Posts from — November 2008

nutrition and physical fitness programs have demonstrated effectiveness in delaying the onset of employee morbidity while enhancing self esteem, stress management and general feelings of well being. Although many nutrition and physical fitness programs are instructional in nature, they should go beyond educational programs by offering enabling supports for the adoption of healthy behaviors.

Quality Corporate Health Promotion Programs promote and facilitate participation in daily physical activity for all workers, and when possible retired workers and family menbers. This is accomplished through access to fitness facilities, (preferably on site) and properly supervised physical fitness classes. In addition a broad-based program will provide opportunities for Personalized physical fitness and nutrition prescriptions from certified experts. Commitment to the model is demonstrated through occupational food services and sales consistent with healthy nutrition. Specific programs to include:

• Strength training
• Flexibility conditioning programs
• Healthy cooking classes
• Aerobic conditioning programs
• Diet planning and analysis assistance
• Physical rehabilitative programs
• Weight/body fat control programs
• Team and individual recreational sports programs
• Physical fitness assessments and programs

Health education is easily integrated into all the areas of comprehensive Corporate Health Promotion Programs and it is unlikely that any of the areas could survive without an educational component. It is a primary element of every primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention program and a means of promoting wellness and optimal health. A broad-based health education program must be based on theoretically and scientifically sound principles to ensure effectiveness.

Successful health education programs will incorporate adult learning theories and promote active member involvement in all aspects of program planning and implementation. Health education efforts should emphasize skill development and the adoption of health enhancing behaviors while being accessible to all workers, their families and retirees. Methods of delivery may include; one on one instruction, group presentations, seminars, workshops, educational media lending library and health literature distribution. Program examples may include:

• Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals
• Personalized health prescriptions and behavior change assistance
• First aid and CPR training
• Nutrition education programs
• Stress management
• smoking cessation  programs
• Cancer and heart disease education
• Blood borne pathogens education programs
• Sexual assault prevention programs

• Prenatal care and Postnatal
• Safety education programs
• Self care programs
• Healthy back programs
• Family centered programs
• Supplies of literature and educational media available for employee loan

As the field of Corporate Health Promotion Programs continues to evolve, the need to define and articulate the components of this broad-based approach increases. In 1987 Allensworth and Kolbe (1987) expanded the prevailing definition of broad-based school health to include the domains of Health Instruction, Environmental Health, Health Services, Physical Fitness Education, Counseling and Psychological Services, School Food Service, Corporate Health Promotion Programs for Faculty and Staff, and the Integration of School and Community Resources.

To promote the health of school age children, prevention specialists have realized that an integrated broad-based approach is the most effective strategy. Relying solely on health education or Physical Fitness Education programs to foster children’s health has demonstrated limited effectiveness. Consistent health messages delivered by numerous agents increases the possibility of attaining health goals and objectives. A similar model is essential if Corporate Health Promotion Programs are to impact positively on the health and performance of all workers.

A broad-based model of Corporate Health Promotion Programs includes the following components; Health Education Initiatives, employee Health Services and Benefits, nutrition and physical fitness Initiatives, Wellness Program Policies and Procedures, Counseling and Employee Assistance Programs, a Safe and Healthy Work Environment, and the Integration of Company and Community Resources. This model can be used to evaluate and plan for Corporate Health Promotion Programs that are truly broad-based in nature, focusing on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies for workers.

One value of a truly broad-based model is that it is possible to promote a holistic approach of employee health. A healthy, productive employee is one who is given the opportunity to develop physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually and spiritually. In addition, this model supports the ideals of wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce health care costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities. Design and implementation are dependent upon the motivation and cooperation of qualified - and ideally - credentialed experts throughout the administrative structure of a organization. Such a model requires consistent communication between health educators, medical staff, human resource managers, physical therapists, industrial hygienists, physical fitness physiologists, ergonomic engineers, dietitians, occupational therapists, psychologists and independent consultants. Planning must also incorporate active involvement of workers, administrators, family members, and organization retirees at all stages of the development, implementation and evaluation stages. All must be committed to the development of a healthy organization where workers are happy and proud to work.

Various organizations are working to advance the science of Corporate Health Promotion Programs. Health educators have the training and expertise to be leaders in this field. On the basis of theoretical foundations of behavior and the results of empirical research, we must begin to articulate a clear vision of what optimal programs should consist of. Components of this model are included below for reference and will be discussed individually in coming posts.

• Health Education
• nutrition and physical fitness Initiatives
• employee Health Services and employee Benefits
• Counseling & Employee Assistance Programs
• Safe and Healthy Work Environment
• Health Related organization Policies and Procedures
• Integration of organization and Community Resources

As the field of Corporate Health Promotion Programs continues to evolve, so will the need to define the dimensions of a broad-based model of Corporate Health Promotion Programs. A representative model includes the following components; health education programs, employee health services and benefits, nutrition and physical fitness programs, Wellness Program policies and procedures, counseling and employee assistance programs, a safe and healthy work environment, and the integration of company and community resources.

A broad-based approach to Corporate Health Promotion Programs will maximize the impact of all initiatives by increasing communication between administrators, workers, and employee families, while encouraging the adoption of a healthy worksite climate and culture. Philosophically, this model supports the ideals of employee wellness and optimal health by encouraging worksites to go beyond programs designed to only reduce health care costs, prevent disease, or maintain health.

A primary factor in the utility of this model is the integration and overlap of responsibilities for Corporate Health Promotion Programs by various departments and individuals outside and inside the company. As the structure of the workplace continues to change, in the future this dynamic model can be used to evaluate and plan for Corporate Health Promotion Programs that are truly broad-based in nature.

A Comprehensive Model For Corporate Health Promotion Programs

According to the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities (1992) 81 percent of organizations in the U.S. with 50 or more workers have some form of Corporate Health Promotion Programs activity. This result puts us in proximity of the Healthy People 2000 (1990) objective of 85 percent by the year 2000. Why are organizations getting into the organization of Corporate Health Promotion Programs? The three most common reasons cited for employer interest in Corporate Health Promotion Programs are the desire to control spiraling health care costs, to encourage a healthy productive work force, and as a means of boosting the morale of workers and the image of the company (O’Donnell, 1994).

As the motivations for Corporate Health Promotion Programs differ, so do the extent of a Corporate Health Promotion Programs efforts. A program may consist of distributing the occasional health pamphlet on the warning signs of cancer to workers, or it may comprise an elaborate and strategically planned Wellness Program targeted to the specific needs of a company and its workers. Research indicates (O’Donnel & Harris, 1994) that some Corporate Health Promotion Programs have been more effective than others in improving health status, but what would a truly broad-based model of Corporate Health Promotion Programs consist of?

Imagine yourself working for the healthiest organization possible. What characteristics or Wellness Program strategies would make that organization so healthy? Examine it from a holistic perspective. What does that organization do to enhance the spiritual, emotional, social, physical and intellectual aspects of employee health? How does that organization develop effective health policies and relevant programs that impact all workers? Finally, how does that organization demonstrate its belief that workers are the organization’s most valued asset?

It is unlikely that any one single of a Wellness Program will be accountable for the positive health outcomes of all workers. Wellness Program have evolved from the occasional fitness facility for the exclusive use of organization executives, or the sporadic employee safety program, to a wide range of health enhancing services and programs. Wellness Program experts often speak of the importance of cultural change and the need to institutionalize Corporate Health Promotion Programs in today’s workplace. This goal can only occur through a broad-based and integrated approach that impacts on workers through numerous channels.

Walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs are among of the most popular Corporate Health Promotion Programs. They set the bar for entry fairly low - most anyone can walk around the block or their building - and walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs also provides employees with a good way to break up the afternoon doldrums and interact in a casual, more social environment with other employees. Just leaving your desk for a few minutes every day for a little sunshine can be a big stress reliever - and stress is the #2 leading cause of absenteeism, according to Wellness Program statistics.

As a first step to beginning your Corporate Health Promotion Program, we recommend that you have a designer draw up an attractive map of your company campus or vicinity. Plan out and test a few short walks of varying distances, and using a pedometer and watch, figure out how long each walk is in time and distance. Have a little fun with your walking Wellness Program by equating each walk with a common office activity of the same duration, like a writing a one-page status report or filling out a common form. Post the map in the office and make sure people know about walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs by using your office communication channels - newsletters, announcements, business meetings. Keep it fun by building weight-loss teams, setting up races or organizing healthy picnics and athletic activities around the walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs route.

Following are some other walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs tips from Tom Weede, author of The Entrepreneur Diet: The On-the-Go Plan for Fitness, Weight Loss, and Healthy Living:

Make sure to link the walking Wellness Program to work objectives. Employees need to be reassured that these walks are part of their responsibility to be healthy and productive. They’re not personal errands that need to be compensated for by longer days at the office.
Keep healthy snacks in the office.
Reinforce the walking Wellness Program message by regularly mentioning it during employee meetings
Set up a health-related benefit that walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs participants can use for health-related expenses.

Wellness Program Statistics tell a clear story - Wellness Program Programs are effective , and they save businesses money.

You should take note of these interesting Wellness Program Statistics:

Some 25 percent of U.S. businesses were running Corporate Health Promotion Programs in 1996.
Wellness Program Statistics depict a savings of $2.30 to $10.10 for every $1 spent on Corporate Health Promotion Programs.
Coca-Cola’s physical fitness program recouped $500 per year per employee, despite the fact that only 60% of their staff was enrolled.
A Ipsos-Reid Wellness Program statisics paper in 2004 found the three major preventable causes of staff absenteeism to be mental health (anxiety and/or depression), stress and a bad relationship with a supervisor.
Wellness Program Statistics from Prudential Insurance reveal a benefit expense of $312 per individual enrolled in their wellness system, but $574 per non-enrolled employee.
At the Coors Brewing Co., Wellness Program Statistics illuminate a savings of $5.50 per $1 spent on physical fitness, with a positive side-effect of member absenteeism dropping by 18%.

Wellness Program Benefits still aren’t self-evident to some executives, even though the research, real-world evidence and cost-benefit analyses are demonstrative. With careful planning, almost every business can reap Wellness Program Benefits.

Part of the problem is that some executives erroneously believe that the Wellness Program Benefits are mostly on the employee side. The truth is that Wellness Program Benefits both the organization and employee - and according to Wellness Program statistics , the employer stands to gain $2.30 to $10.10 in savings per dollar spent. Employee physical fitness saves corporations money.

At the same time, health care and insurance costs continue to skyrocket. Wellness Program Benefits are one of the only ways to cut those costs while helping employees at the same time. As Karen Roberts, senior vice president with Aon Consulting, said about Wellness Program Benefits in her address at the 2006 WorldAtWork Total Rewards Conference & Exhibition, “If you can’t afford to invest in wellness this year, you’re never going to afford it.”

Wellness Program Benefits include helping to prevent cancer, obesity, heart disease and hypertension. It’s rare that businesses can cut costs and assist struggling employees, support families and even arguably save lives. Isn’t that a good thing?

Onsite Employee Health Screening and Biometric Testing means better heath risk assessment baselines and better security

“Onsite Employee Health Screening and Biometric Testing” is a hot phrase these days, but it can help your employees with health management, too. When the pundits talk about Onsite Employee Health Screening and Biometric Testing, they’re usually referring to retinal scanners, fingerprint readers, and other high-tech security measures. However, if you trace the phrase “Onsite Employee Health Screening and Biometric Testing” back to its roots, it refers to the measurement of unique human physical and behavioral characteristics.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs are of imperative importance to the modern business. As a result, Onsite Employee Health Screening and Biometric Testing should be one of the tools in the arsenal of a forward-thinking organization.

On-Site Health Screening and Biometric Testings aren’t just a “feel-good” measure for your employees. Assessments of employee health help your workers to prioritize their well-being, which results in happier, more productive employees. Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals also build your database of employee biometric data. Onsite Employee Health Screening and Biometric Testing, when handled workplace by our experienced professionals, is hassle-free and smoothly organized. The biometric data we collect then can be stored digitally for years or even decades, helping you and your employees build better health risk assessment baselines that you can use to analyze employees physical fitness and the efficacy of your corporation’s Health and Productivity Programs. Collected biometric data can even allow an employee’s doctor to assess that individual’s health over many years, helping him or her spot trends and diagnose disease.

Onsite Employee Health Screening and Biometric Testing extends to a wide variety of health risk tests, including measurements of blood pressure, blood type, body fat, substance abuse, and susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. Collecting biometric data for security purposes - like fingerprints, facial recognition imprints, or hand geometry - can be dovetailed with our health tests to minimize workflow disruption.

Corporate Health Promotion Programs: A Long-Term Committment

“Corporate Health Promotion Programs” - what does that phrase mean to you? To many of us, it evokes an array of ambivalent thoughts — the health club membership we barely used, the nagging ankle injury from last year’s business picnic, the backaches, the bratwurst we had for lunch, the love handles and of course, the fad diets that failed us or that we failed. Usually, Corporate Health Promotion Programs is a guilt trigger that causes us to feel remorse about our bodies and the health management we know we should be doing for them.

The sad fact is that we live in a society where our survival is dependent on sitting at a desk, not hunting game, picking berries and sprinting away from wolves. We also live in such luxury, nutritionally, that we can gain weight steadily without being wealthy. Cardiovascular disease, obesity and bad nutrition cause the majority of of the heath issues that weigh down employee attendance and erode a corporation’s productivity.

Ironically the poorest societies in the world - the ones furthest from the conveniences of modern life - often have the healthier, most physically hardy members. And as for the animal kingdom — don’t look there for commiseration. In the wild, it is extremely rare to find an animal that suffers from our kind of wellness issues.

Prescription Drug dependency degrades Health and Wellness

It doesn’t help that United States citizens are descending into a deadly love affair with drugs — and drug testing won’t help you with these drugs.

For example, Greg Critser’s book Generation RX details how United States citizens spend about $180 billion dollars on Prescription Drugs each year, with the estimated 2011 tally at a whopping $414 billion. The average number of Prescription Drugs per American in 2004 stood at twelve.

Twelve! That means that your average employee is taking 14, 18, or even more than 20 medications in an attempt to improve their Health and Wellness.

Is this effective, though? Critser is not convinced that the prescription medications help U.S. health. In fact, he points out a bevy of negative consequences for America’s legal prescription medication addition, which include prescription medication interactions, liver damage, and the legions of people who now depend on prescription medications to deal with ordinary trials and stresses.

An organization has the potential to improve Health

It’s not all bad news, though. Occupational Health Screening and Biometric Testings and well-designed Corporate Health Promotion Programs can help you fight the downward spiral for you and your employees. In fact, good Corporate Health Promotion Programs - like a strong walking Corporate Health Promotion Programs initiative - can literally save lives and reduce the symptoms that cause employees to turn to prescription medications in the first place.

Health Risk Assessment: Helping Quantify Employee Health help you quantify employee health

An Health Risk Assessment Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals is an important tool to help you isolate the value of strong Wellness Program Programs.

Health Risk Assessment: What is it?

Does the term “Health Risk Assessment” have you puzzled? If so, then you are not alone.  Unfortunately there is no standard definition or format for a Health Risk Assessment. A health risk assessment is both a procedure and a document, too, depending on the context — you must answer questions and ideally undergo some simple Employee Health Screening and Biometric Testing to develop a document that describes what’s good and bad about your current state of health.

To add confusion to the situation, there’s a field called health risk management. Talk to an OSHA inspector about health risk assessment and they will likely assume you’re referring to an analysis of contaminants and industrial chemicals in a factory or manufacturing facility.

Health Risk Assessment: The Typical Health Risk Assessment

A comprehensive health risk assessment is aimed at producing a concrete baseline of a individual’s health, and includes the majority of of these features:

a blood pressure check,
cancer testing,
blood sugar test, and
a analysis of the employee’s health status.

Health Risk Assessments / Health Risk Appraisals would analyze the employee’s:

lifestyle factors,
health conditions,
prescriptions medications,
functional concerns and abilities,
quality of life,
self-efficacy,
physical fitness level.