This webinar discusses establishing worksite wellness programs to improve employee health and reduce healthcare costs. It outlines a 5-step framework: 1) Build foundation with leadership/employee support and branding. 2) Assess workplace health needs through data. 3) Purposefully plan goals/objectives using claims data. 4) Implement physical activity/nutrition policies and incentives. 5) Meaningfully evaluate outcomes like health premium changes. Communication permeates the process. Colorado also formed a collaborative council to unite worksite wellness efforts. Overall, the webinar provides a model for establishing effective worksite wellness programs.

1. The State of Wellness:
Good Health is
Good Business Webinar
February 24, 2011
Eric Aakko, MS MCHES

2. How did we get here?
Increased
Chronic
Behaviors Environment Health Care
Disease
Costs

3. Benefits of Worksite
Wellness

4. Health Insurance
Premiums
140% 131%
120%
100%
80%
60%
38%
40%
20% 28%
0%
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Health Insurance
Premiums
Workers' Earnings
Overall Inflation
Source: Kaiser/HRET Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits, 1999-2009. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, U.S. City Average of
Annual Inflation (April to April), 1999-2009; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Seasonally Adjusted Data from the Current Employment Statistics Survey, 1999-2009
(April to April).

5. Background
• We listened and we heard from
employers: need the “how” for wellness
• We know the “why”
• Still exploring the “what”

6. Shift to “systems thinking” and the
creation of a Wellness Framework

7. Colorado’s Worksite
Wellness Framework
Build a Foundation of Wellness
Meaningful Measurement
and Evaluation
Assess How to Have
a Data Driven
Program
Implement by Putting Purposeful Planning
the Plan into Action and Programming

8. Step 1: Build a foundation
• Gain senior leadership and employee support
• Create a brand
• Lesson learned: Executive Walks at the Department of
Public Health

9. Step 2: Use data to assess needs
and provide direction
• Is your workplace supportive or restrictive towards
wellness?
• Do you know the basic health needs of your
employees?
• Lesson learned: Need for modification to flex policy

10. Step 3: Plan for success
• Develop action plan, goals, objectives
• Use claims data and info from Step 2 in program
design
• Incentives can work, if used properly
• Lesson learned: Incentivizing health premiums

11. Step 4: Put the plan in action
• How to avoid the STP problem
• Develop physical activity, nutrition, lactation, tobacco
policies
• Lesson learned: Change the environment through
policy

12. Step 5: Evaluate
• Basic to advanced evaluation
• Bottom line: are you making a difference?
• Lesson learned: Changing the environment does work,
e.g. Stair Challenge

13. Communication and Marketing:
Permeates all Steps 1-5
• Engage all employees and leadership
• Be consistent and professional
• Lesson learned: Creating a brand that has appeal and
is recognized

14. Other Efforts in Colorado:
Worksite Wellness
Collaborative
• Desire to unite worksite wellness activities and efforts
in Colorado
• Collaborate with non-profit partner, LiveWell
Colorado, on the development of a Worksite Wellness
Leadership Council

15. Thank-you - Questions?
Eric Aakko – 303.692-2606; eric.aakko@state.co.us
http://cohealthsource.org/media/172683/worksitewellnesstoolkit%20final.pdf