Wellness Teams

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Wellness Teams

• A Better Health Plan

www.HealthyUtah.org
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What is a Wellness Team?

• A team working to improve employees health and
  wellness
• Activities and programs
• Environmental change
• Policy change
• Help employees
• Increase awareness and knowledge
• Provide motivation
• Invest 1-2 hours per month RESULTS!

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Why Address Health At Work?

• Employees are at work 8-10 hours / day
• Lifestyle choices affect our bottom line
• Captive audience for health promotion

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Why a Wellness Team?

• Poor nutrition habits, lack of exercise, and
  tobacco use lead to many diseases
• Type 2 Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Obesity
• Some Types of Cancer
• Annual deaths in the U.S.
• 400,000 from illnesses associated with obesity
• 440,000 from illnesses attributed to cigarette
  smoking.
• (Department of Health and Human Services, 2004)

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Obesity Trends Among Utah Adults, 1989-2004
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Health Care Costs

• Health care premiums rising at double-digit rates
• Cheaper to prevent illness than to treat it
• Direct annual medical expenditures due to obesity
  40 Billion in 2004
• (Finkelstein et al., Obesity Research, Jan. 2004

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Average Annual Adjusted Claims by Year
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Average Annual Adjusted Total Claims by Year and
Weight Status
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Average Annual Adjusted Claims by Year Diabetes
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Comparison of Per Member Per Month Costs

• Average220
• Diabetes...806
• Hyperlipidemia.594
• Hypertension705
• Coronary Artery Disease1478

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Productivity

• Presenteeism
• Slack productivity from ailing workers
• May cost 255 per employee per year
• May cost U.S. businesses 180 billion annually in
  lost productivity
• (Journal of Occupational and
  Environmental Medicine, April 2004)
• Absenteeism
• Missed work due to illness
• A 25 increase in worker absenteeism was seen in
  the 1990s and this trend is expected to continue
• (Total Health Advocacy Partners, 2002)

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Wellness Team Successes

• Eat Smart, Move Smart
• Improved fruit and vegetable consumption
• Increased physical activity
• Walking Promotion
• Nearly 100 participation
• Campus Smoke-Free Day
• StairWELL
• Environment changes increased stair usage

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Wellness Team Benefits

• Part of a business solution to costly problems
• Health care costs
• Absenteeism and presenteeism
• Productivity
• Turnover
• Improve morale
• Create vested interest in agency

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Starting a Wellness Team

• Three basic steps
• Gain upper management support
• Recruit your Wellness Team members
• Do an employee health interest survey

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Starting a Wellness Team

• Upper Management Support and Participation
• Participate in planning
• Approve budget
• Communicate support to employees
• Participate as role models

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Starting a Wellness Team

• Member Recruitment
• Diversity is crucial!
• Professional level
• Division / bureau representation
• Gender
• Health levels / interests
• Abilities

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Starting a Wellness Team

• Employee Survey
• Health needs
• Health interests
• Information delivery methods
• Utilize results to plan Wellness Team activities

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Wellness Team Focus

• Activities and Programs
• Fruit and veggie contest
• Stair use promotion
• Environmental Change
• Office norms
• Policy Change and Promotion
• Food options
• Exercise policy

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Healthy Utah Can Help!

• Operational Assistance
• Attend meetings (temporarily or permanently)
• Technical assistance
• Experience with Wellness Teams

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Healthy Utah Can Help!

• Informational Assistance
• Resources and pre-packaged programs
• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• Stress Management
• Communication / Conflict Resolution
• Team Training
• Survey tools

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Healthy Utah Can Help!

• Financial Assistance
• Mini Grant Program
• 500-1000
• Competitive grant process
• A minimum of two grants awarded per quarter
• Award money
• Fitness equipment
• Seed money
• Incentives

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Questions?
www.HealthyUtah.org