Forming wellness panel is an important first step
Forming wellness panel is an important first step
By Christina Samycia, MS
Founder, Wellness Innovations
Chicago
(Editor’s note: Every once in awhile, it’s good to get back to basics. The following article outlines the importance of creating a wellness committee and establishing short- and long-term goals for your wellness campaign. It is particularly advantageous to form a wellness committee, asserts the author, if you need to identify wellness initiatives, set goals, or organize and promote programs. This is particularly true if you have a modest budget and/or a small staff.)
The following are the key steps in forming a wellness committee:
Step 1: Recruiting Members. Send employees an introduction letter stating that you will be beginning a wellness program and that you will be forming a committee to help promote this program. Recruit a variety of individuals. Pick from different departments, because it is important to receive participation from all departments.
Step 2: First Meeting. At your first meeting, appoint a chairperson to organize the committee and break down the tasks between the group members. Depending on the size of your company or how extensive of a wellness program you wish to implement, this will determine the number of members. At a small location, you may be the head of the committee with only two or three members. At a larger location, you may wish to recruit more employees. You can also determine the number of members by the number of tasks to be accomplished.
Step 3: Break Down the Tasks. You can break down tasks by events or by categories. For instance, each member can pick a month or a quarter to promote a program or each individual could have a specific role, i.e., one person in charge of seminars, another person in charge of promotional materials, three people in charge of a health fair, and so forth.
Step 4: Set Goals. Once you have your committee together, your first task is to set goals. Before implementing any programs, the committee needs to define the goals of the wellness initiative; just holding random events will not fulfill your wellness initiative. The committee should first identify what is the desired goal, and then what programs would best support this initiative.
Here are some tips to help you best define your goals and objectives:
1. Be concise when stating your goal, make your objectives specific and measurable, and use action verbs to define them.
One of the best ways to identify your goals is to conduct either a wellness interest survey or a health risk appraisal (HRA). You may choose to send out a survey before your first committee meeting (see the sample survey, above). Gather as much information as you can about your employees, such as their interests and health concerns. Some examples of goals can include:
• increasing awareness of health-related issues;
• decreasing stress levels;
• decreasing the risk of heart disease;
• decreasing workers’ compensation claims.
2. Be realistic. It takes time for wellness programs to work; in fact, it can take at least three years to see substantial results. For the first year, choose an attainable goal so that you and your committee will not be disappointed. Your first-year goal may just be to increase awareness at your location.
3. Outline specific ways to achieve those goals. If your goal is "to lower the risk factors associated with heart disease within the population of our employees," some programs you may choose could include healthy cooking classes, cholesterol screenings, a seminar on blood pressure, or distribution of information on heart disease.
HRAs will identify the most common risk factors and lifestyle habits of your employees. HRAs can be obtained through most occupational health companies. Here is some information regarding HRAs:
• HRAs provide the individual with the aggregate health risks of your employees.
• HRAs provide the individual with a measuring tool to compare data.
• HRAs provide the individual with information regarding his individual health risks.
• HRAs are more effective when administered with an objective screening such as cholesterol levels, because you will receive more accurate information.
• HRAs can be funded in full or partially by your HMO and/or PPO, local health care providers such as hospitals, your wellness budget, or your employees.
Here are some tips to market HRA participation:
1. Confidentiality is one of the main concerns regarding the HRAs and screenings. This may be an excuse for some employees not to participate, so it is important to stress this issue.
2. Choose incentives to increase participation, including prizes and refreshments.
3. Let employees know how convenient an HRA is. The test only takes a few minutes. One does not need to take time off to go to a clinic, hospital or doctor’s office.
4. It is cost-effective. The appraisal and screening when done at corporate site are less expensive than at a clinic or hospital, especially if the company is funding it.
5. The results are comprehensive and individualized. The report will provide the individual with valuable information regarding their risk factors.
[Editor’s note: Christina Samycia is owner and founder of Wellness Innovations, a company providing wellness services for individuals, corporations, and organizations. She can be reached at (847) 895-9571, or by e-mail at [email protected].]
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