CEO Letter to Clients
Using an Integrated Approach to Promote Better Health and Productivity
Health and disease management programs are only part of the equation to successfully create a culture of health

In a culture of health, preventing health risks among employees doesn’t stop with health and disease management programs. Providing employees with an ergonomic working environment is equally important for preventing injuries and reducing costs.

Research shows that office ergonomic interventions are effective in reducing symptoms, injuries and sick days, allowing employees to maximize health and productivity. In fact, multiple research studies have found that an ergonomically designed workstation can improve productivity by up to 22 percent.

To effectively improve employee health and productivity, an integrated approach to managing employee health through health benefits, workers’ compensation, safety and occupational health is essential. Unless these programs are integrated, it’s impossible to get a complete picture of what the company is spending on health care—and the return it’s receiving on its investment.

A popular beverage company client is just one example of a company that is taking this integrated approach. As part of its wellness mission, this company drives initiatives that empower employees to proactively take charge of their health and measures the success of these initiatives by how they produce reduced workers’ compensation costs, reduced medical costs and increased use of the company’s fitness center.

For the beverage company, HealthFitness provides on-site fitness and health management services as well as our JOBFIT injury prevention and treatment programs, including ergonomic evaluations, physical therapy rehabilitation and work conditioning, to 4,100 employees. As an example of how our programs work together to deliver results, HealthFitness physical therapists often partner with our fitness specialists to help employees become more active and prepared for the work demands they will be performing.

Since HealthFitness began providing services to the beverage company in 2004, the company has reduced its workers’ compensation costs per claim and reaped a strong financial benefit from its investment. Our estimates demonstrate a 1:2.2 cost-to-benefit ratio from our JOBFIT programs at the company.

Plus, we’ve more than doubled the number of total members using the company’s on-site fitness facility, from 1,100 in 2004 to more than 2,500 in 2006.

In line with the beverage company, we are beginning to see other employers recognize that taking an integrated approach with employee health by combining fitness and health management services and injury prevention programs makes bottom-line sense. And when employers consider employee health as an investment rather than an expense, they are poised to reap the rewards of a healthy, empowered workforce with higher productivity and profits.

Yours in good health,

Gregg Lehman

Inside HealthFitness
Building a Culture of Health by Minimizing Ergonomic Risks
Maximizing health and productivity through correctly adjusted ergonomic workstations extends beyond the walls of your corporate headquarters.

Through remote ergonomic assessments, dispersed employees in remote locations can also receive individualized assessments, recommendations and tools to reduce their risk for work-related injuries. And as a plus for employers, this cost-effective approach allows a small resource base to serve a company’s total population.

HealthFitness provides remote ergonomic assessments to 70,000 employees of a large IT company located in offices nationwide, including telecommuters with home offices. HealthFitness’ ergonomic consultants provide remote assessments to new employees, employees relocated to new work areas, employees who have been identified as “ergonomic high risk”  or  employees who are experiencing a work-related injury/symptoms or discomfort. HealthFitness has also launched remote ergonomic services internationally for a large energy company.

HealthFitness ergonomic consultants utilize self-analysis questionnaires, digital workstation pictures and phone consultations to identify risk factors that are or have the potential to result in injury or reduce performance. Through one-hour remote consultations, HealthFitness consultants empower employees with clear strategies and rationale to eliminate/reduce ergonomic risks and achieve a culture of wellness and safety.

HealthFitness’ surveys of participants reflect successful outcomes and high satisfaction. Our Web-based survey results reflect 96 percent of participants strongly agreed/agreed that they had a better understanding of how to reduce identified ergonomic risk issues after they received the recommendations offered by a HealthFitness ergonomic consultant.

To learn more about remote ergonomic assessments for your population or other HealthFitness JOBFIT injury prevention and treatment programs, contact HealthFitness Regional Vice President of Occupational Health Dave Thoreson, dave.thoreson@hfit.com, 952.897.5266.

It’s Official; We’ve Moved!
HealthFitness has officially moved into our new, larger location. We doubled the size of our headquarters from 14,000 to 28,000 square feet to better meet growing client demands for health coaching, health advising and our other integrated health improvement solutions. Our new address is: 1650 West 82nd Street, Suite 1100, Minneapolis, MN 55431.

Industry Insights
The Buzz from Recent Research
Can Beta Carotene Supplements Keep Your Mind Sharp?
Two studies recently weighed in on the question of whether moderate supplementation with beta carotene, an antioxidant and vitamin A precursor, (found naturally in red and orange vegetables) can prevent general mental decline and dementia as people age. The results were mixed.

Among those taking supplements for short periods (one year), there was absolutely no improvement. For those taking the supplements for much longer periods (18 years in one study), there were modest positive results. However, the positive results were small enough that the studies’ authors and reviewers did not endorse the supplements as a clear preventive for general mental decline or dementias.

Source: Grodstein F et al. A randomized trial of beta carotene supplementation and cognitive function in men: The Physicians’ Health Study II. Arch Intern Med 2007 Nov 12; 167:2184. Yaffe K. Antioxidants and prevention of cognitive decline: Does duration of use matter? Arch Intern Med 2007 Nov 12; 167:2167.

The Link Between Wine, Liquor, Beer and Risk of Breast Cancer
Wine, liquor and beer all add equally to the risk of breast cancer, reported lead researcher, Dr. Arthur Klatsky, of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, Calif. He and his team presented their results of a study on 70,033 women at the 14th European Cancer Conference in Barcelona, Spain, held September 2007.

Their research found that woman who had one or two drinks per day increased their risk of developing breast cancer by 10 percent, compared with those who consumed less than one drink per day. Those who had more than three drinks per day increased their risk by 30 percent. These findings were similar for women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds represented in the study. The study concluded that averaging one or fewer drinks per day and avoiding binging on alcohol, best balances a woman’s increased risk of developing breast cancer against her choice to drink alcohol.

Source: Wine, liquor, beer, and risk of breast cancer. European Journal of Cancer Supplements, Vol 5 No 4, Page 161 Y. Li, D. Baer, G.D. Friedman, N. Udaltsova, A.L. Klatsky Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, USA. Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Division of Research, Oakland, USA

Fitness Level—Not Body Fat—Better Predictor of Long-Term Health
A study published this fall in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that fitness level, not body fat, may be a stronger predictor of longevity for older adults. During a 12-year follow-up of older adults, those who were unfit at the start of the study were more likely to die from all causes than were those with moderate overall or abdominal fat.

Surprisingly, those with a body mass index between 30.0 and 34.9 and abdominal obesity, or an excessive percent of body fat, had a lower risk of all-cause mortality than did unfit, normal-weight, or lean individuals. Further analysis also showed that fitness positively benefited participants across the spectrum from lean through significantly obese. However, a large portion of the study sample was Caucasian and male; as a result, the findings may not apply for women and members of other races.

To achieve a healthy level of fitness, current industry recommendations suggest 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking) five days or more each week, or 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity three or more days each week.

Source: Xuemei Sui, MD; Michael J. LaMonte, PhD; James N. Laditka, PhD; James W. Hardin, PhD; Nancy Chase, BS; Steven P. Hooker, PhD; Steven N. Blair, PED. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Adiposity as Mortality Predictors in Older Adults. JAMA. 2007;298(21):2507-2516.

Best-in-Class Practices and Awards
Apply for “Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles Award”—We’ll Help!
Obtain the recognition your culture of health deserves and apply for the National Business Group on Health’s “Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles Award.”

The award acknowledges and rewards those organizations that apply creative, comprehensive solutions to improving the health of their employees. The application requires information such as your company’s strategy to encourage healthy lifestyles for employees through healthy food choices and physical activity. Applicants must be NBGH members to be eligible.

Application deadline is March 3, 2008. Contact your program manager to learn more about this and other award opportunities during the coming year. We look forward to partnering with you to showcase your company’s success.

New Issue Brief Highlights a Culture of Health in Action
Watch for our new issue brief about how HealthFitness is partnering with Eastman Chemical Company to build a culture of health and deliver proven ROI. “Applying 21st Century Benefit Design—A Culture of Health in Action” highlights the innovative initiatives Eastman has underway to contain direct health care costs and reduce the indirect cost of poor health. The issue brief will be available on our Website this month.

HealthFitness CEO Discusses Best Practices with Creating a Culture of Health
Hear Gregg Lehman, Ph.D., president and CEO of HealthFitness, discuss key steps in creating a culture of health that engages the C-suite and employees during a Workplace HR & Safety audioconference held Jan. 30, from 12:30-2 p.m. CST.

During the audioconference, Gregg will also discuss:
• Elements of the 21st century benefit plan design;
• Assessing ROI resulting from a culture of health; and
• A case study on successfully creating a culture of health.

Visit Workplace magazine’s Website to learn more.