Achieving a Culture of Employee Health and Wellness Mauret Brinser Executive Director, New Hampshire American Heart Association Mauret.brinser@heart.org
Key Accomplishments of the Last Decade Established Get With The Guidelines Developed a Primary Stroke Center Certification Program Second only to the Federal Government in funding research for CVD
Key Accomplishments of the Last Decade Grew our Emergency Cardiovascular Care program Led the way with legislative and regulatory changes at local, state and federal levels Raised $4.5 billion to bring our mission to life
AHA 2010 Impact Goal Achievements = 25% reduction goal met 4
2010 AHA Goals: Room for Improvement Reduced Prevalence of Smoking by 19.8% Reduced Physical Inactivity by only 2.5% Obesity increased by 1.9% Diabetes increased by 1.8% o Projected to increase 102% by 2030
* Age standardized; >20yrs; NHANES 2005-06 Prevalence for CV Health Factors in U.S. Adults 0.3 Copyright - AHA
CV Consumer Health Survey National study among adults 18+ asked about own heart health. Study fielded online in late Nov. 2009 39% of adults rate their heart health as ideal. 67% of adults say they are overweight or obese. Most people know their blood pressure numbers, but fewer than half of adults know their cholesterol, BMI or glucose numbers.
Cost to Society By 2030, 40 percent of all adult Americans will have some form of CVD By 2030, direct medical costs will triple from $273 billion to $818 billion Direct and indirect costs combined total $1.3 trillion in 2030 nearly as large as the projected federal deficit for 2011 8
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Impact over the last decade 10
Our 2020 Impact Goal By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 % while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 %.
What Is Ideal Cardiovascular Health? 1. Absence of disease 2. Favorable levels of health factors 3. Favorable health behaviors
Life s Simple 7 1. Never smoked or quit more than one year ago 2. Body mass index less than 25 kg/m 2 3. Physical activity of at least 150 mins (moderate intensity) or 75 mins (vigorous intensity) each week 4. Four to five key components of a healthy diet consistent with current AHA guidelines 5. Total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dl 6. Blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg 7. Fasting blood glucose less than 100 mg/dl
Healthy Diet (4-5 Dietary Goals Met) 1. Fruits and vegetables: 4.5 cups per day 2. Fish (preferably oily): 2 3.5-oz servings per week 3. Fiber-rich whole grains (1.1 grams fiber per 10 grams carbohydrate): 3 1-oz-equivalent servings per day 4. Sodium: <1500 mg per day 5. Sugar-sweetened beverages: 450 kcal (36 oz) /week Other Dietary Measures 1. Saturated fat: < 7% of total energy intake 2. Nuts, legumes, and seeds: 4 servings/week 3. Processed meats: 2 servings/week
CV Health Metric Definitions* Poor Intermediate Ideal Goal: 20% overall improvement * The average net percentage of people who move up one level of health
Employment in America, 2010 Most common shared occupational health risk is sedentary behavior Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor March 2010 www.bls.gov.nnews.release/empsit.t17.htm
Employer Healthcare Expenses Heart diseases and stroke costs employers $304.6 billion $24 billion - lost productivity from morbidity ~25-30% of companies annual medical costs are spent on employees with major CVD risk factors but without clinical CHD Major losses due to losses in productivity Employees and their families share the financial burden through higher insurance co-payments
Published on line in September 2009 and in print on October 27, 2009 Initiated by the Advocacy Coordinating Committee and sponsored by multiple scientific councils Integral part of the AHA Strategic Plan to reach as many Americans as possible to prevent heart disease and stroke Copyright - AHA
Comprehensive Program for Improving Employee Health Recommended Components CVD Education Tobacco Cessation/Education Screening/Early Detection Weight Management Nutrition Physical Activity Stress Management Occupational Safety and Health Environmental Modification Copyright - AHA Carnethon M. Circulation 2009; 120: 1725
Summary: Components and Delivery of Wellness Programs Wellness programs should be integrated into the company structure To achieve employee buy-in, employees should be engaged in developing the programs and deciding what they should be Pre-implementation appraisals and screenings to determine content and delivery of programming A combination of individual and organizational changes are the most effective Maximum effectiveness is achieved with a combination of policy and individual behavior modification strategies
Return on Investment
What is a Policy? Any plan or course of action designed to influence and determine decisions. Examples include healthy food and beverage procurement policies, vending machine policies, policies that support access to safe spaces for physical activity, and policies that support nursing mothers.
Policy Strategies to Encourage Participation: Incentives
AHA Recommendation re: Incentives Wellness credits should be available to employers who provide healthy lifestyle behavior incentives Financial incentives should be paid directly to the employee Financial incentives should not be tied to healthcare premiums or health status
AHA Resources Fit Friendly Recognition Program http://mystartonline.org/start_workplace_fit_fri endly.jsp Walking Paths, Walking Clubs, and resources for the Workplace www.startwalkingnow.org Policy Statements regarding Effective Worksite Wellness Programs and Financial Incentives My Heart, My Life Campaign www.myheartmylife.org