This document outlines a statewide wellness initiative in Massachusetts called A HealthyMass Initiative. The initiative includes the Mass in Motion program, which aims to decrease obesity rates. It also details a Working on Wellness employer program to promote worksite wellness through trainings, policies, and environmental changes. The initiative works with employers to implement programs focused on health risks like obesity, stress, and smoking through activities, seminars, and onsite wellness resources.

1. A Healthier Mass Initiative
A HealthyMass Initiative

2. Welcome &
Introductions
A HealthyMass Initiative 2

3. Agenda
• Mass in Motion
• Working on Wellness Initiative
• Question & Answer
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4. Mass in Motion
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5. Mass in Motion
A statewide obesity prevention and Wellness
Initiative designed to
• decrease the number and percentage of
both adults and children who are overweight and
Obese in Massachusetts
and
• decrease the prevalence of chronic disease
associated with a specific focus on addressing
unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity
A HealthyMass Initiative

6. Mass in Motion Objectives
• Make the promotion of wellness and the
prevention of overweight and obesity a top public
health priority
• Create conditions that encourage, nurture, and
promote wellness
A HealthyMass Initiative

7. Mass in Mo(on
• Call to Action
• Burden documents
• Statewide Regulations
– Calorie Posting
– BMI in Schools
– 60 minutes of PA in childcare sites
• Executive Order 509: Healthy Food
Procurement
• Supporting legislation
• Statewide Communications Campaign
• Social Media Outlets
• Expansion of Worksite Wellness Initiative
• Municipal Wellness & Leadership Grants
A HealthyMass Initiative

8. Working on Wellness
Initiative
A wellness initiative for employers
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9. Why Focus on Employers?
• The impact of worksite wellness programs on adults and their
families can be significant considering 66% of adults, or
3,122,010 people, are in the Massachusetts workforce.
• Currently about 7.34 % of the Massachusetts workforce is 65
years or older. The rising cost of healthcare coupled with an
aging workforce places an additional burden on the employer
community.
• The number of overweight teens is increasing and ultimately this
population will enter the workforce with chronic conditions. The
combination of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and
stroke places a burden of ill health and lost productivity on
employers.
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10. Mission & Vision
• Vision: All worksites in Massachusetts
will provide social, cultural and physical
environments that support optimum employee
health and well-being
• Mission: To promote worksite wellness
through information, training, regulation and
technical assistance
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11. Goals
• Short-term
– Build an infrastructure that is sustainable and expandable
– Initiate a program that begins to make our employees, their
families and their communities healthier
• Intermediate
– Promote healthier worksites – positive investments for
employees/employers
– Consistent, positive and measurable impact on HR issues
such as absenteeism, productivity, recruitment, retention
• Long-term
– Improve the overall health status of our employees
– Establish healthier communities, health systems,
improvement population health (employers, communities)
– Reduce costs
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12. DPH Assistance
DPH will work with selected sites to:
• Obtain a mandate from leadership for worksite wellness
• Designate a Wellness Champion and convene a wellness team
representing all levels of the organization;
• Conduct a baseline assessment
• Plan wellness program (review data, participate in training,
select interventions)
• Implement components of wellness program
• Re-assess status of employees, environment, impact (6 months,
12 months)
A HealthyMass Initiative

13. DPH Role
• Provide leadership and oversight
• Provide technical assistance and training to sites
• Provide conference calls with faculty experts to participating
sites
• Promote participation in the Working on Wellness model
• Conduct assessment data (baseline, 6, 12 months)
• Identify program sustainability and expansion opportunities
• Promote the process and outcomes of the initiative
• Program to local, state and national forums and the media
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14. Program Development Cycle
Obtain Mandate for
Wellness Initiative
Implement Compose
Plan Wellness Team
Research &
Plan Discovery/
Approval Identify Needs
Plan Formulate
Development Goals
A HealthyMass Initiative

15. Expected Outcomes
Ideally, employers participating in the initiative
will achieve successful results in one or more of
the following areas at the end of one year:
• Changes in policy, systems or physical
environment
• Changes in employee behaviors and/or
satisfaction with wellness program
• Other long-term measures for success
(costs, absenteeism, etc.)
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16. Training Program
• Program initiation (complete steps 1-3)
• Training Workshop (complete steps 4-6)
• 6 Month Outcomes meeting (review steps
1-7)
• Monthly teleconferences (content, shared
learning)
• Final Outcomes meeting (results, plan for
sustainability, ongoing communication and
technical assistance)
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17. Employer Groups
• Phase I: Began in June 2008
• Phase II: Began in January 2009
• Phase III: Began in March 2010
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18. Participating Employer Groups
• 28 Employers (~30,000 employees)
– 9 State agencies
– 2 Public businesses
– 14 Private businesses
– 3 Municipality partnerships
• * 2 employers did drop out of the initiative during the
year because of a corporate reorganization and
downsizing due to reductions in budget and staff
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19. Employee Population
Business Size Working on Massachusetts
(number of Wellness Sites Worksites with
employees) 10 or more
employees
11-24 0 (0%) 29%
25-49 4 (14%) 21%
50-99 3 (11%) 7%
100-249 7 (25%) 5%
250-499 5 (18%) 1%
500-999 5 (18%) <1%
1000+ 4 (14%) <1%
Unknown 37%
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20. Massachusetts Health Risks
Risk Factor * Massachusetts
Obese 18%
Living with Asthma 9%
High blood pressure 24%
High cholesterol 33%
Diabetes 6%
Smoking 19%
Physical inactivity 45%
Low consumption of fruits and 71%
vegetables
• Adults 18 and older
• Source: MA BRFSS 2000-2006
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21. Top Health Risks
Identified by Employees
• High Cholesterol
• Overweight/Obesity
• High Blood Pressure
• Smoking
• Mental Health
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22. Top Interests Identified
by Employees
• Weight loss/weight management
• Physical activity/exercise classes
• Stress management
• Back care
• Financial wellness
• Health screenings
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23. Examples of Implemented Policies
• Written healthy vending machine policy
• Healthy food for meetings and catered events policy
• Incentives/rewards for healthy habits
• Flexible work arrangements
• Policy allowing staff to participate in wellness
activities on work time
• Stay home when sick policy
• Incentives for participating in smoking cessation
programs
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24. Examples of Implemented
Environmental Changes
• Improvements to the stairs
• On-site exercise classes
• Healthy snacks in vending machines
• On-site exercise facility
• On-site smoking cessation classes
• On-site walking paths with mile markers
• Point of purchase nutrition information in the cafeteria, at
company meetings, and in vending machine
• Improved showers/locker room areas
• On-site healthy food options
• Free nicotine replacement therapy for staff
• Implemented emergency response plan with AED s on each
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25. Programmatic Highlights
• Monthly educational seminars and lunch and learn
events
• Running, walking and Walk and Wheel clubs
• Monthly wellness newsletters
• On-site massage therapy
• On-site exercise programs (yoga, strength training,
dance classes, Zumba, Qi Gong,)
• Weight Watchers at Work® programs
• Monthly blood pressure clinics
• On-site smoking cessation classes
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26. Programmatic Highlights Continued
• On-site CPR/AED training and certification
• Ask the Registered Dietitian Blog
• Take the stairs campaign
• On-site health screenings
• Pedometer challenges, exercise competitions, and
biggest loser competitions
• Healthy pot luck events
• Links to community resources that provide health
services
• Nutrition and exercise e-mails to all staff
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27. Planned Next Steps
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28. Planned Next Steps
• Phase IV - April 2011
• Target employers from priority Mass in Motion
municipal wellness and community grants
• Begin to form workplace collaborative in
priority communities
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29. Questions
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30. Contact Information
Lisa Erck
Consultant- Working on Wellness Initiative
Lisa.Erck@state.ma.us
Maria Bettencourt
Wellness Director- Prevention & Wellness Division
Maria.Bettencourt@state.ma.us
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31. Thank you!
A HealthyMass Initiative