A Message from the HAP Wellness Team

We had a very successful Worksite Wellness Forum on April 22 with 38 attendees representing 24 employer groups. All three of our speakers received outstanding reviews.

Arthur Franks, PhD of the National Kidney Foundation presented his Keys to Kidney Health free worksite program and distributed free resource guides designed to raise awareness about chronic kidney and address high blood pressure and diabetes. His program promotes early detection through screenings. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the resource guide, please contact Laurie Gustafson at lgustafson@nkfm.org.

James Blessman, MD, MPH presented the City of Detroit's Plenitude Project, a 12 step program to a better health. According to Dr. Blessman, some of the objectives in his program focus around mindfulness and personal development.

Michelle Miller of the Henry Ford Health System explained the employee wellness programs coordinated by the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention which was established in 1997 by Dr. Ron Davis.

The April Forum was also where we launched our first webinar and had the privilege of having five employer groups join us for the session. Other than a few minor problems it was generally very successful!

Tools for a Successful Wellness Program: HAP Worksite Wellness Web Site: What's Available?

In April, we launched our new HAP worksite wellness Web site. Access to our programs and tools is now easier than before. Take a few moments to check out our new site and you'll find a:

• comprehensive list of our wellness services;
• detailed information about our online wellness programs (programs available for both HAP members and non-members);
• planning tools to help you get started or build upon your current wellness programs; and
• access to previous Wellness Forum presentations and e-newsletters.

Our wellness team's mission is to help you foster a culture of health at your workplace through our best-in-class wellness solutions. In an effort to help you create the healthiest workplace you can, we are constantly striving to give you access to valuable tools. We hope you find our website content plays an important part in creating your culture of health.

Health Topic of the Month

May is recognized as National Arthritis Month. 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. The symptoms are pain, loss of movement and swelling. Arthritis can limit a person's ability to complete simple tasks, like walking, dressing and bathing and can impact work performance and attendance.

The Michigan Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation offers information and programs that can help your employees learn how to minimize the effects and cope with this disease.

For more information on the Arthritis Foundation click on www.arthritis.org and see our Wellness by the Month flyer for information to share with your employees.

National Employee Health and Fitness Day will be recognized on May 21st this year.

According to a 2002 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study, companies with physical activity programs for employees have reduced health care costs by 20 to 55 percent, reduced short-term sick leave by up to 32 percent and increased productivity by up to 52 percent.

For low or no-cost ideas on how to promote this program, see our Wellness by the Month flyer or go to www.michiganfitness.org.

HAP Southfield employees enjoy a Tai Chi class at the end of their work day, taught by Barbara Spreitzer-Berent from the Arthritis Foundation.

HAP Featured Programs

This month we are offering the following programs:

Bone Density Screening - In recognition of National Arthritis Month, we are offering bone density screenings for $3.00 per person. By measuring at the ankle, this quick and painless test determines whether your bones are remaining strong or if they are beginning to weaken. Since osteoporosis has no symptoms, this may be a good opportunity for you to check out your bone health.

Speaker on Arthritis/Osteoporosis
Invite a professional speaker from the Arthritis Foundation to speak to your employees about this common and sometimes debilitating disease. Learn about their wonderful programs and support services.
The Arthritis Foundation also offers on-site Tai Chi classes. To schedule classes at your work place go to www.arthritis.org or info.mi@arthritis.org.

iStrive HRA
HAP offers a 30 minute presentation on our iStrive HRA program to encourage your employees to visit our website and complete this important baseline survey. HAP has included incentives that reward those employees who take advantage of the condition-specific modules.

Fitness Assessments
We are now offering fitness assessments that include weight, blood pressure, body fat/BMI, waist circumference and flexibility (determined by a sit and reach method).
These are all good numbers to know. Add this program to the iStrive HRA for a great picture of your overall health status.

A baby is born with 350 bones many of which fuse to form the 206 bones in the adult skeleton.

There are 19 bones in each hand and foot.

For more facts and to take a quiz on your bones, visit Hillendale Health.

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!

June 9 - 15 is recognized as National Men's Health Week but we are devoting the entire month to Men's health issues. Men are notorious for avoiding wellness visits and postponing needed health care as long as possible. Let us help you coordinate a workshop on Men's health issues to keep our guys healthy!

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