Avera, a large healthcare system based in South Dakota, has shifted from a reactive approach focused on treating sick individuals to a proactive approach called population health management aimed at preventing illness. As part of this transition, Avera launched a corporate wellness program called "To Your Health" in 2012 for its 13,000 employees. This program includes health screenings, coaching, and challenges to address preventative care and lifestyle risks. As a result of participating in the program, employees have seen reductions in health risks and healthcare costs, demonstrating how population health management can improve outcomes and lower costs.

1. NEW
APPROACH
The Affordable Care Act is shifting the health care industry to take greater responsibility for
costs and quality of care. In response, many health care systems—including Avera—are moving
toward a new approach to health care known as population health management.
The goal of population health management is to keep a population as healthy as possible by
addressing the preventive and chronic care needs of every individual. This approach not only
lowers costs, but also redefines health care as more than simply care for the sick.
Avera, a health care system headquartered in South Dakota with more than 300 locations in
five states, is modeling how to transition from a reactive to a proactive approach to health care
with a health management program for its own employees.
Focus on reactive care
that helps individuals once
they are sick.
ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS
13,000
AVERA’S PROGRAM INCLUDES:
HEALTH SCREENINGS
HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
HEALTH COACHING
WELLNESS CHALLENGES
IMPACT OF TO YOUR HEALTH
2012-2013
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
AVERAGE NUMBER OF HIGH
HEALTH RISKS DECREASED
from
1.67
to1.566.6%
1
2
3
CONSUMPTION OF FRUITS
AND VEGGIES
INCREASED 1.7%
MORE FRUITS &
VEGGIES PLEASE
Every $1 spent on To Your
Health generates $2.84
in health care savings
since 2012.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
INCREASED 2.3%
OVERALL CHOLESTEROL
RISKS DECREASED
BY 2.1%
TOP 3 IMPROVEMENTS
2012
HEALTH ADVISING
X3
Participants are
consuming more
than three fruits and
veggies per day.
TO HEALTH CARE
AVERA
EMPLOYEES MODEL
NEW APPROACH CURRENT APPROACH
75%
90%
As a result, 75% of
total U.S. health care
spending is used to
treat people with
lifestyle-related
chronic conditions.2
Focus on proactive care
and preventive measures
that keep individuals healthy—
and contain health care costs.
Low risk saves $$$
For example, research shows employees
who maintained a healthy weight saved
$982 more on annual medical costs than
employees who added weight.1
As a population becomes healthier,
expensive interventions such as
emergency room visits and
hospitalizations decrease.3
Costly emergency room visits and
hospitalizations are on the rise.
For those with chronic conditions, focus is
on adherence to care plans as well as
changing lifestyle behaviors that
worsen the condition.
Most chronic diseases are related to 4
main health risks—all of which are
preventable2
:
For those with chronic
conditions, primary focus
is on compliance to
chronic care plans—but
it comes at a great cost.
9%
For example, obesity-related
hospitalizations alone account for
9% of hospital stays, totaling 2.8
million hospitalizations.4
Research shows those with higher
well-being have lower utilization.
Individual well-being score
low: 0–50 high: >75–100
%ofutilization
ER visits
Hospital admissions
10.1%
5.3%
18.4%
9.6%
AVERA SNAPSHOT
2.8MILLION
OBESITY-
RELATED
HOSPITALIZATIONS
HOSPITALIZATIONS
TOBACCO
USE
POOR
NUTRITION
LACK OF
EXERCISE
EXCESSIVE
ALCOHOL
CONSUMPTION
People with chronic
conditions account for
about 90% of health
expenditures for all
conditions (i.e.,
chronic and acute
combined).5
Avera partnered
with HealthFitness
to shift to the new
approach to health
care and launched
its To Your Health
corporate wellness
program in 2012.
For an overview of HealthFitness’ program and services,
visit www.healthfitness.com or call 800-639-7913.
Sources:
1) “The Impact of Weight Gain or Loss on Health Care Costs for Employees at the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies,” Journal of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Volume 53, Number 1, p. 8-16, January 2011. www.acoem.org
2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Four Common Causes of Chronic Disease. April 2012.
3) Harrison, Pope, Coberley, and Rula. Evaluation of the Relationship Between Individual Well-Being and Future Health Care Utilization
and Cost. Pop Health Management, 2012. http://machc.org/images/well-being/2%20Ben_Why%20Well-Being%20050913.pdf (slide
12—steal research reference)
4) Obesity-related hospitalizations http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb137.pdf
5) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Statistical Brief #201, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. http://meps.ahrq.gov/mep-
sweb/data_files/publications/st203/stat203.pdf
1. 2. 3. 4.
$2.84$1
© 2015 Health Fitness Corporation