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 Dr. Powell shares his expertise in a free webinar! WHAT: Power to the Patient: Teaching Wise Health Care Consumerism in the Workplace
WHEN: Wednesday, February 29, 1:00 PM EST*
LENGTH: About 30 mins., plus time for questions
HOST: Dr. Don R. Powell, President and CEO, American Institute for Preventive Medicine
REGISTRATION: Completely free! Sign up here — space is limited.
WHY: Wise health care consumerism is the missing link in most wellness programs.
Escalating health care costs have burdened both employees and employers. The average cost of a visit to the doctor is about $199; a visit to the ER costs about $922, according to AHRQ. About 25% of those visits are unnecessary, costing billions of dollars every year.
Teaching employees to make wise decisions about their health care empowers your employees and saves your company money. It can even improve an employee’s general health — whether or not you have a wellness program in place.
In this to-the-point, engaging webinar, our President and CEO, Dr. Don R. Powell, will discuss compelling reasons to incorporate wise health care consumerism in your wellness program. He’ll also share practical, creative and budget-friendly ideas for giving your employees the tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex health care system.
Join us on Wednesday, February 29, at 1:00 PM EST*. This program is FREE, but space is limited, so register today.
We look forward to speaking with you on 2/29!
*Please note new date!
Heart Health Month
Communities, workplaces, even buildings went red on Friday to raise awareness of heart disease, which remains the number one killer in the U.S. of men and women.
February is a great time to emphasize lifestyle choices that improve heart health — eating well, being physically active and quitting smoking.
- Host a cooking class at your workplace or a local community center. Focus on heart-healthy foods that are low in sodium and saturated fat and feature whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Or include some easy heart-healthy recipes with paychecks or in your employee newsletter.
- Start a lunchtime walking group, an in-office yoga class or a daily stretching session for stress relief. Teach employees to measure their heart rate before and after physical activity.
- Raise awareness in your workplace of heart attack warning signs.
- Hold a CPR workshop.
National Cancer Prevention Month
A major 2011 study suggests that 40% of all cancers are preventable. The same lifestyle choices that prevent heart disease and stroke can help prevent cancer: quit smoking, limit alcohol, eat a balanced diet and get enough physical activity.
The American Institute for Cancer Research has compiled a number of resources on their website, including the New American Plate system of meal planning, a nutrition hotline and downloadable publications.
Here’s a recipe for broccoli salad with peanut dressing. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of cancer-preventing vitamins C, B, and K, as well as folate, fiber, potassium, and beta-carotene.
4 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin strips, about 1 cup
1/3 cup red onion, cut in thin crescents
3 Tbsp. smooth peanut butter, natural and unsweetened
2 tsp. roasted sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. agave syrup
Pinch of salt
Ground black pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Place steamer basket in large saucepan. Add water to depth of 1 inch. Cover and bring the water to boil. Add broccoli, cover and steam over medium-high heat until tender-crisp, 3 minutes.
Transfer broccoli to mixing bowl. Add bell pepper and onion.
In small bowl, combine peanut butter and sesame oil. Add vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce and agave and whisk until dressing is smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and use fork to toss until salad is well coated.
Sprinkle on red pepper flakes, if using, and mix to combine. Cover, and refrigerate the salad for 1 hour before serving, or up to 24 hours. Toss well before serving.
Resources for 2012 National Health Observances
Download our free 2012 Wellness Activity Planner for a complete list of 2012 National Health Observances.
The American Institute for Preventive Medicine offers a wide range of products that can help you plan and promote national health observances in your workplace. For February, those resources include a Cardiac CareKit, Heart Health refrigerator magnets, and Permafolds on Heart Health, Healthy Eating, High Blood Pressure, Heart Attack Warning Signs, and Preventing Cancer.
We’re offering 10% off healthy heart and cancer prevention products through Feb. 29, 2012 — contact us for details.
Years ago, the American Institute for Preventive Medicine launched National Wise Health Care Consumer Month. Health care costs were rising, and we wanted to promote the cost-saving, health-enhancing potential of medical self-care and health care education programs as part of workplace wellness.
Years later, health care costs are still rising. Consumers are spending more time choosing cars and appliances than selecting a health plan and skimping on prescriptions to save money.
We’ve seen a wide range of trends take hold in workplace wellness — biometric screenings, on-site clinics, online health portals — and while we’re happy to see employers exploring new strategies and implementing new tools, we still believe in simple, cost-effective, time-tested solutions, and we still think medical self-care and wise health care consumerism should play a central role in the workplace.
We believe that wise health care consumers:
- Know how to choose a health care plan
- Choose their care providers carefully and thoughtfully
- Communicate with their health care providers
- Are comfortable asking questions, sharing concerns and negotiating costs
- Analyze and evaluate sources of health information
- Practice preventive care
- Know when to treat themselves at home
- Understand their prescriptions and take them as directed
To kick off the month, we’re offering a free Wise Health Care Consumerism Toolkit. We hope it will help you get the gears turning, brainstorm health care consumerism programs and provide you with a few resources you can use in your efforts.
Throughout February, we’ll be sharing information and resources about wise health care right here on the blog (healthylife.com/blog) and on Twitter (twitter.com/workingwellblog) with the hashtag #whcc2012.
Do you promote wise health care consumerism in your workplace? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line here or leave a comment below.
Whether you’re looking to improve your existing wellness program or start one from scratch, the American Institute for Preventive Medicine is here to make your job easier. In 2012, we’re introducing The CALMER Approach for one-stop wellness programming, publications and evaluation. It’s a total — and totally customizable — wellness solution for your business, whether you employ 10, 100 or 10,000 people.
C – Communication
How you communicate with your employees will directly affect the success of your wellness campaign. Our studies indicate that 90% of wellness program members are interested in receiving regular information on health, fitness, nutrition and well-being. From newsletters to pocket planners to rich audio/video content, make plans now to spread the word throughout the year.
A – Assessment
Health risk assessments and biometric screenings are helpful for you — the employer — to gather information about your population and determine your program’s priorities.
They’re also helpful for your employees. Screenings and assessments help educate your employees about their overall health and can serve as a kick-off that motivates health awareness and healthier lifestyle choices.
L – Lifestyle Enhancement
About 74% of health care costs can be attributed to a person’s lifestyle. Your wellness program probably addresses at least one of the following:
- Tobacco cessation
- Weight loss/nutrition
- Stress management
Our lifestyle programs are unique — and they work — because they’re based on teaching strategies for permanent behavior change. It’s not about dieting. It’s not even about willpower. It’s about giving you the skills you need to succeed. Whether you want to offer health coaching, a self-help program or online / social wellness challenges, we have a program that fits your needs.
M – Medical Self-Care
Medical self-care has a higher ROI than any wellness intervention. In 26 independent studies, we’ve documented an average savings of $83.15 per employee in nine months due to reduced doctor and E.R. visits.
Our self-care books and guides, newsletters, nurse advice line, online self-care products and promotional materials will give your employees access to the right information, at the right time, to receive the right level of care.
E – Education
From HealthTrackers for diet and exercise to Be Well playing cards to credit card-sized CareKits, our materials present health information in novel and engaging ways to motivate permanent behavior change. We also offer comprehensive incentive management programs complete with fulfillment, tracking software and one-click reports.
R – Reliable Evaluation
Why wait a year to see if your program is working? We want you to see results! We can provide reports as often as you’d like them, and with some of our programs you can even generate them yourself.
Reports are available for HRAs, health coaching, lifestyle programs, wellness challenges, nurse line utilization and medical self-care.
If you’re ready to get CALMER in 2012, download our catalog and get in touch.
Many of this month’s health observances are unified by a common theme: Get screened!
As an umbrella approach to this month, consider offering a tool to help your employees keep track of recommended preventive screenings. (We have a handy health screenings refrigerator magnet, for instance.) What better way to start a year in good health than getting organized and making plans for year-round preventive care?
Cervical Health Awareness Month
Every year, 12,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer. But cervical cancer is preventable, and regular Pap exams and HPV testing improves accuracy of screening results and can detect cancer early on, when it is far easier to treat. Our medical advisory board recommends Pap testing every one to three years for women age 65 and younger.
Promote awareness in your workplace: download free posters and find free/low-cost screening sites from the National Cervical Cancer Coalition
Thyroid Awareness Month
Gotta love the neck check! During thyroid awareness month, consider teaching a simple thyroid self-exam at a lunch-and-learn. All you need are some hand mirrors, glasses of water and this handy how-to. Most biometric screenings also offer a TSH test to check for over- or under-active thyroid hormone levels. If you’re doing biometric screenings to kick off your program this month, consider including some education materials about thyroid conditions. You’ll find free info sheets here.
Glaucoma Awareness Month
Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the world. Of the 2.2 million Americans have glaucoma — and half of them don’t even know it. Regular eye exams are important for detecting glaucoma. The Glaucoma Research Foundation recommends eye exams every 2-4 years, every 1-3 years for those ages 40-54, and every 1-2 years for those over 55.
Those at higher risk for glaucoma should get an exam every 2 years. Employees can take an online glaucoma risk assessment here. A helpful description of various screening tests for glaucoma (including the dreaded puff test!) available here.
National Blood Donor Month
This one isn’t screening related, but we think it’s actionable nonetheless.
Blood supplies tend to run critically low in the winter months, and in January especially. Consider hosting a workplace blood drive to help out. The American Red Cross does pretty much everything — all you need to do is provide a space and help recruit donors. Get started here.
Dear readers,
We are signing off for the next two weeks for the holidays, and to lay the groundwork for an exciting and productive 2012.
As a way to say thank you to our colleagues, clients, and friends, and to support organizations dedicated to improving health, we have made year-end contributions to the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
May you and your loved ones enjoy a happy, healthy holiday season and a wonderful New Year.
Yours in good health,
Dr. Powell, & the entire AIPM staff
We were drafting our holiday sign-off this morning when this post from Fran Melmed crossed our desk. It’s too important to ignore.
Altarum just published a study brief indicating that consumers are choosier about cars and appliances than they are about their health care — about one in three consumers said they do detailed research before selecting a doctor, while nearly 60% do so before purchasing a car.
What’s the problem here? It’s not likely that consumers don’t want to make informed decisions about their health. Instead, research suggests that consumers aren’t equipped with the right information about their options: either they don’t have access to it, they don’t know where to look for it, or they can’t make sense of it once they have it. Or some combination thereof.
Fran rightly calls on us, as consumers, to “pick up the sword” — and, just as rightly, calls on employers to play a role in developing vital consumer education skills in their employees:
it boils down to this: employers have work to do. employers who want their employees to act as health care consumers will need to step in and teach them how to find and use these newly available tools — and tell them they have an obligation to themselves and their company to do so.
At AIPM, we have long been bullish on the importance of wise health care consumerism. We started, and continue to sponsor, National Wise Health Care Consumer month. (It’s in February. Mark your calendar. We’re going to do it right this year.)
It’s at the core of who we are as a company, and what we do. We continue to emphasize the importance of medical self-care (at a time when many wellness providers are pushing more costly interventions, such as biometric screenings) because we have seen how effective it is for our clients — and because it empowers employees to make better decisions about their health care.
We hope to bring this conversation to the fore in 2012. It’s of increasing importance to wellness managers, the firms they work for and the employees they serve as health care costs continue to escalate.
It should come as no surprise that our mental health has a direct effect on our physical well-being. And just as smokers incur higher health care costs and miss more work days than non-smokers, people who suffer from stress, depression and other mental health conditions also affect your bottom line.
Take action
Consider the following strategies for improving mental health in your workplace:
- Provide a mental health self-care guide: As with a medical self-care guide, a mental health self-care guide can help people identify their symptoms, determine the best course for treatment, and be aware of warning signs that require immediate assistance.
- Communicate about your EAP, if you have one: Many organizations offer Employee Assistance Programs that provide assessment and counseling for substance abuse, emotional distress, major life events, financial well-being, elder care, and other work/life concerns. These services tend to be free and confidential to the employee, but they aren’t helpful if people don’t know about them. Make sure your people know about these programs and how they work.
- Audit your workplace culture: Is your work environment making your employees sick? Do your employees find their jobs stressful? How supportive is your company of healthy lifestyles? Improving your culture of health can be a first step toward helping your employees be mentally and physically fit. Try this job stress survey from the CDC or a healthy culture audit like this one from North Dakota Worksite Wellness.
- Get your people moving: Physical activity is one of the most effective stress-busters, mood-lifters and all-around outlook-improvers known to humankind. It’s also relatively easy to promote in the workplace. Start with a daily team walk indoors, around the campus, or in a nearby neighborhood.
- Education is everything: Consider on-site seminars for mental health issues such as healthy sleep habits, stress management, and financial wellness. You may also want to offer training for managers in recognizing signs of depression. This can help your team leaders refer screening and treatment services to those who may not realize they need it.
More information on mental health in the workplace, including a free quarterly newsletter and employer case studies, available at the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health.
You made it through 2011! Congratulations. Here are our quick tips for this month’s national health observances – and easy programming ideas for you to take action.
National Influenza Vaccination Week (Dec. 4 – 10, 2011)
It’s the most effective way to prevent the spread of the flu: Get a flu vaccine, and encourage others in your workplace to do the same. Flu vaccinations get a big push in the fall, but flu shots are available through January. It’s never too late, and it’s always important!
Visit the CDC for a wealth of resources on promoting later-in-the-game flu vaccinations. Grab a ready-to-use article and include it in the week’s wellness email. Find a flu clinic in your area and share with your employees. This week is also hand-washing awareness week, so consider tying together a comprehensive flu prevention awareness campaign that includes good hand-washing and hygiene practices.
International AIDS Awareness Month
Yesterday (Dec. 1) was World AIDS Day. More than a million people in the U.S. live with HIV/AIDS, and the CDC estimates that one in six large worksites (more than 50 employees) in the U.S. and one in 15 small worksites (less than 50 employees) have had an employee with HIV or AIDS.
Just like any other chronic disease, HIV/AIDS can affect workplace productivity and healthcare costs, so it’s vital to create a supportive, open, and of course non-discriminatory environment for people living with the disease.
Does your office have an HIV/AIDS workplace policy? If not, it’s a great place to start. The CDC Business Responds to AIDS / Labor Responds to AIDS has a step-by-step policy builder that will make this process easy for you.
Ready to take the next step? BRTA/LRTA has education materials you can use, and you can find free test resources in your area here.
National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month
T’is the season of mirthful gatherings with friends, loved ones and, yes, co-workers. But that doesn’t mean this has to be the season of unsafe driving.
If you are hosting a holiday party that includes alcohol, plan ahead for safe transportation. Appoint designated drivers (reward them with gift cards!) or pass out cab vouchers. This will make sure your people are in good hands — and serve as an example of the importance of driving responsibly. Make sure you offer plenty of non-alcoholic options; you may also want to limit the number of drinks per person or close the bar early.
Make it a priority this month to communicate about the risks of drinking and driving. And remember to make your EAP services known, if you have them. Many employees have no idea that they can get help from their employers for alcohol or drug problems.
Have a safe and happy holiday season! For a full year of National Health Observances, download our free 2012 Wellness Activity Planner.
Saying thanks is good for your health
People who adopt a grateful outlook in daily life tend to experience fewer stress-related health symptoms, such as chest pains and headaches. They may also be less likely to become depressed, according to research with students at Hofstra University and the University of California at Davis.
Perhaps we should think of Thanksgiving as a practice session for the rest of the year, and not our once-annual counting of blessings-a-thon.
Thanksgiving food is healthy food
Set aside your calorie guides, your 10-ways-to-avoid-winter-weight-gain posts: Thanksgiving food can be good for you. Think about it: antioxidant-rich carrots, sweet potatoes, greens, pumpkin, beans, cranberries, and a helping of lean protein. Is there a meal of the year where we eat more vegetables?
The trick, obviously, is preparing those foods in a healthy way (e.g., homemade, lower-sugar cranberry sauce instead of the jelly from the can; marshmallow-free sweet potato casserole). But even if our Thanksgiving recipes are perhaps more indulgent, it is a great idea to draw from the menu for meal inspiration throughout the year.
The science of the food coma
From the Wall Street Journal: Why do we get sleepy after a huge meal (medical term: post-prandial somnolence)?
Is it really due to tryptophan? Does it have something to do with blood leaving the brain and heading stomach-ward? What role does evolution play in the process — and can it actually help us build community?
The article is subscriber-only, but you can watch the video, which should fully prepare you to impress/annoy your friends with SCIENCE at your holiday table.
Update your family health tree
If you are spending time with family this Thanksgiving, consider checking in on your family health history. Your family’s health is a major indicator of your own health risks. Here is a beginner’s guide to building a family health history. If you already have a family health history, make sure it’s up-to-date.
Employees are grateful for their benefits — and their wellness programs
Even though employees are paying more for their benefits, they are increasingly grateful for them: a 2011 Mercer survey found that 80% of employees cite their benefits as a reason they work for a company.
What gives?
One key offering more and more employees are taking advantage of is workplace wellness programs. Motivated by the additional costs of their health benefits, nearly a third of employees state they are participating in the programs their employer provide to help them adapt healthier behaviors – a participation uptick from 23 percent a year ago. And nearly twice as many employees are participating in condition management or coaching programs.
News we can all be thankful for.
Have a happy and gratitude-filled Thanksgiving! And thank you.
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