time and is also consistent with information from other reliable sources
• Evidence-based: content and methods of delivery are based on relevant scientific proof
• Reach: content gets to or is available to as many individuals as possible in the target population
• Reliability: content source is credible; content is kept up-to-date
• Repetition: delivery of/access to the content is continued over time, to reinforce the impact with the audience and to reach new members of the target population
• Timeliness: content is provided when the audience is most receptive to, or in need of, the specific information
• Understandability: reading, language levels, and format are appropriate for the specific audience (i.e., Employees, Family Members, Garrison leadership, etc.)

What the research says about health communication
• Health communication best supports Wellness when multiple communication methods are used to reach specific audiences.
• Effective Wellness and communication initiatives should reflect an audiencecentered perspective, and reflect the preferred formats, contexts, and method of communication for the intended audience.

Material adapted from: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. 2nd ed. With Understanding and Improving Health and Objectives for Improving Health. 2 vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, November 2000.
http://www.healthypeople.gov/document/HTML/Volume1/11HealthCom.htm

Corportate Wellness Programs: Proven Corporate Wellness Program Strategies – Part 2

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 14-12-2008

Evaluation of successful Corporate Wellness Programs has revealed several key Corporate Wellness Program strategies to increase Corporate Wellness Program effectiveness and impact overall Soldier health.

Strategy #5: Using a small number of targeted priorities maintains Corporate Wellness Program focus.
• Needs assessment data can be used to identify leading health needs and also high risk populations.
• Choosing a handful of specific health needs on which to focus will maximize efficient use of resources.
• Keeping the Corporate Wellness Program focus small will avoid duplication of other ongoing installation Corporate Wellness Programs.

Strategy #6: Use standardized processes whenever possible.

Reduce the amount of variation within your Corporate Wellness Programs by standardizing all the processes needed for Corporate Wellness Program planning and implementation. By way of example:
• Use the same spreadsheet format for data collection so that the columns are in the same order. This way you can compare data more easily.
• Reuse the same forms for enrollment and attendance. Change the heading as needed.
• Look at other Wellness Programming processes (like registration, evaluation, marketing, etc.). What parts of those processes can be standardized?
• The Wellness and Prevention Initiatives website (http://chppmwww. apgea.army.mil/dhpw/Population/HPPiFunction.aspx) has many standardized Corporate Wellness Program resources in a variety of topic areas.

Strategy #7: Corporate Wellness Program delivery methods should be flexible and adapted to population needs.
• Delivery of products and services may depend on: unit needs, training requirements, other scheduling considerations (such as work/duty schedules, school scheduling, etc.), participant preference, and/or availability of staff or space.
• Be flexible: the same produce/service delivery methods may not work for every population.
• Some units may want services provided to them as close as possible to the unit location; other units may prefer as many services as possible bundled together at once (regardless of location).
• Take Wellness and preventive medicine beyond the walls of the business in order to meet leadership and employee needs. Answer the question: “How can we best help leadership and Employees to fulfill their mission?”

Corportate Wellness Programs: Proven Corporate Wellness Program Strategies – Part 1

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 13-12-2008

Evaluation of successful Corporate Wellness Programs has revealed several key Corporate Wellness Program strategies to increase Corporate Wellness Program effectiveness and impact overall Soldier health.

Strategy #1: Communication with leadership is essential
• Assess leadership priorities.
• Report Corporate Wellness Program outcomes back to leadership in a timely manner.
• Equal investments of support from both the medical and line community will result in enhanced Corporate Wellness Program success.

Strategy #2: Corporate Wellness Program planning must be driven by data.
• Determine specific needs of the target population.
• Focus on the health status of the population as a whole to identify the top health concerns.
• Information should drive decisions regarding which health needs should be addressed first.

Strategy #3: Use electronic data collection and reporting as often as possible.
• Centrally collected data in an electronic format is essential for determining population health needs.
• Electronic reporting is also very valuable when communicating Corporate Wellness Program outcomes to leadership and other stakeholders.
• Flexible reporting capabilities allow data to be presented as information that can support decision-making, in formats that decision-makers prefer.

Strategy #4: Multidisciplinary collaboration enhances employee health and maximizes available resources.
• Collaboration between health disciplines increases effectiveness of Wellness and preventive medicine interventions.
• Don’t forget to look outside the business for collaboration partners.
• Optimized Corporate Wellness Program outcomes can be met by coordinating the activities of medical consultants, cadre, community agents, and funding sources.
• Bundling services together also provides the additional benefit to units by conserving training and mission time.
Implementing these strategies can improve Corporate Wellness Program effectiveness and optimize available resources.

Corportate Wellness Programs: Setting Corporate Wellness Program Priorities

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 11-12-2008

Most companies do not have the Corporate Wellness Program resources to address all of their health needs at once. Priorities must be set to determine the most pressing health needs. Use the steps below to prioritize installation Wellness needs.

Assess the health needs of the population.

Collect data about the health needs in the community. How?

• Community- or target group-specific surveys

Identify health needs and at-risk populations.

Use the data to identify leading health needs and also high risk populations. By way of example:

• Obesity and overweight
• Injury prevention
• Self care

Reduce the list.

Not every health need can (or should) be addressed. Use the following questions to determine which health needs should be addressed first.
• How does the health need impact operational readiness? How big is the impact?
• What are the Senior Management priorities? How does the health need fit into those priorities?
• What are the behavioral factors affecting the health need? What is the proof that a behavior change will make a difference? Has the behavior been successfully changed by other Corporate Wellness Programs?
• What other social, physical, or environmental factors influence the health need or the target population?
• Is the health need a greater problem at the local level than in the U.S. population as a whole?
• Does the business have the subject matter expertise and resources to address the health need?

Develop Corporate Wellness Program recommendations.

Only a handful of specific health needs should be focused on in a given year. Keep the following in mind as recommendations are developed as to which specific health needs will be addressed:
• Avoid duplication of other ongoing Corporate Wellness Programs whenever possible. Identify Corporate Wellness Programs already addressing the health need and/or the target population.
• Identify and assess available resources. Build on existing services whenever possible.

Use the recommendations to offer tailored, targeted, integrated interventions to address the prioritized list of health needs. Prioritizing health needs will keep Corporate Wellness Programs focused, maximize efficient use of resources, and align Wellness efforts with Senior Management goals and priorities.

Corporate Wellness Programs: Corporate Wellness Program Data

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 30-11-2008

What is Corporate Wellness Program data?

Corporate Wellness Program data is information that is collected about your Corporate Wellness Program. All Corporate Wellness Programs should include data as an integral part of the Corporate Wellness Program plan.

Why should you care about Corporate Wellness Program data?

Information tells the Wellness story. Information is the tangible proof of a Wellness Program’s impact.

Building data into Corporate Wellness Programs

Why bother with Corporate Wellness Program Data?

You need Corporate Wellness Program data to:
• Evaluate whether or not your Corporate Wellness Program is working.
• Answer the ‘so what?’ about the need for a Corporate Wellness Program.
• Provide information to Senior Management about the impact of the Corporate Wellness Program.
• Write a budget justification so you can secure Corporate Wellness Program resources.
• Use Corporate Wellness Program resources efficiently and market your Corporate Wellness Program more effectively.

Where to begin collecting Corporate Wellness Program data:
• MAKE A PLAN to collect the data: decide what, when, and how data will be collected.
• Find out what data is ALREADY BEING COLLECTED.
o By way of example: use dairy sales data in the dining facility to measure the impact of a milk marketing/dairy month campaign.
• Begin collecting JUST A FEW small pieces of information. Be creative!
o By way of example: BMI, APFT scores (before & after), tobacco quit rates

IT’S NEVER TO LATE TO START collecting Corporate Wellness Program data.

Innovative Corporate Wellness Program data strategies
• Use local college/graduate students to help collect, input, and analyze Corporate Wellness Program data.
• If your business has an internship program, get to know the Internship Director. Take advantage of intern resources – including having the Director and/or interns implement the data collection plan for your Corporate Wellness Program.
• Use data to let upper management know about the Corporate Wellness Programs affect on the workers.

Present this information at their monthly/quarterly meetings.
• Use creative follow-up strategies to get data. Phone calls can be effective, but also consider email, mailed surveys with return postage provided, and going to the units in person to collect the information.
• Make data collection ‘fun’ for Corporate Wellness Program members.
o By way of example: use a team approach – the team with the ‘best’ overall results gets some sort of award or recognition.
• ALWAYS relate the impact of your Corporate Wellness Program to readiness.

Corporate Wellness Programs: Keys to Effective Corporate Wellness Programs

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 29-11-2008

Collaboration and Effective Corporate Wellness Programs

Why should you collaborate?

Active, ongoing partnerships and cooperative efforts multiply Corporate Wellness Program resources in order to better serve Employees and their families.

How can you build collaboration into a Corporate Wellness Program?

Get Ready…
• Brainstorm a list of every potential Wellness partner you can think of. Be creative!
• Be a politician: introduce yourself to everyone BEFORE you need their help.
• Develop a plan to get Senior Management support from as high up the chain as possible. Make sure to include specific ways that your Corporate Wellness Program will impact force readiness.
• Determine how YOU can help your partners (not just what they can do for you).

Be Steady…
• Solicit input from everyone that your Corporate Wellness Program will affect. Make a special effort to talk to the individuals closest to Corporate Wellness Program implementation (those with “boots on the ground”).
• Your most frequently asked questions should be: “What would you suggest?” and “How do you think this would work best?”
• Find someone who has done the same type of Corporate Wellness Program before and ask their advice. (Hint: the Corporate Wellness Program has a list of many Wellness POCs.)
• Plan NOW to show Corporate Wellness Program effectiveness. Identify who may ALREADY BE COLLECTING information that will show the Corporate Wellness Program is working.

Get Set…
• Step back and review your Corporate Wellness Program from a potential partner’s point of view.
• Brainstorm questions your collaborators might have, and have the answers ready.
• Be ready to frame your “selling points” in terms that are important to each specific partner.
• Put the Corporate Wellness Program benefits in language your collaborators will understand.
• Emphasize to potential partners how this Corporate Wellness Program will provide benefit to them.

And Go…
• Build as many partnerships as you can BEFORE you implement a Corporate Wellness Program.
• Make your partnerships a two-way street: always let your collaborators know what you can do for them – then follow-up and do what you say you would do.
• Maintain Senior Management support by providing a regular flow of information. Invite Senior Management participation in the Corporate Wellness Program and special events whenever possible. (Hint: they make great judges if you have a contest.)
• Provide regular feedback to your collaborators.
• Don’t hog the spotlight: let your collaborators share in the visibility of the Corporate Wellness Program.

Corporate Wellness Programs – The Good and The Bad

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 28-11-2008

Corporate Wellness Programs at the corporate level are beneficial, right? Wellness statistics clearly show that such Corporate Wellness Programs are not only cost-effective to the organization but can assist the employee in developing a healthier lifestyle. With the rising cost of health care, Corporate Wellness Programs simply make sense. So where does the problem come in? Let’s examine the topic from both perspectives.

Corporate Wellness Programs: The Good
• A sampling of return on investment for Corporate Wellness Programs: Bank of America: 600 percent; General Motors:370 percent; Pepsico: 300 percent; Citibank: 465 percent; and the Washoe County School District leading the pack at a whopping 1,560%. (Campbell,J., Wellness Improvement Experts, www.wellnessimprovementexperts.com, Albuquerque, New Mexico.)
• Companies with Corporate Wellness Programs have realized a 28 percent reduction in sick leave, a 26 percent reduction in adjunctive medical costs and a 30 percent reduction in disability and workers compensation costs. (Health Affairs, Volume 21, No.2, March, 2002.)
• The Washoe county School District in Northern Nevada realized a $15.60 return on investment for every dollar spent due to a 20 percent reduction in rates of absence. (Hardy,A. (2005). At the Top Of The Class. WELCOA’s Absolute Advantage Magazine, 5(1), 14-20.)
• Corporate Wellness Programs provide the structure, encouragement, incentives and ongoing support that many individuals need in order to make lifestyle changes.
• Employees also realize returns on their efforts. FiServ, a financial services technology business, gave workers who filled out a health risk assessment a significant discount on their health insurance premium. (Holland, Kelley, The New York Times, July 22, 2007.)

Corporate Wellness Programs: The Bad
The flip side of the argument centers on basic human rights. Do we want/need our employer to tell us to eat our veggies or lose 30 pounds? Some companies are doing just that and at least one lawsuit has resulted because of it.
• Three hundred companies have requested assistance from a national employment and labor law firm to institute more aggressive Corporate Wellness Programs.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Clarian Health, based in Indianapolis, Will begin decreasing employee paychecks by $10.00 for every employee who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 29.9 because not enough workers were utilizing their wellness services.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)
• Scott Rodrigues filed a suit against his prospective employer, Scotts Miracle-Gro, because he believed the business’s antitobacco use policy violated his civil rights. The business has a policy against hiring workers who smoke and Mr. Rodrigues’drug screen was positive for nicotine.(Holland, Kelley, The New York Times,July 22,2007.)
• employee advocates are concerned that health discrimination may not be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act.(Cornwell, Lisa, Associated Press, Albuquerque Journal, September 10,2007.)

Penalizing workers by hitting them hardest where it hurts the most, in their pocketbook, does not appear to be a a good approach to molding human behavior.
Such tactics may result in increased resentments and retaliation, primarily in the form of rates of absence and presenteeism (decreased productivity on the job.) Voluntary, incentive-based programs, such as the one in the Washoe County School District, can and do produce results. A positive attitude on the part of management along with an opportunity for workers to have a stake in the decision-making may yield the greatest dividends to both employer and employee.The motivation and resolve needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits can best be derived from the basic tenets of encouragement, respect and support.

Corporate Wellness Programs: Corporate Wellness Program Return On Investment (ROI)

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 27-11-2008

For well over a decade, research has been showing the effectiveness of Corporate Wellness Programs. For every dollar spent on Corporate Wellness Programs, the returns have been cost savings of between $2.30 and $10.10 in the areas of decreased rates of absence, fewer sick days, decreased WSIB/WCB claims, lowered health and insurance costs, and improvements to employee performance and productivity.

Statistics do show that Corporate Wellness Programs increase employee morale, improve the ability to attract and retain key individuals, all while having more alert and productive workers. Some Corporate Wellness Program return on investment statistics of note:

• Canada Life Insurance reported a return of $3.43 on Corporate Wellness Program, and an overall Corporate Wellness Program return on investment of $6.85 on each corporate dollar invested on decreased turnover (32.4 percent lower), productivity gains and decreased medical claims,
• DuPont’s Corporate Wellness Program pilot sites saw a saving of 11,726 disability days and a return of U.S. $2.05 for every dollar invested by the end of the second year,
• The Canadian government’s Corporate Wellness Program return on investment was $1.95-$3.75 per employee per dollar spent (as reported by Dr. Roy Shephard),
• Municipal workers in Toronto, missed 3.35 fewer days in the first six months of their Corporate Wellness Program than workers not enrolled in the program,
• British Columbia Hydro workers enrolled in a Corporate Wellness Program had a turnover rate of just 3.5 percent compared with a Corporation average of 10.3%,
• Johnson & Johnson estimated an average saving of U.S. $224.66 per employee per year for the four years examined after the program introduction, with the bulk of the savings being in the third and fourth years,
• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after beginning a Corporate Wellness Program,
• Coca Cola report saving $500 every year per employee after beginning a Corporate Wellness Program, with only 60 percent of their workers participating,
• Coors Brewing Co. reported that for each dollar spent on their Corporate Wellness Program they saw a $5.50 return, and the workers who participated decreased their absentee rate by 18%, and
• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for workers participating in their program were $312, as opposed to $574 for non-members

Corporate Wellness Programs: Gold’s Gym Employee Wellness

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 26-11-2008

Staff members breathe life and value into your business.  Within the modern worksite there are increasing instances of stress, anxiety, obesity, depression, and heart disease.  The modern worksite has become increasingly exercise-free.

Technological advances have lessened the need to “walk” at work.  Moving a mouse has the same level of physical exertion as pressing the buttons on a remote control.  Emails, the fax, and the internet have meant that it is possible to run a business without having to leave the chair.  The “advances” affect physical and mental health in a disastrous manner ultimately affecting your business’s profit.

A sedentary lifestyle is a recipe for disaster – heart disease, chronic back pain, repetitive stress disorder, and low employee self-esteem are symptomatic of a work environment in which the only exercise available is surfing the net.  Corporation morale will invariably suffer if an exercise policy is not endorsed and put in place.

Regular exercise can significantly improve workplace health.  Instances of absenteeism and staff turnover, low staff morale and decreased productivity can be alleviated with a Corporate Wellness Program that energizes and motivates tired workers.  Boredom, repetitive motion injuries and workplace fatigue can only be combated with physical and mental stimulation.

Studies show, workers who are physically active on a regular basis record less sick days each year and are more energetic, dynamic, and industrious.  Investing in the health of your staff pays dividends through increased productivity and goodwill.  Physically active workers are happy workers.

• Lowering health insurance and compensation costs through decreased need for medical services
• Increasing productivity
• Lowering rates of absence
• Increasing morale
• Lowering stress

On top of improving the health of your staff, a broad-based Corporate Wellness Program shows your workers you care about their well-being.

Golds Gym Corporate Wellness Programs is committed to creating a healthy, active workforce, providing employers with training incentives for workers at our state-of-the-art facilities. Golds Gym Employee Wellness also provides training services and facility design at your office location.

Incorporating all aspects of fitness training (strength, core, cardiovascular, flexibility), performing broad-based fitness assessments, designing personalized fitness programs, and dynamic group training programs.  We take pride in our talented, professional workers who provide creative and effective Corporate Wellness Programs for diverse workforces.

Golds Gym Corporate Wellness Program’s workers reach beyond the walls of the fitness center to motivate, educate, and encourage workers to embrace and maintain healthy active lifestyles.  Applying practical experience the Golds Gym Corporate Wellness Program delivers dynamic cost-effective Corporate Wellness Program that help workers work happier, harder, and healthier.

To motivate your workers to exercise, eat better, and lose weight, you could invest heavily in equipment, facilities, and staffing to develop worksite Corporate Wellness Programs for workers, thereby hopefully creating a healthier, more productive workforce.  However, the problem with corporate fitness facilities is that workers spend one quarter of their lives at work and typically are not motivated enough to come in early or stay late to do an exercise program.

Golds Gym Corporate Wellness Programs provides attractive discounts for companies to train at our professionally coordinated facilities.  When your business becomes a member of our Corporate Wellness Program, your workers are eligible for savings off of our regular training rates.  No matter what size of business you keep, we have a Corporate Wellness Program to keep it healthy, happy, and working strong.

• Coca Cola reported saving $500 per employee every year after beginning a Corporate Wellness Program with only 60 percent of their workers participating.
• Pacific Bell reported that overall rates of absence decreased after beginning a Corporate Wellness Program.
• Coors Brewing Company reported that for each dollar spent on their Corporate Wellness Program they saw a $5.50 return and the workers who participated decreased their absentee rate by 18%.
• Prudential Insurance Company reported that the benefits costs for workers participating in their program were $312 as opposed to $574 for non-members (American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, 2004).

To learn more about Gold’s Gym Corporate Wellness Programs contact us at (336) 725-8624.

Corporate Wellness Programs: Business Flu Shots

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Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness Consultants, Corporate Wellness Program | Posted on 25-11-2008

Flu Shot Facts & Myths

Myth: The flu isn’t a serious disease.
Fact: Influenza (flu) is a serious disease of the nose, throat, and lungs, and it can lead to pneumonia. Each year about 200,000 individuals in the U.S. are hospitalized and about 36,000 individuals die because of the flu. Most who die are 65 years and older. But small children less than 2 years old are as likely as those over 65 to have to go to the hospital because of the flu.

Myth: The flu shot can cause the flu.
Fact: The flu shot cannot cause the flu. Some individuals get a little soreness or redness where they get the shot. It goes away in a day or two. Serious problems from the flu shot are very rare.

Myth: The flu shot does not work.
Fact: Most of the time the flu shot will prevent the flu. In scientific studies, the effectiveness of the flu shot has ranged from 70 percent to 90 percent when there is a good match between circulating viruses and those in the vaccine. Getting the vaccine is your best protection against this disease.

Myth: The side effects are worse than the flu.
Fact: The worst side effect you’re likely to get from a flu shot is a sore arm. The nasal mist flu vaccine might cause nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and cough. The risk of a severe allergic reaction is less than 1 in 4 million.

Myth: Only older individuals need a flu vaccine.
Fact: Adults and children with conditions like asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease need to get a flu shot. Doctors also recommend children 6 months and older get a flu shot every year until their 5th birthday.

Myth: You must get the flu vaccine before December.
Fact: Flu vaccine can be given before or during the flu season. The best time to get vaccinated is October or November. But you can get vaccinated in December or later.

For more information, ask your medical provider or call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).  You can also get more information about flu shots by visiting the following Website: www.cdc.gov/flu

Source: The Department of Health and Human ServicesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention