A Message from the HAP Wellness Team

We hope you can join us for our April Worksite Wellness Forum. It’s scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am. The program will begin with a Tai Chi demonstration by Barbara Spreitzer-Berent from the Arthritis Foundation. After that we’ll hear from the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan on a worksite tool kit they have created for your use, and Dr. Blessman and Alberta Smith-Plump from the City of Detroit will present their innovative worksite wellness program.

Not able to make it on-site for the Forum? Now you can attend right from your desk. We will be piloting our first live Forum webinar. However, please note, we may still be working out some of the bugs. If you plan to attend the Forum, or join the webinar please let us know by April 15.

Tools for a Successful Wellness Program: Impacting the Bottom Line

As more companies adopt wellness programs many wonder if they impact the bottom line, what the return on investment (ROI) will be. A growing number of studies indicate that comprehensive health management programs (worksite wellness, self-care and disease management) are effective in reducing health care costs. A review by Goetzel, et al. from The Medstat Group reported a savings of $3.14 per dollar invested (AWHPs Worksite Health, 1999).
In a review by Aldana, et al. (American Journal of Health Promotion, 2001) researchers looked at 13 studies that reported cost/benefit data from employer programs at Bank of America, Citibank, Coors, DuPont and other employers and found an average return on investment of $9.03 per dollar invested, savings were in direct health care and absenteeism costs.

Scientific reviews of worksite health management programs have shown that a comprehensive approach is necessary to achieve positive financial outcomes. Researchers have identified four “critical success factors” in the most effective programs:

1. Population-based health risk assessment: The first step in encouraging employees to take positive steps to improve their health status and an important source of aggregate data to determine the health needs of the population.
2. Targeted follow up programs: Programs to assist individuals in modifying health behaviors and risks, such as weight loss, disease management or smoking cessation programs.
3. Health education materials and communication: Newsletters, self-care guides, online information, brochures, etc.
4. A culture that supports healthy living: tobacco-free worksite policies, an environment conducive to physical activity, etc.

Many organizations are looking into worksite wellness ROI and over the next decade we will see many rigorous studies conducted. There is still a lot to be learned about the impact of such programs on the bottom line, but worksite wellness is gaining momentum. We at HAP look forward to this exciting journey as more programs are implemented and studied.

Examples of what various corporations and organizations are doing are included in a Partnership for Prevention podcast series: Increasing Employers' Return On Investment In Health Care By Increasing Productivity And Controlling Health-Related Costs.

Health Topic of the Month

April is designated as National Humor Month. It was founded in 1976 by best-selling humorist Larry Wilde, Director of The Carmel Institute of Humor. It is designed to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one’s life. (larrywilde.com)

Laughter helps to remove stress by causing the release of natural pain killers in the body. When we laugh out loud, substances such as endorphins and adrenaline are released which result in a natural high, making us feel good about ourselves.

In the workplace, humor helps to “break the ice”, build relationships, reduce stress, provide perspective, and promote attendance.

If you would like to give your employees a laughing workout daily, visit funny2.com or yahoo.com for more humor.

Other sources:
humormatters.com
lifescript.com

HAP Featured Programs

The HAP Worksite Wellness Team is ready and willing to assist you in bringing wellness services to your employees. This month we’d like to suggest the following on-site screenings and programs:

Blood Pressure/ BMI / Waist Circumference Screenings
Knowing your numbers is paramount in gaining the knowledge to manage your health. We are happy to come out and screen employees for a baseline measurement. For your health’s sake, let’s get in the “number’s game.”

Walk for Better Health
What better way to welcome the spring than to walk and enjoy nature’s reawakening. We will help kick off the HAP Walk for Better Health program with a speaker, a pedometer for all participants and personal tracking guide to encourage those 10,000 steps a day. The coats are coming off and summer is around the corner.

To schedule any of the above services, or to request more information, please contact us at livewell@hap.org

In honor of National Humor Month, we are inserting a couple of funny bumper stickers:
Energizer bunny arrested, charged with battery.
Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.
Living on earth is expensive, but it does include a free trip around the sun.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
Honk if you love peace and quiet.

Please visit hap.org for our Wellness by the Month flyers to share with your employees.

To schedule a speaker, health fair or wellness workshop on any of our topics, please contact us at livewell@hap.org.

Tell Us What You Think

If you have recently hosted a health fair or program in partnership with us, please take our Health Promotion Satisfaction Survey.

Start Planning Now!

May is National Arthritis month and National Employee Health and Fitness Day (May 21). Take advantage of our free programs:

A Speaker from the Arthritis Foundation
Arthritis is the second leading cause of work disability, falling just behind heart disease. It is a disease of the joints and affects nearly 66 million adults and nearly 300,000 children and adolescents. Invite a professional speaker to your worksite to educate your employees on some simple ways to help keep joints healthy.

Tai Chi
Schedule a Tai Chi demonstration for your employees by contacting us at livewell@hap.org, or contact the Arthritis Foundation directly at 248-649-2891 to start a program.

Fitness Screenings
In honor of National Employee Health and Fitness Day on May 21, HAP is offering screenings on flexibility and instruction on exercise resistance bands.

Mark your calendars!

The April Worksite Wellness Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am. Look for your personal invitation in the mail and please RSVP no later than April 15.