WellFlex® at Your Worksite

Meeting deadlines and navigating hectic schedules are just two of the many conditions impacting our ability to strike a balance between the ever-competing environments of work, home, school, and social interactions. The resulting stress that is a by-product of trying to be ‘everything for everyone’ often manifests itself in the very place we spend the majority of our waking hours -- the workplace. This stress has been shown to increase employee absenteeism and has contributed to spiraling medical costs borne by employer groups of every size. In fact, a staggering 70% of employee healthcare costs are due to preventable illness. And if that statistic isn’t enough to get your attention, try this one on for size: roughly 50% of all premature deaths in the United States and other developed countries are the result of lifestyle-related problems.

Employers worldwide certainly seem to be taking note of these statistics. They can no longer afford to ignore the role a healthier workforce plays in containing healthcare costs and helping to decrease the incidence of preventable illness and premature death. The overwhelming amount of data that supports the connection between health and wellness management and optimal business success has lead to a movement whereby organizations are assuming a more active role in enhancing the quality of life of their employees. By supporting and implementing worksite wellness programs that help employees exercise regularly, eat nutritiously, avoid excessive alcohol and tobacco use, and learn to manage stress, organizations can systematically help people change their lifestyles to move toward a state of optimal health. Studies have shown that in addition to higher productivity and reduced absenteeism, such programs can also help manage rising healthcare costs. And the good news is, many wellness and health education programs are designed to be inexpensive and easy to implement, while empowering employer groups to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve optimal corporate health and manage the cost of health care.

Health programs at the worksite work. The average American spends one-third to one-half of their waking hours on the job and the workplace provides a unique social support network of colleagues, since employers often pay the lion’s share of health insurance premiums, positive lifestyle changes often help employers better control their healthcare costs. In addition to decreasing employee absenteeism and reducing health risks, workplace wellness programs are also useful in attracting and retaining personnel. The added bonus of increased employee moral and job satisfaction improve the public image of the organization.

Recognizing the need to address these staggering statistics, Prism Health Networks developed the WellFlex® program, an innovative workplace initiative designed to teach employees how to improve their overall health through exercise and nutrition by offering the tools to affect positive, long-term lifestyle changes. The goal of the WellFlex® program is to create a system which empowers individuals to take charge of their lifestyle choices, resulting in a more productive employee while positively impacting an organization’s bottom line.

So, exactly HOW do employers initiate such a program and empower their employees to lead healthier lives? Positively impacting the health of an organization is a process, like anything else. It can take time, effort, and resources. But recent shifts in the field of health promotion from activity-oriented programs to results-oriented outcomes mean that today’s wellness programs not only look good and make people feel good, but are also affordable, carefully researched, and designed to provide significant returns on investment.

A business should first determine what it wants to gain from its health promotion efforts, and then find out what its employees want out of a program. Organizations might start by looking at their medical and disability claims, information gathered from Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs), and screening information gleaned from health fairs that provide such data as blood pressure, hip-to-waist ratios, cholesterol levels, and body fat analysis. Taking a look at absenteeism rates, employee turnover, and productivity is also a good place to start, because they are a general indicator not only of the health but also the morale of employees.

Once employers have a feel for their corporate health landscape, they can then begin to gather employee interest data through focus groups, questionnaires and surveys, and individual interviews. Finding out what the employees are looking for is a key factor in maintaining their interest and participation in any program, and should be carefully balanced with the needs and goals of the business’ wellness program objectives.

And contrary to what people might think, results-oriented wellness programs aren’t just for large, national organizations. Worksite wellness can range from basic programs that provide employees with health education materials and occasional on-site health fairs or workshops, to comprehensive programs whereby employees take a baseline HRA and the company works to address employee health needs by providing a series of on-site health programs that address everything from diseases to fitness and nutrition incentives, as well as health resources available to employees. Through participation in programs such as WellFlex® not only do employees have the chance to benefit individually by improving their fitness and managing health risks, but organizations can benefit as well by realizing greater employee satisfaction, higher productivity, and reduced absenteeism and contained healthcare costs.

Prism Health Networks is dedicated to helping companies develop and meet worksite wellness goals and objectives. Whether it's through exercise, eating healthier, or simply finding strategies to manage stress, Prism Health Networks offers high-quality health and wellness programs that promote proactive approaches to staying fit, healthy and happy. Prism utilizes the expertise of physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, nutritionists, and exercise physiologists to help ensure that their unique, goal-oriented programs meet the needs of people of all ages.

Prism Health Network’s WellFlex® program is designed to motivate employees to participate in health education programs, fitness assessments, and other health and wellness activities. It offers an on-line tracking system that helps employees monitor their health progress and provides motivational wellness tools on ways to help live a healthy lifestyle. Employees are incentivized to achieve specific wellness goals, and the healthier they get, the more they earn!

The WellFlex® program can be customized to match to the level of an organization’s readiness to deliver and utilize wellness programs. This can range from general awareness and education to fully customized, interactive programs. Two specific options are as follows:

For employers who want to begin offering health awareness to their employees but are not yet ready as an organization to move forward with a more comprehensive wellness effort, Wellflex® can provide basic employee wellness education. The information provided is introductory in nature, and promotes health and wellness through health fairs, newsletters, posters, and telephonic support. Included in this program is an Interest Assessment to understand what health and wellness topics most interest an organization’s employees, a health fair jointly scheduled and organized with staff; quarterly wellness newsletters; annual employer/employee satisfaction surveys; annual wellness participation reports; and ongoing customer service support. Prism Health Networks acts as the organization’s wellness partner, and works closely with their designated wellness team or representative to ensure the program’s success.

WellFlex® can also provide the most extensive worksite wellness program for organizations ready to make the highest level of commitment to the health of their employees and who want to achieve measurable financial and physical results from instituting a comprehensive health and wellness program in the work environment. The program offers analysis of medical cost savings and work productivity in order to provide a measurable return on investment. This customized WellFlex® package is designed to offer the most comprehensive level of wellness initiatives, goals, and rewards. Prism Health Networks will provide administrative guidance, support, and expertise in program planning and implementation to help achieve the highest level of success. This package includes implementation planning, on-line and telephonic support, wellness data analysis including monitoring of blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and other lifestyle related factors that are largely associated with the soaring cost of healthcare. Prism Health Networks communicates with local health care providers to gather and review key health indicators. Quarterly Wellness Communications are also an essential piece of ongoing communication, providing support and encouragement during the lifestyle change process. Prism Health Networks also provides customized reports, a pre- and post-program productivity and claims outcomes analysis which illustrates how the program has been influential in impacting productivity and the group’s medical claims.

The WellFlex® program is designed to be flexible and will continue to support employee wellness over time. Corporations usually don’t have the time or expertise to manage and implement a wellness program in-house. We take control of the process and administer, motivate, and report on all activities. Prism Health Network’s health promotion experts stay on the cutting edge of the most effective wellness programs and techniques, and are always ready to share their knowledge and experience so that employers and employees alike can feel confident that they can TRUST Prism Health Networks with their health and wellness needs.

If you have questions or are interested in learning more about improving the health of your employees, please log on to www.prismnetwork.com or contact Prism Health Networks WellFlex® program at (888) 777-8919. The Prism Health Networks staff will be delighted to develop a unique program adapted to fit the needs of your workforce.