Health Wellness ProgramHealth and Wellness Programs and Wellness Program Consulting

Comprehensive health promotion programs involve all staff members, deal with all major health risks, offers choices, and target both the staff members and the workplace environment; provide periodic evaluation of its results.     

Extensive wellness programs emphasize follow-up and offers support for the worker since he/she is employed. Studies have shown this approach to be highly successful. Key components are planning, implementation, and investigation.   

Creating comprehensive health promotion programs involve performing a needs and interest assessment, appointing a wellness committee, picking  wellness providers, setting goals/objectives for the health promotion program, advertising and marketing/promoting the health promotion program, and establishing procedures to ensure confidentiality.   

Implementation of comprehensive wellness programs consist of five major tasks –    

1   Medical screening and referral

2   Follow-up and counseling employees

3   Follow-up with physicians

4   Health improvement programs

5   Organizing worksite-wide activities.

Investigation involves monitoring health promotion programs to determine when it is working and to help you refine it. Measuring success shows what you have achieved, helps justify costs, and provides information for senior level management to support continued health promotion programming.   

Comprehensive wellness programs involve all workers, deal with all major health risks, offers choices, and target both the workers and the workplace environment; provide periodic examination of its results.     

Comprehensive wellness programs emphasize follow-up and offers support for the employee if he/she is employed. Studies have shown this approach to be highly successful. Key components are planning, implementation, and evaluation

Planning comprehensive wellness programs involve performing a needs and interest assessment, appointing a wellness committee, choosing  wellness providers, establishing goals/objectives for the wellness program, advertising/promoting the wellness program, and establishing procedures to ensure confidentiality

Implementation of robust wellness programs consist of five major tasks –

• Medical testing and health risk appraisal

• Follow-up and counseling employees

• Follow-up with doctors

• Health betterment and disease prevention programs

• Organizing workplace-wide wellness program activities.

Investigation involves monitoring health promotion programs to find out if it is working and to help you refine it.

Measuring success shows what you’ve achieved, assists justify costs, and provides information for upper management to support continued health promotion programming.

Initially introduced by Halbert Dunn in the 1950’s, wellness became a well-liked buzzword during the late 1970’s and received considerable academic attention in the 1980’s.     

Health promotion programs for workers became more widespread during the following decade, and credible evidence for their economic viability started to be published.     

There have now been over 100 published studies on this topic and a number of systematic reviews.

Health risks increase costs.  Medical and medical insurance costs escalate with both age and number of risks present.8,10   the number of risks is also strongly related to sick time absenteeism, Employee’s Compensation costs, short-term disability, and lowered productivity (”presenteeism”).

Early employee health promotion programs were relatively basic and ordinarily produced a Return On Investment of less than one dollar for every dollar spent operating the health promotion program (Return On Investment = <1 - 1).8

Such health promotion programs may  be characterized as “fun-oriented”.  Participation is entirely voluntary, and there’s no particular focus on the reduction of especially identified high risks.  

Interventions and activities aren’t customized, and there’s no emphasis on the management of medical costs.  These wellness programs are generally site-based only, lack options to address all the major behaviorally-related health risks, and lack multimodal presentation.  

Minimal or no incentives are provided to workforce for participation, and services to spouses and family members are not available.  Most such wellness programs lack meaningful investigation.  

More conventional health promotion programs are “activity-oriented” and have shown an Return On Investment (ROI) of between 1 – 2.5 and 1 – 3.5.8 These health promotion programs may have a greater emphasis on health and risk reduction, although the efforts are relatively broad and not personalized.  

They may have some generalized emphasis on health care cost management, although not necessarily aimed at specific high risks.  Most are site-based and voluntary, with spouses included only rarely.  

Modest incentives might  be utilized to encourage participation.  Formal evaluation might  be weak.

The newest and most economically viable health promotion programs are “results-oriented” and exemplify the health and productivity management model.  These health promotion programs consistently produce return rates of 1 – 4 or greater within a 12-24 month period.8  

Such wellness programs are strongly focused on the reduction of especially identified high risks and the management of health costs. They’re usually voluntary, but use strong financial and other incentives to promote participation.  

They are multi-component in nature (address all major risks), and have both on-site and virtual modalities of operation.  The interventions are highly targeted and individualized, and offered to spouses as well as employees.

For corporations, the cost of providing health insurance for their personnel is of excellent importance.  Those costs have been increasing at annual rates between 6 percent and 14 percent.

Chapman’s 2007 systematic review7 reported an typical reduction in health care costs of 26.5% thus of employee health promotion programs.  His review covered 60 of the most scientifically precise studies, with an typical of 3.77 years of study.

Absenteeism due to disease is another cost driver.  Chapman’s review7 reports an typical reduction in sick time of 25.3 percent.   Cost for Employee’s Compensation was lowered by 40.7 percent, and disability costs by 24.2 percent.

There is also an emerging literature on the costs of presenteeism (reduced productivity).11,13  In one study, every risk lowered through a wellness program yielded a 9% reduction in presenteeism (and a 2% reduction in absenteeism).11

Some businesses have achieved a zero% increase in health care costs across at least brief periods of time.10  Doing so requires 90-95% participation of the employee population in focused wellness programs, with 75%-85% of the employees falling into the low risk category.10     

Although comprehensive efforts to lower the risk status of those in moderate or high risk categories must be made, the needs of currently healthy staff must be addressed as well to avoid increases in risk-status.   

Given the size of the federal workforce, significant cost savings in the government’s contribution to health insurance premiums for workers may be achieved when a majority of that population were participating in active wellness programs.     

Likewise, improvements in absenteeism, staff member’s compensation, disability, presenteeism, and turnover so of extensive staff member health promotion programs would yield substantial fiscal benefits for the government.   

References   

1   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Wellness Programs –   A Robust Review of the Literature.   Am J Wellness 15(5) – 296-320.

2   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   the Role of Incentives in Wellness.  The Art of Wellness  2(3) – 1-8.

3   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Health Promotion –   is it Really as Important as We Think?  the Art of Health Promotion  7(2) – 1-12.

4   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Investigation of Employee Wellness Economic Return Studies –  2005 Update.  The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.

5   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)  Worker Participation in Employee Wellness and Wellness Programs –  Just how Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6) –   431-432.

6   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   the Role of Health Promotion Coaching in Employee Wellness.   the Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-12.

7   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive –   an Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Employee Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.

8   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   an In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Companys” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

9   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research –   A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Health Promotion 15(5) –  341-349.

10   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Corporation Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Businesss” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Be certain to work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7) –  746-754.

12   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of extensive Health and Illness ManagementPrograms at the Worksite –  Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.

13   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et.  Al.  (2007)  an Unhealthful America –   the Economic Burden of Chronic Disease.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.

14   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health –   Proven Health Promotion Practices for Worksites.   http – //www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Corporate America is increasingly investing in employee health promotion because it is good corporation.  In order to meet productivity demands, businesses must rely on a healthy, productive workforce to succeed in the highly competitive global marketplace.  

Over a hundred studies in both corporate and governmental settings have documented the economic benefits of worker health promotion programs, including decreased absenteeism, decreased injuries and workman’s compensation costs, decreased health care costs, decreased worker turnover, in addition to increased productivity, greater worker satisfaction, and improved morale.1-10  

The more recent literature reflects improvements in wellness programming along with greater return on investment.  In general, the more focused and intensive the wellness program, the greater benefit realized.  

To enhance their effectiveness federal government employee health promotion programs could  be able to incorporate some of the features described. Staff Member health promotion programs shown to have positive returns on investment often include the following features –    

1   Health and productivity management model

Programs characterized by this model focus attention on identification and reduction of specific risks or behaviors such as tobacco use, lack of physical activity, excess weight, unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, depression, and so on.     

High-risk employees are particularly targeted for intervention, although the most successful health promotion programs also direct efforts towards healthful employees to maintain their low-risk status.  This model emphasizes outcomes as opposed to simply offering wellness activities for their own sake.     

2   Health risk assessment

Use of a computerized health risk appraisal  instrument with individualized feedback and recommendations is almost universal in successful health promotion programs. Workers take the questionnaire each year in many cases.     

The Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) serves to elevate awareness, provide direction, and motivate person to improve specific behaviors.  In some cases, the personalized report is directly linked to appropriate resources related to identified risks.     

Research indicates that the use of an HRA is effective when it is followed by some kind of educational or therapeutic intervention for identified risks.  It often serves as the entry point into wellness programs.   

3   Biometric analysis

A lot of health promotion programs combine the results of the health risk assessment with measurement of each staff member’s biometrics, including weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) , blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and assorted other metrics.     

Combining the results of the Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) with biological measures leads to a more precise risk profile.   Computerized health risk assessments often incorporate biometric data in their risk analysis.   

4   Health Promotion Program Incentives

Workers are frequently given monetary or other significant rewards for completing an HRA, participation in a health promotion program or class, specific accomplishments such as stopping tobacco use, losing weight, or exercising, and for maintaining healthy status and/or behaviors.     

In many cases the monetary incentives are associated with reductions in medical insurance premiums.  Some wellness programs use disincentives in addition to incentives, such as charging staff who smoke higher rates for their medical insurance contribution.   

5   High wellness program participation rates

Successful wellness programs use incentives to drive participation rates up.  They also market their wellness programs robustly, and may use contest or challenge strategies to heighten enthusiasm and encourage participation.   

6   Health Promotion coaching

Workers with identified risks or desire to improve their health habits may  be periodically coached via telephone by trained health Coaches.     

Coaching helps workforce set and achieve realistic lifestyle-related objectives including those addressing stress, work life balance, use of tobacco, weight, physical activity, and various behavior modifications.     

Three or more sessions are usually offered.  In some intensive wellness programs, the coaching extends to actual disease management intervention for staff members with identified high-risk diseases.    

7   Multiple formats

Programs may offer wellness content in online, paper, and seminar formats to provide stimulating variety and alternatives in order to accommodate the needs of all staff.     

In addition to on-site exercise and healthy eating events, on-line health promotion programs, e-mail reminders and notices, printed newsletters and materials, and workplace classes and seminars are common dissemination strategies.   

8   Senior management support

Enthusiastic and frequent endorsement by upper-level management is critical to achieving high rates of participation.  When senior executives are wellness role models themselves the effects of endorsement are enhanced.   

9   Frequent contact

Successful wellness programs have frequent contact of some sort with every worker.  This could  be through marketing efforts (e.g., posters, e-mail notices, reminders, or messages, etc.), bulletin boards, newsletters, staff meeting presentations, discussion in new worker orientation, supervisory sessions, etc.      

The key is to enhance employee awareness of wellness opportunities and reinforce the corporate emphasis on wellness through frequent and multiple “touches”.   

10   Open enrollment

To encourage high participation rates personnel must’ve easy access to the wellness programs and activities.  Open and uncomplicated enrollment processes achieve this.     

Some corporations automatically enroll all employees and then allow those who don’t wish to participate to “opt-out”.  This practice has been proven to boost enrollment rates in some settings.   

11   Family involvement

Many wellness programs encourage spouses and other family members to participate in the organization wellness activities and to adopt a healthful lifestyle along with the designated staff member. It is far easier for the staff member to have a healthful lifestyle when his/her family does so as well.   

12   Tobacco use cessation

Because tobacco use and other tobacco use is the number one threat to health it’s critical to offer workers effective and convenient assistance with quitting.     

Access to tobacco cessation pharmaceuticals is usually part of such wellness programs.  In-house wellness programs provide the most convenient access to these services, although on-line or telephone-based wellness programs might  be available as well.     

13   Exercise

Regular exercise is a core component of every wellness program. Employees ought to be strongly encouraged to engage in regular exercise.     

Most health promotion programs provide either periodic or continuous onsite opportunities, and some locations have onsite health and fitness centers, swimming pools, walking trails, etc.  Discounted or paid memberships to community exercise facilities is a common alternative to onsite facilities.   

14   Weight management

Because obesity is a major threat to health it is critical that programs offer effective assistance with weight control. Comprehensive encouragement from senior level management to shed excess weight is important.     

Web-Based wellness programs, workplace programs, or discounted access to weight control programs in the community may all be available.  Long-term follow-up is vital for maintenance of weight reduction.   

15   Stress management

Worksite stress is perhaps the most common complaint among personnel and a major contributor to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity), and low morale.     
   
Nearly all successful wellness programs offer assistance with personal and worksite stress.  Some programs refer workers to outside resources for more serious conditions like depression and anxiety disorders, but most offer internet based or frequent onsite general stress reduction programs.     
   
Some companies endeavor to structure the work environment to minimize stress, both physically and operationally.   

16   Medical screenings/immunizations

Staff Members are actively encouraged to complete recommended medical screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, Body Mass Index, colorectal and breast cancer, and others.     

Annual influenza immunizations are also encouraged.  Some sites provide these services at the workplace.  Incentives are often awarded for completion of these screenings/immunizations.    

17   On-Site health care

Actual provision of onsite primary care medical services is a growing trend.  The quickly escalating costs of medical care insurance for workforce has stimulated this trend.     

Some businesses have found that it is less costly to provide primary care services themselves than to fund those services through medical insurance.     

On-Site care also reduces the amount of time workforce would otherwise spend away from the workplace getting such services.    

References   

1   Aldana, Steven G.  (2001)   Financial Impact of Wellness Programs –   A Comprehensive Review of the Literature.   Am J Wellness 15(5) – 296-320.

2   Chapman, Larry.  (1998)   the Role of Incentives in Wellness.  The Art of Wellness  2(3) – 1-8.

3   Chapman, Larry.   (2003)   Biometric Screening in Health Promotion –   is it Really as Important as We Think?  the Art of Health Promotion  7(2) – 1-12.

4   Chapman, Larry.  (2005)   Meta-Examination of Employee Wellness Economic Return Studies –  2005 Update.  The Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-15.

5   Chapman, Larry.   (2006)  Worker Participation in Employee Wellness and Wellness Programs –  Exactly how Important are Incentives, and Which Ones work Best?   North Carolina Medical Journal   67(6) –   431-432.

6   Chapman, Larry, Lesch, Nancy, and Passas Baun, Mary Beth.   (2007)   the Role of Wellness Coaching in Employee Wellness.   the Art of Wellness, July/August, 1-12.

7   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   Proof Positive –   an Analysis of the cost-Effectiveness of Employee Wellness.  Northwest Health Management Publishing, Seattle, WA.

8   Chapman, Larry.  (2007)   an In-Depth Look at the Economic Evidence for Rewarding Health Behavior Change.   Workshop presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Corporations” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

9   Edington, Dee.   (2001)   Emerging Research –   A View from One Research Center.  American Journal of Health Promotion 15(5) –  341-349.

10   Edington, Dee W.  (2007)   Health Management as a Serious Business Strategy.  Presentation at the World Research Group “Rewarding Healthy Behaviors for Health Plans and Employers” Conference, Orlando, FL, January 23-24.

11   Pelletier, Barbara, Boles, Myde, and Lunch, Wendy.  (2004)  Changes in Health Risks and Be sure to work Productivity.   Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 46(7) –  746-754.

12   Pelletier, Kenneth R.  (2005)   A Review and Analysis of the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness Studies of extensive Health and Disease ManagementPrograms at the Worksite –  Update VI 2000-2004.  JOEM 47(10)1051-1058.

13   DeVol, Ross, Bedroussian, Armen, et.  Al.  (2007)  an Unhealthy America –   the Economic Burden of Chronic Disease.  Report released by the Milken Institute.   www.milkeninstitute.org.

14   Partnership for Prevention.  (2008) Investing in Health –   Proven Health Promotion Practices for Worksites.   http – //www.prevent.org/images/stories/2008/investinginhealth_finalfinal.pdf.

Evaluations determine the outcome of a Health Promotion Program. They help you find out when your goals were met. It’s a good idea to add an analysis component to your Health Promotion Program.

Investigations may conclude that some interventions didn’t work well. You may find that a well-liked Health Promotion Program costs too much and didn’t really affect employees’ health.

While these may not be the outcomes you hoped for, without this information you may continue ineffective interventions. Having this information will help you create better solutions.

When your results are excellent, it is magnificent! You can spread the word to staff and upper-level management that your wellness program is achieving its goals.

Three major areas of an evaluation

• Health Promotion Program structure – the basic framework of the program

• Health Promotion Program process – Exactly how well the program is run

• Wellness Program outcomes – Whether the wellness program met the set objectives

Common questions used to evaluate a Health Promotion Program

Structure Questions

• What is included in the Wellness Program? What is the intervention?

• Where does the Health Promotion Program take place?

• Exactly how is the Wellness Program delivered? What content is included?

• Who manages the Wellness Program?

Process Questions

• Just how many individuals  participate?

• Do participants complete the Wellness Program?

• Are participants satisfied?

• Which aspects of the Health Promotion Program are best attended?

Outcome Questions

• Does the Wellness Program improve knowledge about health issues?

• Does the Wellness Program change behavior?

• Does the Wellness Program save the corporation money?

• What’s the Return On Investment?

Download a sample wellness program (http – //www.ibx.com/pdfs/custom/wellness_partners/services/turnkey_programs/walking/participant_eval.pdf) examination from IBC’s Walking Towards Wellness program.

• Identify through an employee survey what incentives they value.

• Identify what incentives the company can provide in addition to what the budget will allow.

• Ensure that every participant who achieves a goal receives some recognition.

• Avoid offering incentives for the “best” or the “most.”

• Avoid using food as a reward.

• Use incentives to promote your wellness program, through logos and branding.

Incentives encourage workforce to adopt positive behaviors or maintain an existing positive behavior that may potentially help the employee stay healthful and live longer. Adopting positive health behavior is fundamentally what wellness is about.

Incentives may be used to elevate participation rates, help person complete a Health Promotion Program, or help person change or adhere to healthy behaviors.

Providing incentives and rewards will send an important message to the staff members that your corporation is committed to assisting them with improving their health. It also plays a meaningful role in motivating individuals to participate.

Tips on how to choose appropriate incentives –

• Identify through an staff member survey what incentives they value.

• Identify what incentives the organization can provide in addition to what the budget will allow.

• Ensure that every participant who achieves a goal receives some recognition.

• Prevent offering incentives for the “best” or the “most.”

• Prevent using food as a reward.

• Use incentives to promote your Wellness Program, through logos and branding.

When developing a comprehensive Health Promotion Program, make sure that it consists of a variety of awareness, lifestyle change, supportive environment programs, policies and activities that target risk behaviors, and the needs and interests of the workers.

It’ll be imperative that you review and revise existing policies governing such areas as smoking sections and the staff cafeteria.

Tips on designing a Health Promotion Program –

• Create activities based on your plan objectives addressing the specific needs of your employees. Focus on those topics that are of greatest interest to your employees and the greatest needs of your company, in that order. Prevent topics with narrow appeal.

• Keep it simple. Design the Health Promotion Program so it is easy for the participants to understand and track.

• Integrate a combination of activities to include awareness, educational, and behavior elements.

• Pick activities in which every worker can participate.

Suggestions for your Health Promotion Program –

• Challenges. Activities that focus on practicing a desired behavior that continues for 4-8 weeks and focuses on specific topics (like physical activity, nutrition, or stress management).

• Learning experiences. This includes seminars, videos, and classes.

• Behavior changes (like smoking cessation). You might or might not offer interventions at the worksite. Nonetheless, you should encourage person to make lifestyle changes that they want to make even without an external incentive.

• Education on disease management. for  instance, support and education groups for diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.

• Learing new skills. for example, CPR and first aid.

• Preventive screenings like blood pressure, cholesterol, and vision.

Develop goals and objectives

Goals are general guidelines that explain what you want to achieve. Goals define strategies or steps to take to attain the identified goal.

A wellness program should have a “destination”. Use the results of your surveys and your wellness committee’s mission statement as guides. Consider these ideas –  

• Focus on making health information and learning resources readily available to workforce

• Focus on group activities so workforce can work together to support and encourage healthier lifestyles

• Develop a health promotion program that is visible to both workforce and to your clients

• Focus on written policies and guidelines

• Make sure to set objectives for your wellness program.

Review Guidelines for Writing Objectives.

Wellness Program Objectives Should be

Specific – A goal is specific when it provides a description of what will be accomplished. It’ll state exactly what the business intends to accomplish.

It should be written so that it may be easily and clearly communicated. A specific goal will make it easier for those writing goals and action plans to address the following questions –  

• Who’s to be involved?

• What is to be accomplished?

• Where’s it to be done?

• When’s it to be done?

Measurable – A goal is measurable when it’s quantifiable.  To determine when your goal is measurable, ask questions like – Exactly how much? Exactly how many? Exactly how will I know when it’s accomplished?

Attainable – You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Objectives that might have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable.

Realistic – Realistic, means “do-able.” the goal needs to be realistic for your business and where the business is at the moment.

A goal to take out all the high fat items in the vending machine might not be realistic for your business right now; a better goal would be to substitute some of the chips, candy bars and pies for pretzels, yogurt and dried fruit.

Timely – Lastly, a goal must have a timeframe –  for next week, in three months, by age 35. It must have a beginning and ending point. It should also have some intermediate points at which progress could be assessed.

Limiting the time in which a goal must be accomplished assists to focus effort toward its achievement. If you don’t set a time, the commitment is too vague. It tends not to happen because you feel you can start at any time. Without a time limit, there’s no urgency to start taking action now.

Successful health promotion programs are designed to meet the needs and interests of the employees. Ask employees what they’re interested in, and what needs they have.

Individuals  are more willing to participate and support wellness efforts if they are involved in the decision-making process. Review the sample worker survey provided below.

Staff Member Interest Survey – can be edited (http – //www.ibx.com/pdfs/custom/worksite_wellness/company_tools/employee_interest_survey.doc)

When developing a recent survey, keep the following hints in mind –

• Ask mainly closed form questions, especially if you’ll be sending the survey to a big number of workforce. Closed form questions provide specific choices and are easy to tabulate.

• Invite comments, suggestions and recommendations, or ask open-ended questions after the survey. Open-ended items are more challenging to summarize.

• Include a brief explanatory cover letter with the survey with the signature of the company president. Make certain to include a statement about confidentiality and anonymity.

• Ask a group of representative workers to review the survey before it is distributed. Find out if the questions are going to be understood by workers and will not be objected to.

• Include demographic information at the beginning, or end of the survey (gender, age, shift, site, department, etc.).

• Conduct a random drawing for a valued incentive item for all those who returned the survey. This could increase the response rate.

One rule to consider concerning surveys is if you have fewer than 500 personnel, everyone should receive one.  The advantage of everyone receiving a recent survey could be significant. If you have over 500 personnel, a sample of the work population from each department will suffice.

The higher the response, the more exact and reliable the results. A minimum response of 40% to 50% is considered valuable.

A vital first step in organizing your company’s wellness program is the formation of a wellness committee.  The focus of the wellness committee is to plan, promote, and implement the wellness program.

The committee establishes continuity, motivation, and wide ownership of the health promotion program as well as provides an excellent car for communication.

So who must be on the committee? Consider appointing the following people /departments to your committee –

• executive management within your business

• Union representatives

• Human resources  department

• Staff Member assistance program

• Information technology

• Communications

• Health and safety department

• Employees interested in wellness

Building a successful health promotion program requires staff time in addition to money. Some larger businesses may spend 20 hours per week for three to six months preparing all the steps before launching a health promotion program.

Anywhere from 4 to 10 individuals  meeting monthly is equivalent to a wellness committee. A mission statement for the committee must be developed by the second meeting. This way, everyone knows what the committee is working toward.

Once a wellness program has been established, the committee’s size and meeting schedule may change. Still, no fewer than 4 members should meet at least quarterly so the group – and the wellness program – does not fade away.

Support from senior level management is essential to building a successful health promotion program! Visible senior level management support is one of the most critical factors in the success of a worksite Health Promotion Program.

Senior level management executives are responsible for making sure that the organization meets its goals. They can provide additional assistance by helping you to link your Wellness Program goals to organization outcomes, thereby positioning Wellness Program as a fundamental part of the organization.

It’s important to create support and excitement for the health promotion program from all levels of the organization including senior level management, mid-level management, and grass-root personnel.

The challenge for any Health Promotion Program coordinator is convincing upper management about the potential value of Health Promotion Program to the company and conceptualizing how wellness programs can impact the company in a meaningful manner.

The American Journal of Health Promotion is a excellent resource to assist you with obtaining convincing information on the advantages of a Health Promotion Program.

Wellness Program support from upper management can come in many different ways –

• Involvement in the planning process

• Distribution of funding for the wellness program

• Support for time given to the wellness program

• Participation in wellness events

• Leadership by management, like the distribution of a letter of support for the health promotion program.

• Download a sample letter requesting upper management support. (http – //www.ibx.com/pdfs/custom/workplace_wellness/company_tools/sr_mgt_support.doc)

• Flexibility of staff member schedules to accommodate wellness activities