BEST PRACTICES IN WELLNESS Jill McAdams, City of Bedford Robby Neill, City of Garland Michelle Wu, City of Austin TMHRA Annual Conference Thursday, May 9, 2013
Best Practices/Initiatives Dietary Programs,/Nutrition Challenges/Weight Watchers at Work Educational programs (lunch & learn, dietary programs, smoke cessation classes, etc.) Exercise Programs (Free group exercise classes, fun runs/walks)
Best Practices/Initiatives Health/Benefits Fair/Health Expos/ Health Campaigns Health Risk Assessments (questionnaire, biometric screening, physical, labs) Employee wellness committee
Best Practices/Initiatives EAP Incentives ( health premium discounts, gift cards) Incorporate healthy food into meetings, employee activities, vending machines, etc.
Employee Wellness Program Jill McAdams, HR Director City of Bedford
Committee Approach-Representatives from each City Department In-House SMEs and Guest Speakers Health Risk Assessments define calendar Healthy food days, healthy vending machine items, healthy food at employee events
Challenges, Programs, exercise classes, and on going communication Integrated approach that combines committee, HDHP and off-site employee clinic to reduce overall health costs Program has lowered annual per employee medical claims by more than half in two years City is on track to see continued and sustainable health improvements resulting in cumulative savings of $500,000 over five years
Partnered with local Physician s office Substantial savings over on-site clinic/more hours/funded through insurance plan design changes Private employee waiting area/centrally located in Bedford/available to employees & dependents
Employees/dependents receive urgent medical care in clinic like setting at no charge to them Clinic is familiar with health plan/prescribes generic medication when possible/uses samples Health coaching's on weight loss, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.
Visits do not impact health plan/data is reported for history Employees use less sick time due to clinic structure/less likely to report to work with illnesses/increased employee morale
High employee satisfaction with program/recent surveys indicate 98% of participants are satisfied or very satisfied with the benefit Challenges include billing mishaps/early challenges include finding a participant and determining scope of services
Farm to Work Michelle Du, Wellness Coordinator City of Austin Michelle Du May 9, 2013
City of Austin Health Data 72% of City employees are overweight or obese Body weight and blood pressure are the top two health risks for City employees 13
Nutrition is Important Research shows that 80% of body weight is determined 80% by nutrition One way to improve nutrition is to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables 14
How to Change Behavior Remove barriers to purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables by: Providing convenient access Offering a value price Promoting offerings during teachable moments Providing continued and sustained support 15
Farm to Work Program The City partners with a local non-profit, the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) The Sustainable Food Center organizes local farmers markets SFC connects employers with farmers who are willing to deliver fresh produce baskets to City worksites 16
How it Works 17
Farm to Work Baskets Employees order their baskets online Baskets can be paid for with a credit card Baskets are delivered the following week If an employee orders 10 baskets, the 11 th is free Baskets have a variety of produce selected by the farmer 18
Basket Pick-up The Farmer delivers the baskets at the same time, day and location each week Employees who placed an order receive an email reminder to pick up their basket Wellness staff set up tables and distribute the baskets 19
Keeping it Sustainable To keep the program sustainable, volunteers are enlisted to work at the table each week A schedule is create and volunteers sign-up for shifts Volunteers receive a roster and check names off as employees pick up their baskets 20
Measuring Success 2011 734 baskets $14,680 to support local farmers 2012 587 baskets $11,740 to support local farmers Added a second pick-up site 21
Program Challenges Drought! This is the number one challenge for the program The drought affects the quality of the produce and the farmer s ability to consistently deliver baskets Produce Quality Quality should be monitored and feedback provided 22
Program Challenges (continued) Produce Quantity Survey employees to see what they want Most City of Austin employees are looking for a value basket (some new things but also staples) Make sure employees feel that the price is right for what they are receiving 23
How to Start Visit the local Farmer s Market Meet farmers who are interested Request a sample basket Consistently monitor quality and quantity Request feedback from employees 24
City of Garland Commit to Wellness (C2W) Robby Neill, Director of Risk Management City of Garland
Commit to Wellness Program Design C2W committee, medical staff, wellness coordinator, benefits staff Program Administration Promotion, administration, benefit coordination Wellness Program Coordinator, benefits staff Clinical Component In-house family practice clinic (CityCare Clinic) Health Advocate, physician, other medical staff
CityCare Clinic Clinic staff: 2 physicians, RN, 3 MA s, office mgr., 3 office support Clinic services: Physicals (health, job related, and school), Acute and chronic care, minor injuries, minor surgery Counseling, medical referral and follow-up Hearing and vision testing, EKG, x-ray, lab, drug testing Disease management (hypertension, diabetes, etc.) Comprehensive cardiac risk assessment
CityCare Clinic Health Advocate (RN Case Manager) Individual medical condition management New diagnosis education (individual and group) Health coaching (individual and group) Referral assistance Counseling Medical Assistant Specialties Disease management (hypertension, diabetes, etc.) Comprehensive cardiac risk assessment
Benefits to City Savings Diverted office visits under health plan Early detection and intervention of serious health conditions Chronic condition management and compliance Improved workforce productivity / less time away from work Wellness program based on clinically identified needs of employee base
Employee Benefits Convenience of medical services to work location No co-pay for clinic services Expedited referral appointments Confidence and comfort level with clinic staff Personalized service and follow-up Personal health coaching Reduced leave use
Measures of Success Program participation Attendance at wellness promotional events Use of in-house clinic services Aggregate data from health screenings Health claim cost Individual success stories Significant weight loss Quality of life Life saving stories
Lessons Learned Methods and frequency of program communication Coordination of program components Challenge of meeting growing demand for in-house clinic services Keep it simple! Some employees need individual attention rather than group communication Sensitivity to group dynamics of change
Questions? Jill McAdams, City of Bedford Robby Neill, City of Garland Michelle Wu, City of Austin