Wellness programs, workplace changes can encourage better health in employees

When employers make wellness a priority in their workplace, it has a positive effect on employee health and the company's bottom line.

Both SoutheastHEALTH and Saint Francis Medical Center offer workplace wellness programs to help local businesses identify the biggest health concerns among their employees and then find ways to improve health in those areas.

"It's important to create a positive philosophy on wellness," says Cindy Seyer, HealthWorks referral specialist at SoutheastHEALTH. "Often we spend eight hours or more in our jobs. We spend that much time at home as well, but the reality is that our most productive hours are while we're at work."

Southeast provides health screenings for employees and provides the employers with aggregate data -- the percentage of employees with high blood pressure, for example -- so the employer can figure out what types of wellness programs should be a priority.

Laura Klinkhardt, supervisor of human resources, safety and environmental at American Railcar Industries Inc. in Jackson, says the company started a wellness program with Southeast several years ago, and the effects have been significant on the workforce of some 200 employees, mostly men.

"The main reason we started it was because most of our employees did not have their own physicians, so they would go to the emergency room every time they got sick," says Klinkhardt.

The program provided an easy way for workers to get to know local doctors who were accepting new patients. Klinkhardt says most employees now have a primary care provider, attendance has improved and employees look forward to and ask about the monthly presentations from health care providers.

Employee health also affects the number and types of insurance claims filed, says Seyer, and that's definitely something for employers to consider if they provide insurance for their employees.

"It's like car insurance. If you're reckless with your vehicle, your premiums are going to be high. If you're reckless with your health, your insurance premiums are going to be high, and employers sometimes have to pass that expense on to the employee. A healthy workforce impacts the bottom line," she says.

Saint Francis' wellness services work in much the same way, with health care providers conducting questionnaires, health assessments and lab work for employees, then getting them engaged in ongoing education to improve their health, say Eileen Sievers, wellness nurse at Saint Francis, and Chad Clippard, services to business liaison at the hospital.

"We tend to be so busy in our lives and with our everyday obligations, and it's very difficult to take time off work or step away to go and do preventive health care," says Sievers. "By being able to bring the assessments in screenings and labs to the workplace, employees don't have to take time off work, miss a workday or have a personal expense, because their employer is providing it for them."

Brad Meyr, facility manager at Buzzi Unicem in Cape Girardeau, says the company enlisted Saint Francis' help in 2011 to cut down on workplace injuries and absenteeism. At least two employees discovered health problems in their wellness screenings that they had previously been unaware of, says Meyr.

Aaron Wilson, alternate fuels safety coordinator at Buzzi Unicem, says that since the company started focusing on employee wellness, they have seen fewer workplace accidents and improved employee attendance. A big part of Buzzi's wellness program has focused on lower back flexibility tests and teaching employees how to prevent back injuries. Buzzi has been adding to its wellness program each year, and employees recently got a subsidy to join Saint Francis' Fitness Plus.

Both Sievers and Seyer say that providing a healthy work environment can make a big difference in employees' health. Encourage employees to stretch throughout the day and take short walks during their breaks. Workers can even hold "walking meetings" instead of sitting around a conference table, Seyer suggests.

"Some of the very simplest things that can be done in the workplace involve giving people a constant stream of education and awareness," says Sievers, who recommends subscribing to and distributing a credible health newsletter. "Encourage smoke-free areas on the premises so everyone can breathe fresh air. You can even have healthier things available in the vending machines and have more refrigerator space available so people can bring healthy lunches rather than run out to get fast food for lunch. There are small things you can put in place to make the environment friendlier to a wellness lifestyle."