Thursday, October 26, 3:30
p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Moderator
Carter R. Blakey
Community Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Team Leader, Office of
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Secretary
Presentations
WORKSITE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP: IMPROVING THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
OF NEW YORKERS BY SUPPORTING NEW YORK CITY EMPLOYERS IN HEALTH PROMOTION EFFORTS
Ron Z. Goetzel, Ph.D.1; Daria Luisi, Ph.D., M.P.H.2;
Ronald J. Ozminkowski, Ph.D.3; Enid Chung Roemer, Ph.D.4;
Sabira Taher, M.P.H.5; Kristin Quitoni, M.P.H.5;
Angelika Sutton, M.P.H.5; Mahil Senathirajah, M.B.A.6;
Maryam Tabrizi, M.S.7
1Cornell University Institute for Policy Research, Institute for
Health and Productivity Studies/Thomson Medstat, Washington, DC;
2Wellness at Work Program, New York City Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene, New York, NY;
3Thomson Medstat, Ann Arbor, MI;
4Cornell University Institute for Policy Research, Institute for
Health and Productivity Studies, Washington, DC;
5Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention, New York City Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY;
6Thomson Medstat, Santa Barbara, CA;
7Thomson Medstat, Washington, DC
Relatively little collaboration exists between employers and the public sector in efforts to
provide evidence-based health and productivity programs. Employers often are not aware that public
entities can provide critical technical support to guide their design, implementation, and
evaluation of health initiatives. The Wellness at Work Program, offered through the New York City
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH), has developed effective tools, processes,
and techniques needed to support employer efforts.
In a project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Cornell University
Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, the NYC DOHMH, Thomson Medstat, and the Wellness
Councils of America have formed a private-public partnership to investigate and document how a
public-sector agency can support effectively New York City employers in their efforts to design,
implement, and evaluate evidence-based health and productivity programs.
This initiative tests the effects of comprehensive worksite health promotion interventions
that are implemented above and beyond interventions already being delivered by employers.
Program impact will be assessed on a number of critical success factors of interest to
employers, including improvements in health behavior, biometric measures, and productivity
measured in terms of self-reported absenteeism and presence on the job, healthcare utilization,
and return on investment.
Session highlights include discussions about the following:
- Utilizing surveys and data collection tools to guide employers in the development
and evaluation of interventions
- Identifying "at-risk" employees through health risk assessments, and
providing personalized education and counseling in the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, smoking cessation, and preventive care
- Utilizing technology and Web-based tools, such as the Wellness Resource Center,
an online tailored workplace health management tool, to provide comprehensive support
to organizations.
Program results to date also will be presented.
WORKSITE WELLNESS HEALTH PROMOTION: A TOOLKIT FOR EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES
Jennifer L. Jones; Sharon Zack, M.S.; Y. Henry Wong, Ph.D.; Kelly
Munly, M.A.
Danya International, Inc., Silver Spring, MD
Employees at risk for a high body mass index are more likely to have other health risks,
illness absence, and short-term disability, resulting in both direct and indirect expenses
to employers. In December 2000, the Surgeon General presented a national plan targeting the
public health epidemic of overweight and obesity whereby worksites were highlighted as one
of five thematic areas for implementing strategies for change. Furthermore, an obesity research
task force was recently created at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a strategic
plan for NIH obesity research with emphasis on the diverse efforts necessary to target effectively
the numerous factors contributing to this health problem.
The workplace presents a significant opportunity to develop and implement a worksite health
promotion program. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a considerable amount of
research has examined obesity prevention and treatment through environmental and behavioral
approaches to lifestyle modification. This research has served to help identify evidence-based
approaches.
For this Phase 1 study funded by a Small Business Innovative Research contract with NCI,
Danya International, Inc., has developed prototype materials for
STEPS@Work, a worksite health promotion toolkit for both employees and employers of
small- to medium-sized businesses to promote widespread adoption of research-based energy
balance promotion (i.e., obesity reduction) approaches. Samples of social marketing materials,
sections of the
Employee's Guide (focusing on employee-driven self-help groups and resources),
Your Company's Guide (a companion piece with guidelines for employers), as well
as a draft video vignette script illustrating support group implementation have been
developed. During Phase 2, Danya International expects to complete all materials, produce
the vignette video, and conduct an outcome evaluation of the toolkit. In this presentation,
results of the needs assessment, expert panel review, and feasibility evaluation with
employers and employees will be presented.
PERDUE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Roger Merrill, M.D.
Perdue Farms, Inc., Salisbury, MD
Perdue Farms, Inc., the third largest poultry company in the United States, with 22,000
employees in 17 major facilities in 10 states, serves customers in more than 50 countries.
Perdue is a leading innovator for health practices in the poultry industry, targeting an employee
population that, under most circumstances, would be difficult to reach with first class health care.
Perdue's Health Improvement Program (HIP) focuses on meeting the challenges that come with a
target audience that is, for many reasons, often underserved.
Participation in HIP is defined by voluntarily being measured by health promotion specialists
for 20 modifiable health risk factors, including blood pressure, exercise status (self-reported),
obesity, total and LDL cholesterol, tobacco use (determined by a blood cotinine), with continuous
follow-up at intervals of 4 to 6 weeks. To obtain a baseline on the most important drivers of
healthcare costs, HIP specialists measured each participating employee for 20 health risk factors.
A perfect score for these five parameters would be 5. The baseline average score for all employees
in the study group is 3.26.
An example of how the program encourages risk factor reduction is shown in the following: a
male employee is screened for 20 different health risks. Perdue's proprietary computer program
determines his four most dangerous health risks. The HIP specialist invites him to select the
two that concern him most. If he is most concerned about weight and blood pressure, the
specialist coaches him on diet and exercise, directs him to the 40 percent of Perdue cafeteria
menu items that are low fat and low sodium, and encourages him to use the onsite walking path.
To address health issues at the earliest, least costly, most easily treated stage, Perdue has
onsite wellness centers, which are fully equipped medical clinics that provide free preventive
screenings plus primary and certain specialty care services. Local physicians hold office hours
at the wellness center and provide blood pressure medication and ongoing care. The employee will
return for additional coaching and medical follow-up at 4- to 6-week intervals.
Results have been dramatic: in the 2004–2005 time period, statistically significant
risk reduction in blood pressure, weight, exercise, healthy eating, and tobacco use was demonstrated.
EMPLOYEE WELLNESS: MAXIMIZING HUMAN CAPITAL
Aaron M. Hardy, M.H.P.
Washoe County School District, Reno, NV
With more than a decade of wellness programming experience involving thousands of members,
the Washoe County School District (WCSD) Wellness Program has learned valuable lessons in
educating, engaging, and empowering busy adults. More than 8,500 employees, retirees, and
spouses are part of this wellness effort that began in 1994. Results show that the program
is having a profound impact both financially and culturally. Regardless of health risk factors,
healthy behavior adherence is at the core of high participation rates and has produced one of
the highest returns on investment ever published for a wellness program. Maximizing 21st
century technology has made the WCSD's successful models scalable and replicable. Participants
will have an opportunity to become demo members of the WCSD Wellness Program. Wellness works!.
For questions or more information, please contact
summit@hhs.gov.
