Corporate Wellness Feb. issue 19

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Corporate Wellness Magazine

w w w. C o r p o r at e We l l n e s s Ma g a z i n e . c o m

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 CRUCIAL STEPS NURSES AND OTHER CAREGIVERS CAN TAKEby Carol Ebert

Copyright © 2011 Corporate Wellness Magazine. All rights reserved.Corporate Wellness Magazine is published monthly by Global Health Insurance Publications. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any way without express permission from Corporate Wellness Magazine. Requests for permission may be directed to [email protected]. Corporate Wellness Magazine is in no way responsible for the content of our advertisers or authors.

OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES TO WELLNESS IN THE WORK PLACE

by Kaye Kennedy

LETTER FROM THE EDITORWhy isn’t the wellness industry collaborating?by Jonathan Edelheit

Sarah HuntAssistant EditorPhone 561.204.3676Fax 866.536.7041E-mail [email protected]

EDITORIALEditor-in-ChiefAssistant Editor

ADVERTISING SALES

PRODUCTIONGraphic Designer Tercy U. Toussaint

For any questions regarding advertising, permissions/ reprints, or other general inquiries, please contact:

[email protected]

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9 IMPROVING WORKPLACEWELLNESS FOR DIABETES PATIENTS A UNIQUE SOLUTIONby Laurie Van Wyckhouse

13by Dr. Charles Bens

MEASURING THE QUALITY OF WORKPLACE WELLNESS

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Jonathan EdelheitSarah Hunt


by Kescia Gray

THINK & BE WELL by Franklin Drob.

IS YOUR OFFICE A DANGER ZONE FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES?by Lori Appleman

WELLNESS SERVICES CAN BE FREE OR LOW-COST, THANKS TO THE INTERNETby Mary Hartley

HEALTH CARE FOR THE SHORT TERM

HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT~ BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

by Lisa Hall

ONE, TWO, THREE WELLNESS!by Lesley Crawford Costner

FOLLOW US ON:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

by Dr. Charles Bens

MEASURING THE QUALITY OF WORKPLACE WELLNESS

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SEND STRESS & THOSE PESKY POUNDS PACKINGby Eva Ressler

UNDERSTANDING STRESSFOR BETTER STRESS MANAGEMENT

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by Mark Roberts

INCLUSIVE HEALTH~ THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE

by Dr. Howard Murad

ONE SIZE WELLNESSby Joanne Frederick

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CEO IN ACTION,CEO INACTIONby Greg Justice52

BASELINE TESTING IN CORPORATE WELLNESSby Maureen Young

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Why isn’t the wellness industry collaborating? It seems everyone knows and believes that wellness is the answer.

They believe it is not only the answer but getting individuals to engage in healthy behavior is the only solution to bringing down costs and increasing the health and productivity of individuals. If this is the case, than why is there still no collaboration across the industry? All employers are having challenges getting their employees to “engage” in

healthy behavior. Employers are spending money on different wellness initiatives and trying to figure out which ones have ROI and which do not. Why is this money being wasted and the industry so fragmented, when everyone could be sharing knowledge, best practices and as an industry we could be streamlining wellness programs. After all this time, there isn’t even a list employers can turn to that says, here are programs that work for a mid-size manufacturing employer, here’s one that works for a small employer who has retail operations, etc, etc. For many benefits managers and wellness companies, this is not just a job, but wellness is a passion. If so, we all need to work harder in 2011 to collaborate and start pulling together these best practices. We have to stop the lack of communication and fragmentation. We also have to help new employers who are implementing wellness programs from wasting years on initiatives that fail or don’t work as effectively as others. My New Year’s resolution for the industry is that we truly come together this year and take action.

Jonathan Edelheit is Editor-In-Chief of the Corporate Wellness Magazine, the only Corporate Wellness Magazine in the industry focused on Health and Wellness in the workplace. Mr. Edelheit has been involved in US healthcare for almost ten years and ran a national healthcare administrator for almost seven years that administered healthcare plans for insurance companies, employers and governments. While running the healthcare administrator Mr. Edelheit started to implement the first corporate wellness programs there through many tools such as health risk assessments, tele-medicine, e-health and many more options. Mr. Edelheit has been featured or mentioned in hundreds of media publications and in February 2008 was featured as a visionary in US healthcare by Executive Managed Healthcare Magazine. Mr. Edelheit also organizes the Corporate Wellness Conference which is the only dedicated national conference on corporate health and wellness in the country and which targets employers, health insurance agents and large consulting firms. Mr. Edelheit is also an attorney.

Jonathan Edelheit may be contacted at [email protected]

Jonathan Edelheit



Improve Your Employees’ Well-being By Making the Healthy Choices the Easy Choices

Overcoming the Challenges to Wellness in the Work Place

by Kaye Kennedy

Is your company’s Wellness program waning? Has the program become stale and banal? If so, now is the perfect time to reassess, reclaim and

reinvigorate your Wellness program. Starting a program can be relatively easy but maintaining a program takes effort. Wellness programs often get stale, loose touch and stop being effective. Companies are busy. The primary focus of any company is to be profitable. Most companies are tightening their belts, looking to cut cost and do more with less. We are all doing this to some degree. But remember this ever important fact: Your employees are your number one asset. The service or product you offer is only as good as the employees who offer it. Take care of

them and they will take care of business – your company’s business. Understanding the challenges that Wellness programs face is important to figuring out how to maximize results and create a successful program. According to the National Worksite Health Promotion Survey (NWHP), there are 5 primary challenges facing Employee Wellness programs. While these challenges are significant they are not insurmountable. This article will explore those challenges and offer suggestions to help propel your Wellness program forward.

Lack of Staff Member Interest

Make sure you have a real time

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understanding of the needs of your employees. Employees are dynamic and ever-changing. Your Wellness program must also be. A quick way to take the temperature in the room, so-to-speak, is to survey your employees. A survey is a good way to get valuable data and feedback. Furthermore, employees want very much to be heard. Let them tell you what matters most to them, what health issues they are facing and what they would like to learn more about. No doubt, you will find some common themes. Be prepared to take follow up once you have heard from your employees. You might also consult with your company’s health care provider. They can provide a group aggregate report that will yield useful information regarding rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in your employee population. Armed with this knowledge, you can concentrate your efforts accordingly. If your Wellness program is already established, review past successes. What were employees most excited about in last year’s program? What activity or program component had the most participation and yielded the greatest results? If employees are still talking about the chair massages they received at last spring’s health fair, that is your first clue! Why not build on that by making chair massage a staple in your program? Chair Massage Mondays could be a hit in your organization.

Insufficient Staff Resources

A Wellness program is not going to run itself. While there are many low cost options and low effort activities that can be done in the name of Wellness, resources will need to be invested to get maximum participation and results. The

best way to start is by establishing a Wellness committee that meets regularly. If possible, they should be employees from all levels of the company that represent every department of the organization. Your committee will need a budget in order to be effective. How much you ask? Keep in mind that the return on investment for a Wellness program is generally $3 for every $1 spent and it takes roughly 3 years for a program to yield significant returns. Companies who invest small tend to see small results. That is not to say that only big investments count. Smart investments make a difference. Make sure your Wellness committee is equipped with the resources needed to create the best possible program.

Inadequate Funds

As previously stated, a good program will need a budget. That budget should allow for the printing of materials, marketing, occasional speakers, fitness classes, and on-site screenings. Whatever your employees deem most important and whatever the company is willing to pay for should be accounted for in the budget. One of my corporate clients did a great job establishing a Wellness committee but the company failed to give them a budget. So, every time I suggested a program offering they had to go back to the Operating Committee to approve the expenditure. While many of the programs were approved they often did not get off the ground because the funding was approved at the last minute. This left little time to market the programs to employees and garner participation. The planning for the next year’s programs now includes a discretionary budget for the committee.


he answered my questions and I answered his. Upon my return to my desk, everyone was dying to know how they, too, could be selected to enjoy coffee with the boss. Not to mention, I felt valued as an employee. I particularly like this incentive because it involves upper management, which is critical to the success of any program. There are many such low cost, super effective incentive ideas. Understanding your company culture and staying in tune with your workforce can provide the insight needed to create an effective inexpensive incentive program.

Failure to Engage High Risk Employees

If your company is like most, 10% of your employee base is consuming 80% of the health care costs. It does not take a rocket scientist to tell you who your primary focus should be when developing a Wellness program. Addressing this segment of your employee base will produce significant returns. This segment, however, tends to be the hardest to reach. I notice that most of the time it is the 5K runners, power walkers, and the Yogis who attend my on-site fitness classes. Their participation is important but they do not represent the 10% that will really move the needle as far as health care savings. To reach high risk employees, survey them to understand what types of activities interest them. I recently did a Lunch N Learn seminar entitled Create a Fitness Program That YOU Love for one of my corporate accounts. While the group was small, it was mostly the high risk guys that showed up. Many knew they needed to do something about their health but they were never going to be gym rats and had no desire to be tri-athletes. The seminar helped them to discover activities they enjoy commit to doing them and build a

Companies should also budget for an incentive program. If your program does not include an incentive program you are missing out on one of the most necessary and effective components. According to Maritz Inc, the world’s largest employee incentive company, “a successful employee Wellness program motivates workers – before and after signup.” I work with clients every day who cringe at the thought of offering incentives. Mention incentives and all employers see are dollar signs. The reality is that if healthy habits were that popular everyone would be doing it. We all need a little motivation and some more than others. Companies should remember that Wellness programs are indeed an investment and over time, they do offer a great return. Furthermore, incentives do not have to break the bank. Do not underestimate the power of a t-shirt! I have met employees who would kill to have a prime parking space for a month. Ever thought of offering employees an opportunity to have coffee with the boss? I once worked for a company that randomly selected me to have coffee with the CEO. We sat for 15 minutes and

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fitness program around them. By all means, incentivize these employees (all employees for this matter). Free is always good. Many of my corporate clients pay for the majority of the Wellness programs I bring in. This is an important piece when trying to engage high risk employees. Finally, I believe that at the end of the day my health is ultimately my responsibility. There is nothing wrong with placing some of the onus upon your employees. Why not make some of the programs you offer mandatory for employees who choose to participate in the company’s benefit package? Inability to Elicit the Support of Upper Management

I shared my example of how coffee with the CEO affected me. That happened some 12 years ago and I still remember it like yesterday. The company I was with had 3 different CEO changes while I was there but like most of my co-workers, I felt the company thrived more under the CEO who got to know us and got involved in what was happening at our level. I get to speak with members of corporations at every level. Many times I get the approval for programs from VP’s and when I implement the programs to the general population I get plenty of feedback on the success or failure of those programs. The future of a program is more times than not linked to the buy in of upper management. Last year, I launched on-site fitness classes with a small corporate client. Attendance was lackluster. I began to inquire why as I would talk to employees in the hallways. Many were reluctant to participate because they felt they would be perceived as not being serious about their careers if they took a noon hour class. I took that feedback back to the Operating Committee. As soon as department heads and members of

the Operating Committee started taking classes, it broke the ice. Employees followed their lead. Wellness programs are certainly not without challenges. They are a significant undertaking that require constant attention and resources to achieve their greatest potential. Nonetheless, I have yet to hear of a company or an employee regretting their efforts. In fact, those that stick with it are most certainly glad they did.

For a list of references pertaining to this article please email [email protected].

About the Author

Kaye Kennedy is certified in group exercise, personal training and Pilates. She is the Director of Corporate Wellness for MBS Wellness, a company that specializes in creating and implementing employee wellness programs. The company provides cutting-edge, hands on consulting to assist companies in achieving the maximum results from a wellness program. The MBS’ team of experts includes doctors, physical therapists, nutritionists, trainers, and insurance brokers. The company offers a comprehensive array of products and science-based programs with proven results – health impact, cost impact, and ROI. MBS Wellness has consulted and/or implemented successful programs for companies like The Boston Store, Johnson Controls, Jamba Juice, the Oakland Athletics Baseball Company and others.

To learn more about starting a Wellness program for your employees or enhancing an existing program, visit www.MBSWellness-SF.com, email Kaye at [email protected] or call 510.547.1763.


Improving WorkplaceWellness for Diabetes PatientsA Unique Solution

effective for persons with diabetes.2 They encourage personalized treatment strategies to tighten control on glucose, blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia. These goals are a challenge to implement in the workplace. Type 2 diabetes is a multi-faceted disease requiring layers of interconnecting treatment strategies, the synthesis of which provides patients with the knowledge and tools they need to properly manage their disease and to prevent disease advancement. To better understand the complexities, consider the following self-care behavioral goals covered in ten hours of diabetes self-management training.3

• Healthy Eating • Being Active • Monitoring • Taking Medications • Problem Solving • Reducing Risks • Healthy Coping Most workplace wellness programs

by Laurie Van Wyckhouse

Workplace wellness programs are helping thousands across the country to prevent chronic diseases such as type 2

diabetes, but what impact are they making on those who already have the disease? Wellness programs are currently focused on diabetes prevention, underserving a large segment of employees who are on an accelerated course toward body-wide destruction. It is imperative that we improve medical outcomes for those who already have diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health, diabetes treatment costs the U.S. a total of $174 billion annually; $58 billion of which includes indirect costs such as disability payments, lost productivity, and premature death.1

The Complexities of Diabetes Treatment

The National Institutes of Health 2008 Fact Sheet on Type 2 Diabetes offers guidance towards making workplace wellness programs

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attempt to offer both supportive counseling and education sessions to help employees who have type 2 diabetes, but their interventions and effectiveness are limited. How do we personalize treatments, as suggested by the National Institutes of Health? We can encourage members to discover their individualized glucose self-monitoring goal range, but how many will follow through with a phone call to their physician? We can inform employees that glucose levels result from a combination of food intake, stress, illness, lack of physical activity and medication, but can we, in a practical sense, assist them in juggling these factors effectively? We can encourage them to eat less food for weight loss, but do we provide them with customized carbohydrate and fat controlled meal plans to help them succeed? And if we do provide such practical guidance, how much meal planning and label reading practice do we provide so that members feel confident in their skills? We can assist employees in behavioral goal setting, but do we get to know these people well enough to know their priorities? These are but a few of the limitations with which our workplace wellness educators struggle in their efforts to improve medical outcomes for their members with diabetes.

Self-Management Training Limitations

Since comprehensive diabetes self-management training offers customized education, why do so few people know how to manage their disease? The proportion of Americans receiving diabetes education is between 1% and 50%, according to estimates documented by the American Association of Diabetes Educators.4 Barriers to patients receiving diabetes self-management training and education are outlined in Dr. Mark Peyrot’s

2007 American Association of Diabetes Educators end of year report:5

• 38% of patients cannot fit self-management training into their schedules• 21% of patients have to pay out-of-pocket while 11% stated education is too expensive (average $633.00, according to this author’s informal national survey, 2009)• 41% of physicians think their patients are not interested in receiving education• 41% of physicians do not have enough self-management trainingreferral resources• 17% of physicians do not believe that self-management training works• Both physicians and educators underestimate patient scheduling issues and costs

Overly restrictive reimbursement and accreditation requirements can be blamed for many of the learning barriers experienced by those who receive diabetes training. In practice, these requirements translate into the use of ineffectual instructor-centered approaches. Patients generally experience barriers to learning such as inconvenient class schedules, limited teaching locations, learning bylecture, lack of skill practice, inconsistent program quality, inadequate time to apply learning, and lack of long-term emotional support.The current environment does not offer the flexibility required to properly meet patients’ educational needs. Diabetes is a complicated disease requiring that patients learn and obtain the skills needed to apply volumes of information. When taught over a short period of time, patients easily become confused. For example, patients learn that glucose levels fluctuate minute–by-minute based on one set of factors, while diabetes and its


related blood vessel diseases progress due to an entirely different set of causes. The treatment modalities and self-management skills for each of these topics takes three to four hours to teach, and much longer to learn. Treatments become easily confused in patients’ minds. The sheer magnitude of information coupled with the need to synthesize the information into a cohesive whole makes it difficult for patients to learn how to control their disease unless given adequate time to learn.

Fear of diabetes and the need for hope lead many who have diabetes to deny having the disease and to seek magical, instant cures. They can also easily fall prey to charlatans who espouse easy answers and ways of turning back the clock. Fad diets and miracle supplements are focused on the diabetes population and

have become a multi-billion dollar industry. The plethora of non-research based cures and treatments are both enticing and confusing. Added to this is the confusion wrought by early research data being made public before conclusions are tested for reliability and validity. It is a confusing world for people who have diabetes, even when they have received formal education.

Improving Outcomes in Diabetes Treatment

How do we improve medical outcomes for employees who already have diabetes? Coaching those who do not already understand the relationship between their disease, treatment regimens, and lifestyle is an ineffective strategy for improving health outcomes. Providing seminars can add benefit, but classes such as

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these best serve to summarize the main points and provide motivation after members have already received thorough training in diabetes and its ramifications. Electronic learning for diabetes education is a beneficial tool for workplace wellness companies.Dr. Mark Peyrot’s report documents that 59% of diabetes patients reported they would learn diabetes self-management training on the internet.6Unlike traditional classes, online learning is reasonably priced and allows for group price reductions. Diabetes members can receive interactive skill practice and learning with all ofthe tools and support needed to defeat pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome from the convenience of their own homes. The diabetes self-managementtraining portal can even be customized to your company name and added to your company’s website, appearing seamless to the member. Online learning for the treatment of diabetes provides the foundation upon which your work becomes effective. While there are many fractured educational offerings online, genuine diabetes self-management training programs that can partner with corporate wellness companies are not easy to find.Most of these programs remain focused on providing face-to-face patient evaluations in order to obtain insurance reimbursement, preventing them from offering a complete service online. As the reimbursement environment changes, so too will e-learning options. Workplace wellness companies seeking to significantly improve their medical outcomes must find diabetes self-management trainingprograms with which to partner in order to make a difference in the lives of employees with diabetes. Since associating with traditional classroom-style programs is only an interim

solution leaving undesirable geographical gaps, the only way to achieve this is through constant monitoring of new program offerings on the internet.

References1. National Diabetes Education Program. US Department of Health and Human Services. January, 2011. http://www.ndep.nih.gov/diabetes-facts/index.aspx2. National Institutes of Health Fact Sheet, Type 2 Diabetes. US Department of Health and Human Services. June, 2008. http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Type2Diabetes.pdf3. AADE 7 Self-Care Behaviors. American Association of Diabetes Educators. January, 2011. http://www.diabeteseducator.org/ProfessionalResources/AADE7/Background.html4. Diabetes Education Fact Sheet. American Association of Diabetes Educators. January, 2011. http://www.diabeteseducator.org/export/sites/aade/_resources/pdf/research/Diabetes_Education_Fact_Sheet_09-10.pdf5. Peyrot, Mark. AADE DSMET Access Grant Project, 2007 End of Year Report. American Association of Diabetes Educators. January, 2011. http://www.diabeteseducator.org/export/sites/aade/_resources/pdf/AADE_DSMET_Access_Grant_Project--07_EOY_Report_M._Peyrotx_PhD.pdf6. Ibid.

About the Author

Laurie Van Wyckhouse, MS, RD, LD/N owns NutriTutor.com, the world’s first online diabetes self-management training programs. She holds a Bachelor degree in Nutrition from the University of Rhode Island and a Master degree in Health Education from Nova Southeastern University. Lauriehas managed and taughtdiabetes self-management training classes and provided diabetes educationfor over 30 years.


Measuring the Quality of Workplace WellnessBy Dr. Charles Bens

How does an employer know if their wellness program is performing at a high level? The answer is that most employers have no

idea what the quality of their wellness program is because there are no industry standards to measure against. Best practices emerge almost weekly based on the self-assessment and self-promotion of the employer that initiated a

specific “innovation.” Return on investment is calculated using different formulas that nearly always leave out many of the costs involved, as well as many of the difficult to measure benefits. So what is an employer to do when they are asked to make a commitment of time, money and human resources to their wellness program? A similar dilemma faced employers in the 1980’s, when American companies were trying to figure out how to recapture the economic brass ring that had been stolen from

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them by the Japanese and the Germans. The answer came in the form of a new set of quality criteria for businesses, called The Baldrige Award. The criteria for this award were developed by a group of progressive business owners, executives and consultants who named the award after Ronald Regan’s Secretary of Commerce, Malcolm Baldrige. There are over ninety quality criteria divided into seven categories, and companies can apply to win this award by agreeing to be evaluated by a group of independent consultants. The award quickly gained popularity, but only a handful of companies could win in any given year. To address this problem, forty-two states have now developed similar awards, which allow hundreds of employers to apply these business principles and standards to their organization, and then be evaluated to see if they have met the demanding standards. The Baldrige people have continued to refine the quality criteria for businesses, and have even developed completely separate criteria for educational institutions and health care facilities. These criteria have quickly become the benchmark by which hospitals and schools are now evaluated, even though some other quality assessments from the past continue to be used as well.

So why not develop similar quality criteria for wellness programs? That is precisely what has been done by Healthy at Work, Inc., a small wellness education and consulting company operating out of Sarasota, Florida. There are seven categories into which 200 quality criteria have been developed. The seven categories are as follows:

1. Preparation Stage 2. Wellness Planning3. Orientation/Assessment4. Program Delivery 5. Program Evaluation6. Incentives and Rewards7. Insurance Adjustments

Here are a few examples of criteria from each of the seven categories:

1. Preparation Strategic PlanningDoes the organization’s overall strategic plan have a clear and effective accountability mechanism to ensure that all strategic plan priorities are integrated into management accountability mechanisms?

2. Wellness Planning InsuranceHave you put in place a high deductible health insurance plan, combined with a Health Savings Account (or something similar), which encourages, or even rewards, employees for becoming healthier in order to achieve reduced deductibles, reduced co-pays and/or reduced premiums?

3. Orientation/Assessment Personal Records Development Does your organization have software in place, which allows all health

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information and records to be integrated, thus allowing for an accurate assessment of overall employee health and the effectiveness of health improvement efforts?

4. Program Delivery Advocate Recruitment and Training Does your organization have “wellness advocates,” and are they trained in all aspects of wellness, including marketing, promotion, interpersonal skills, the legal issues of coaching, health issues, wellness programs and program evaluation techniques?

5. Program Evaluation Return on Investment Does your organization gather accurate cost and benefit information in order to calculate R.O.I. on an annual basis in order to determine the relative benefit of each program, and where improvements may be possible?

6. Incentives and Rewards SustainabilityDoes your organization provide multiple year incentives (two or three year period) in order to ensure that employees are able to sustain health improvements, such as weight loss, lower blood pressure or smoking cessation?

7. Insurance Adjustment Other Premium Influencing Factors Do you utilize on-site health clinics to improve employee health, and are the health improvement statistics from the clinic used to negotiate lower premiums from your health insurance carrier?

Each of the 200 plus criteria are evaluated using the following five level scoring system:

• Superior• Good Quality • Acceptable • Unacceptable • Poor/Not in Place

A weighting system is also applied since some criteria are more important than others. Based on the total number of points available, it is then possible to calculate what percentage of available points were given to the organization’s wellness program. Anything over 70% would be considered good an anything over 90% would be considered excellent. It must be clearly stated that very few employers would likely be able to score over 50% at this point in time because most wellness programs are simply not very advanced. However, most businesses could not pass the Baldrige evaluation when it was first introduced either. The purpose of these quality assessment tools is to find out what is possible and desirable so that systematic improvements can be made. When Healthy at Work officially releases this new quality assessment tool, it will be possible for employers to use it as a self-assessment tool or hire a wellness consultant to come in and perform an independent audit. Either way, it should provide the most accurate and comprehensive evaluation of an organization’s wellness efforts that is possible today.

About the Author

Dr. Bens is the President of Healthy at Work a wellness education and consulting company. He is the author of eight books and over two hundred articles. His areas of specialization include nutrition, natural medicine, smoking cessation, stress and mood challenges. His clients have included Citigroup, Sarasota Hospital and Human Resources Canada. His workshops are typically rated 5.0 out of a possible 5.0 forever.” For more information on Healthy at Work programs and services contact Dr Charles Bens at [email protected] or 941-377-5920.


The Nurses’ Health Studies are among the largest and longest running investigations of factors that influence women’s health. Started in 1976 and expanded in 1989, the information provided by the 238,000 dedicated nurse-participants has led to many new insights on health and disease. Most importantly, these studies have shown that diet, physical activity and other lifestyle factors can powerfully promote better health (http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/). One of the major lifestyle changes facing many Baby Boomer nurses is retirement!

Are you starting to transition into retirement? Have you thought what it means for you? What is your plan? Do you even have one? What will life be like for you when you don’t function as a nurse anymore? Here are three key issues to keep in mind before processing this.

First issue - Remember the early days in the hospital? High stress and over-worked, running all day to keep up and keep patients alive. Up before dawn, on the floors before 7 and the race begins. No time to eat, use the bathroom, visit patients, just keep moving until

4 Crucial StepsNurses and Other Caregivers Can Take

By Carol Ebert

Making an Extreme Wellness Makeover in Retirement

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leaving work exhausted with aching legs, feet and brain. Yes, nursing is hard work, all-con-suming and draining. But we love it and that is why we do it.

Ask yourself - How has “over-work syndrome” impacted you after all these years?

Second issue - Many of us have a high dose of co-dependency, meaning we are natural care-takers. We want and like to help people - sometimes to a fault. I call us over-helpers, because we help others more than we help ourselves. “Self-care” is so foreign to us, we don’t even know how to do it. If we do take time for ourselves we often feel guilty about being selfish.

Ask yourself - How has “over-helping” played out for you?

Third issue - I see lots of nurses at risk for chronic disease – overeating, under exercis-ing, some still smoking too. As a wellness specialist, nurses have been my most challeng-ing group to work with because many don’t take care of themselves. I often hear they don’t have time or someone else’s needs come first. There’s that co-dependency thing again.

Ask yourself - How have your lifestyle choices influenced your level of wellness today?

So how does all this factor into retirement? As you walk away from a demanding nursing career where you have given so much for so long, you are still carrying some old baggage that might be holding you back

from living a great life for as long as possible. Consider this a wake-up call that you might be shortening your life because of the issues we have just discussed.

It’s not all bad news, however. My motto is never give up! You can turn around habits and behaviors with the right plan and the right support. The fact is you may need assistance with this transition to a new lifestyle. You may need to consider an Extreme Wellness Makeover. Here are four crucial steps to begin the process. I know it’s not easy for your “very capable self” to ask for help or be helped, but I have done this myself, and life is very good once you get started on your new path.

Step one: Start focusing on the life you want.

What is your dream, your passion, what do you see yourself doing, where are you going, who are you with? Start creating a picture in your mind of what it feels like to be living the life of your dreams. This will guide all the choices you make from now on. Keep it “top of mind” and create a visual representation to focus on every day. It’s like magic, because the universal force called Law of Attraction will help you manifest what you desire – as long as you give it attention. Not sure what Law of Attraction is all about?

Step two: Determine how balanced your life is.

Complete a Life Balance Inventory and find out how you are doing in the six key lifestyle areas. A great resource for you is The National Wellness Institute, www.nationalwellness.org, and their very helpful wellness inventory called TestWell. Once you determine the areas


that need attention, you can get started making changes. If some unhealthy lifestyle choices are catching up with you and you’re fearful of the consequences, shift negative thinking into positive energy and use fear as a motivating force. It’s never too late to strive toward high level wellness. As a wellness coach, I have been helping others do this for most of my nursing career, with great success.

Step three: Take action now.

Pick one area to work on from your Life Balance Inventory and start with baby steps. When I retired from my last job, I wanted daily exercise to be my top priority because it was the best stress reliever for me. And there were no more excuses I could use like “I would exercise if I had more time – or I can’t walk outside after work because it gets dark early – or I’m exhausted from work so I don’t have energy to exercise”. Once retired, I had no boss (I was the boss) so I could exercise anytime I wanted. How did I make it happen? I wrote it on my calendar. Most of us live this way, so put it on your calendar and it has a very good change of happening!

Step four: Get support as you transition into retirement.

You might need a guide right now who can focus on you and how you are taking care of yourself. Remember, this is an area where nurses are deficient since they have been so focused on others and not themselves. When I transitioned out from my job at age 56 I really wanted to continue working again in Wellness. What I discovered was no one would hire me because I was gray. Yes age discrimination is

alive and well! Feeling lost and worthless, with low self esteem, I was really stuck. And then my angel appeared – a nurse who was a Life Coach. She graciously coached me and within three sessions my attitude, confidence and energy turned around. I had a plan and was ready to set the world on fire with a new direction. This is the kind of support that all nurses deserve as they face the second half of their lives. Get a coach! Pay for it! You deserve it! The results will be amazing as your new life is revealed to you – BY YOU. A coach is your guide by your side, not telling you what to do but helping you uncover your dreams and passions while cheering you on all the way. What a gift! And what I realized from this experience was I was not only given this gift for my own personal growth, I was given this gift to help others on their path.

About the Author

If you want that same experience email Carol at [email protected] for a free sample session.

Carol Ebert RN, BSN, MA, CHESCertified Wellness PractitionerMindful Coach Certification InstructorUSANA Health Sciences Silver Director507-643-6436carol@creatingwellnesscultures.comwww.creatingwellnesscultures.com

Boomer Wellness Retirement Zone Blog, http://www.creatingwellnesscultures.com/blog/Please join Carol’s FAN page on Facebook for more wellness updates, http://tinyurl.com/wellnesscultures

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by Mary Hartley

Among the many provisions in the controversial health care reform law are the wellness and health promotion

initiatives that mandate an investment in programs to maintain good health and prevent chronic disease. There’s enough research to support the value of an “ounce of prevention” (1) that I’d hope even the harshest critics of health care reform would agree it’s worth the effort. The Internet is poised to make achieving wellness goals easier than ever before - as long as the momentum behind it remains intact. This provision – which will be enacted in parts over the next four years – was included in the law because the economic burden of chronic disease is taxing America. In 2006, our health care expenditure was over $7,000 per person and more than 75% of our health care spending is on people with chronic conditions. (2) Improved nutrition and fitness will help cut health costs

while increasing worker productivity. The savings are in the tens of billions. The Trust for America’s Health estimates that an investment of $10 per person per year in community-based programs tackling physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and smoking could yield more than $16 billion in medical cost savings annually within 5 years. (3) And, thankfully, the stars are aligned in our favor. Wellness services are often free, or cost very little, – and they are scalable – because of the Internet. For nutrition and obesity counseling, the realm that I know best, the options are completely changed from the past. Gone is the drive on congested roadways to a face-to-face appointment or class. Now, it’s help-yourself to free, high-quality online diet and fitness information with electronic food diaries and detailed nutrient analysis at the click of a mouse. Furthermore, some online services come with a million-strong community network

Wellness Services can be Free or Low-cost, Thanks to the Internet


there for support via laptop at any time of the day or night, and more importantly, anywhere and everywhere through mobile Web sites and smartphone apps. These Internet applications can link providers to patients as well insuring confidentiality with encrypted forms, password-protected pages, and secure Web meeting programs. They also sync with wireless medical devices and other “tech of the moment” gadgets. In another portion of the health care act, restaurant operators were required to list calorie information on their menus as early as December 2010 according to the FDA. The National Restaurant Association praised the legislation and so it has solid support. Before online diet and nutrition sites, in order to meet this mandate, restaurateurs would have had to hire a nutritionist and/or purchase nutrition software to calculate the nutrients in a recipe. But now, these services and instruments exist online; they are accurate, easy–to-use, and they don’t cost a thing. With obstacles gone, nutrition information can be made available, even by small restaurants, and many consumers will choose to consider it, adding to the critical mass of people holding themselves accountable for their personal health. There is no cost to access these powerful online tools, and this is largely due to ad support from businesses that have recognized the value of a supporting health-conscious initiatives. Today, companies are updating their marketing direction to become part of a universal weight-loss solution by advertising new, wholesome foods brought to the market by consumer demand. As a result, they are able to directly communicate with the growing number of health-conscious consumers who are joining with like-minded individuals in the online space.

The new healthcare reform law provides $5 billion over the next five years for the “prevention and public health fund.” That money is marked for launching initiatives that will redirect our current path to personal health perdition. Some members of Congress are hoping to repeal elements of the healthcare reform act in an effort to reduce national debt. While reducing debt is something we can all get behind, making such changes at the expense of wellness provisions of the health care reform law would be a disheartening setback; especially as Americans and online industry entrepreneurs are continuing to develop innovative ways of meeting prevention goals. Leveraging the online world for the distribution of free, or low-cost easy-to-access health information is just the beginning.

References1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Power of Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2009. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-Power-of-Prevention.pdf2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Power of Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2009. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-Power-of-Prevention.pdf3) National health expenditures aggregate, per capita amounts, percent distribution, and average annual percent growth, by source of funds: selected calendar years 1960–2007 [Internet]. Baltimore, MD: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; 2008. Available from: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/tables.pdf

Contact

Mary Hartley, RD, MPHDirector of Nutrition, Calorie Countwww.caloriecount.com


Send Stress & Those Pesky Pounds Packing

It’s commonly accepted advice: sweat it out to clear your head. But, recent findings are revealing that the

stress-sizzling benefits of exercise are affecting us long after our post-workout recovery shake. The kids need their school pictures taken, the dog is sick again, the contractor called and delayed the countertop job, and the gas gauge just went RED. Stress comes at us from every angle of every day in a multitude of shapes, sizes, smells (yikes!), and sources. Complications from the car to the cat make our lives crazy and our stress is anything but simple.

But it used to be such an uncomplicated thing

The body underwent stress, a physical reaction occurred, the stress subsided, the body returned to the status quo. Stressors were simpler too—in a primitive sense. If Tony the Saber-toothed Tiger came prowling around, the mind alerted the body, the body underwent a physical change necessary to escape, crisis averted, return to resting state. So, back when our prehistoric buds were stressed, their survival depended on a physical reaction to the

stress. Now, though, as more and more of our common stressors—from bombs over Baghdad to bringing home the bacon—are less-than-physical in nature, the bodily reaction is not only inessential but may even be harmful.

Am I stressing you out yet? It gets deeper

Despite the fact that our stressors are commonly not physical in nature, we’re still physically reacting to them; and because these non-physical stress bombs are not physically overcome, the stress lingers, and the body, more often than not, remains in that physically stressed-out state. And, over time, here’s what that means

One of the hormones that gets released in a body’s reaction to stress is cortisol. Large, continuous amounts of cortisol in the body, it’s been shown, urges the body to store more abdominal fat. Since the stress we usually face these days comes at us day in and day out, the body remains in the reactive state and produces more and more cortisol and the cycle wages on. So, along with the bills, the bulge becomes a

by Eva Ressler

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source of stress as well. Besides the aesthetic detraction of a little extra ‘round the middle, chronic stress puts the body at a higher risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, depression, and even some cancers. Now, one might think since the stress society is faced with is largely mental—thinking away the stress mentally would solve the problem and return the body to a pre-stress state….right? It might not always be possible to think one ’s self calm.

But, there’s hope. I promise!

Some people are already on to the exercise-as-stress-relief methodology. Rough day at work? Some people hit the gym for a gut-busting, sweat-dripping kickboxing session. Others might lace up their trusty mud-stained sneaks for a mind-clearing, miles-long run through the park. Whatever the routine, countless people tote the instant stress relief that comes with a good sweat session. What these fit folks don’t realize, though, is just how long those benefits last. Recent studies have examined the long-lasting effects that are being revealed when it comes to stress and exercise. Not only did those runners, cyclists, boxers, and the like feel instantly refreshed after their run, it turns out the anxiety-busting paybacks came in even longer-lasting dividends. After a six-week study at the University of Colorado, it was found that, compared with a set of sedentary stressed-out subjects, the active participants’ bodies reacted less dramatically in the future during stressful situations. This is your brain. This is your brain on stress: !$#@%^I. This is your brain on exercise: *soft chirping, brook babbling, gentle breezes*. The science suggests that the cardio workouts

can actually alter the brain’s reaction so that in the future the body is actually more resistant to the stress hormones and the physical effects! To reap these long-term effects, though, your efforts need to be long-term as well. Consider exercise your free anti-anxiety prescription and indulge often. It takes time to change the brain, but with the cardio cache you build up, your strength at dealing with stress also increases. Consistency is key so keep at it. If you don’t use it, you may lose it. While it’s impossible to eliminate the stress of everyday life completely, you CAN arm yourself against its risky side-effects. Lace up, get out, and keep going!

About the Author

Eva, a graduate from University of Iowa, is currently working as a Health Coach with the HealthCheck360 wellness program. Since graduation with a Communication Studies major and Spanish minor, Eva was certified as a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant by the American Fitness Professionals and Associates. Her passion for nutrition is outweighed perhaps only by her religious fitness regimen and love of writing. As a Health Coach with HealthCheck360, Eva is able to implement her love and passion or all of these things to help others achieve their goals and better their personal health. HealthCheck360, which is stationed in Dubuque, IA and led by Michael Kelly, is a Health Risk Assessment program that deals with clients in 49 states currently. Through objective biometric screening and comprehensive assessment, HealthCheck360 provides companies and their employees the tools, awareness, and empowerment to become their best selves.


Understanding Stress For Better Stress Management

by Kescia Gray

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With such a great amount of stress encountered in our daily lives, it is no wonder that for almost the past 20 years we have had to dedicate the whole month of April as

Stress Awareness Month; whereby healthcare professionals and educators pay extra attention to educating the public about the prevalence, causes, misconceptions, cures, and even the dangers of this ever so present and silent, modern-day epidemic we call stress. What is stress? Well most people would say the definition is based on the individual asked; but stress can be defined as person’s physical and emotional response to change, and it is also the body’s reaction to the constant demands of everyday life. Each day we are exposed to stressors, which are events or conditions in one’s surroundings which may trigger stress. While most people think of stress as uncomfortable and harmful, it can actually be either positive or negative in nature. There are two main types of stress that one can be faced with, acute stress, also known as the fight-or-flight response, and chronic stress, which results from long term exposure to acute stress. The fight-or-flight response is the stress reaction that causes an increase in breathing, an increase in heart rate, and an increase in blood pressure. Acute stress is the body’s immediate reaction to a threat or challenging situation. This response is not only immediate, but also tends to be intense and sometimes even thrilling. Some examples of stressors that may cause an acute stress response include such things as a job interview, a minor fender bender or accident, or even an exhilarating snowboarding run. Although acute stress does exhibit a response, it does not drain the body’s resources. On the other hand, chronic stress is

the stress response that over time can cause serious illness and even death. This response is more subtle, but the effects may last longer and can be more problematic for the individual. Chronic stress results from changes that are not addressed, which leaves the body in a state of heightened awareness or tension. Sooner or later the energy drain on the body will cause the body to fall behind in the repair and maintenance necessary for good health. Stressors that cause chronic stress for individuals are those situations in the everyday life that are constantly nagging, and often times seem unrelenting. Some examples of chronic stress stressors include family and relationship issues, difficulties on the job, and financial problems. The effects of chronic stress can be very harmful and can be seen in conditions ranging from tension headaches to heart attacks; it can raise blood pressure, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes. For these reasons, stress management is very important. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 90% of all illnesses and disease are stress related. The physical reactions experienced when stressed are the body’s built-in defense mechanism to help deal with threats. When the body is constantly exposed to stress, these mechanisms are activated; but instead of protection, when constantly activated, these mechanisms actually breakdown the immune system and increase the body’s vulnerability to illness. Symptoms of stress often mimic symptoms of other problems and illnesses. A person may feel that an illness is causing headaches, stomach pains, or even chest pain, but in reality these symptoms may be stress related. Because stress readily affects the physical, mental, emotional, and social self; once again, recognizing the symptoms can assist in managing it’s effects.


The ability to adapt to stress, adversity, and traumatic events is called resilience. In general, one’s resilience is a very important component of coping with life’s difficult challenges and helping to maintain a healthy state. Although most people recognize that the possibility of encountering a stressful situation or event is part of everyday life; understanding the sources of stress, whether large or small, short-term or long-term, is the single most important step in learning to manage it, and to becoming more resilient. For stress management, the goal is not to completely eliminate stress, but to limit the harmful effects it can cause. So what actually is stress management and how does it work? Stress management refers mostly to managing the psychological and sociological stressors that threaten our self-esteem. Some of these stressors can come from external factors, which are events, and situations that happen to us, or internal factors, which can be self-induced. Regardless of the source, recognizing that persistent exposure to stress can lead to many adverse health problems is the first step in stress management. There are many ways in which stress can be managed and this is totally dependant on an individual’s personal preference. Some strategies to managing stress include eating a nutritious diet, getting adequate exercise and rest, a good night’s sleep, and having good social support systems. Although the main goal is to effectively deal with stress in healthful ways, one must not forget that there are other unhealthy ways in which people choose to manage their stress; and these ways are not always beneficial to the individual or their respective family and friends; and over time, can actually magnify the problem ten-fold. Some of these unhealthy coping mechanisms may consist of smoking tobacco, consuming alcohol, illicit drug use, and sometimes even violence.

Maintaining good mental, physical, and emotional health requires adequate rest, good nutrition, and effective stress management. This could also require a consultation from a licensed physician or therapist to help discuss ways to minimize stress and its negative impact. No matter how one chooses, the payoff to managing stress can be peace of mind and maybe even a longer, healthier life. For more information on stress awareness and effective stress management you can read Stress management 101 by Don Colbert, M.D., The Little Book of Stress Relief by David Posen, M.D., or go online to www.stresscure.com.

About the Author

Kescia D. Gray, RN, MS, PHN, CHES is constantly seeking new and exciting opportunities in order to cultivate total wellness and to promote high quality health. With 15+ years experience in the healthcare field, she is dedicated to health & wellness. Graduating Cum Laude, Kescia earned her Master’s of Science degree in Health Services with an emphasis in Wellness Promotion from Independence University in Salt Lake City, Utah, and her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing at Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio. She is also the owner and president of GrayKo Clinical Consultants, LLC., a health and wellness company dedicated to providing quality education programs, workshops, in-services, and seminars tailored to the individual or corporate client. Their detail-specific program plans can be customized to fit your needs in order to foster success at meeting your goals of better health, increased productivity, health safety, job satisfaction, and more. Subject content related to the needs and concerns of your company may include, but is not limited to stress management, emotional wellness, diet, exercise, and personal development. To contact Kescia Gray, please call (866) 653-2570, or go to www.graykoclinicalconsultants.com.

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If you are an employer looking to provide health care options for those new workers still in their initial eligibility

stage, a few options are available in the market place that are affordable and acceptable ways to provide coverage. Short term health care can be used to cover employees who are not eligible for full time benefits, who are waiting on passing eligibility as new hires, have issues regarding citizenship or are on temporary visas, pre-Medicare retirees, or who are dependents of employees that only want single insurance coverage on the job. Cookie cutter insurance for any employer no longer works. When your workers are storming the gates because they don’t qualify for standard policy issue or for current benefits, your responsibility as a benefits manager, HR professional, or business owner requires you to offer a way to hire and maintain quality employees who don’t fit into the regular mold. If you are an employee in any of these situations, short term health care is a valid option.

According to Insure.com, designed for healthy individuals and families, short-term policies can provide an affordable safety net for those who are transitioning from one life event to another without a basic health plan. Depending on the short-term plan, benefits can be wide-ranging, with some policies providing up to $5 million in individual coverage. Just as the name implies, these health insurance policies are a temporary solution to a short-term insurance gap. Most plans last one to six months and can be renewed for a total of 36 months. The application process is simple and policies can be issued the next day. Most insurers take credit card payments. The most important thing to remember is that a short-term plan is not designed to cover pre-existing conditions. These are typically defined as any condition you had during the 36-month period prior to the start of coverage. The “look-back” period for these conditions can vary by state. The insurance department in your state can tell you what laws apply. It’s important to answer the health questions on the application

by Mark Roberts

Health Care for the Short Term


honestly. Otherwise, you could wind up with a denial of any treatment related to your pre-existing condition. All short-term policies have very specific limitations and exclusions, so read the policy carefully before you buy. According to eHealthInsurance, short-term health insurance plans provide you with coverage for a limited period of time, and may be an ideal solution for those between jobs or those waiting for other health insurance to start. The application process for short-term health insurance is usually simpler than standard, longer-term health insurance. Short-term health insurance plans are designed to protect against unforeseen accidents or illnesses, rather than to provide comprehensive coverage, and, as such, typically do not include coverage for preventive care, physicals, immunizations, dental, or vision care. Purchasing a short-term medical insurance plan will make you ineligible for any guaranteed issue individual health plans commonly referred to as HIPAA Plans. HIPAA plans are usually very expensive and are generally intended for people with pre-existing medical conditions who would have trouble getting health insurance otherwise. If you wish to maintain your eligibility for HIPAA plans, you should not purchase a short-term plan. Please consult your benefits advisor to discuss your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other rights under state law. Short-term health insurance plans typically do not cover pre-existing medical conditions. The definition of a pre-existing condition varies by state, but, in general, short-term health insurance policies exclude coverage for conditions that have been diagnosed or treated within the previous 3 to 5 years. If you have an existing medical condition, you may want to

research whether you can extend your current insurance. Employer-sponsored insurance can be extended under a government-regulated option commonly referred to as COBRA, which you should seriously consider if you have an existing medical condition. A short-term health insurance policy works like an “indemnity” plan, giving you the freedom to go to any doctor or specialist you like. However, most plans require that you obtain pre-certification from your insurer before you are hospitalized (except for emergency treatment). Without pre-certification, the plan may not reimburse you for hospital bills, according to Insure.com. Surgery, hospital care, emergency services, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, follow-up office visits and even limited mental health care could be included under a short-term health policy. While many short-term policies are usually renewable for a total of 36 months, keep in mind that if you file a claim under your short-term policy your insurer will likely not renew the policy again. They might offer you another policy, but they will treat any injuries or illnesses that occurred during your previous short-term policy as a pre-existing condition. Most reputable insurers offer a 30-day guarantee of satisfaction and will refund 100 percent of your premium within this time should you decide you don’t want the policy after all. In order to get your money back, you can’t have made claims under the policy. Low premiums are an important perk to a short-term health insurance policy. Short-term health insurers have established pools of healthy people and families, each of whom will need coverage only for a short period. Given the low-risk characteristics of this group, the cost of insurance remains low for everybody because insurers expect few claims. Short term medical insurance coverage

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can protect you in the event of an unexpected illness or injury, according to Health Insurance Finders. Unlike many health insurance plans out there, short term health insurance allows you to choose your doctors and hospitals and pays for all covered expenses once your deductible and coinsurance amounts have been met. It is designed to provide coverage for major hospital, medical, and surgical expenses incurred as a result of medically necessary care for a covered illness or injury. Coverage is provided for daily hospital room and board, miscellaneous hospital services, surgical services, anesthesia services, in-hospital services, and out-of-hospital care, subject to any deductibles or rate of payment provisions or other limitations which may be set forth in the policy. Unlike standard health insurance, these temporary short term health insurance policies always have a termination date. The expiration date of coverage is determined by the length of coverage you choose to purchase at the time of applying. Some short term health plans allow you to choose a monthly billing option for the specified length of coverage. This option allows you to terminate coverage voluntarily before the expiration date disclosed on the policy.

Who needs short-term health insurance?

• Individuals who are temporarily out of work: Folks who are between jobs make up a large market for short-term health insurance, according to Insure.com.

• Employees who are newly hired: If you have just started a new job, you may be waiting to become eligible for your company’s group health plan. This can take one to six months after your start date. In order to avoid a lapse in coverage, short-term health insurance can fill the gap.

• Recent college graduates: Many grads look for jobs offering health insurance benefits, but until they land full-time jobs, short-term insurance can fill the gap.

• People waiting to qualify for a standard health insurance policy: People applying for private-market individual health policies may not want to go without coverage while they wait for their applications to be approved. Having a short-term health insurance plan in place while you wait provides a seamless transition, and if you are denied for your standard policy, you still have basic health coverage through your short-term plan.

• Those losing dependent status: If you reach the cut-off age of your parents’ health insurance plan and are not enrolled as a full-time student, you will be dropped. In this case, you may be eligible for COBRA, but premiums can be very high. A short-term policy can keep you insured at lower premiums until you find a job that offers health insurance, or you enroll in an individual health plan.

People on strike, military discharge and early retirees:

You might consider a short-term plan if you are temporarily without insurance for some other reason. If you have retired early, you may need coverage until you qualify for Medicare.

Are Short Term Medical Insurance plans easy to get?

Typically yes, they are much easier to qualify for than a permanent health insurance


plan, according to Health Insurance Finders. Eligibility is usually determined by answering just a few questions. Some commonly asked questions are:

1. Do you currently have health coverage that is not due to expire prior to your requested effective date of short term coverage?2. Are you, or your spouse, currently pregnant?3. Have you been declined coverage for permanent health insurance due to health reasons?4. In the past few years, have you received treatment for heart problems, stroke, diabetes, cancer, blood disorders, diabetes, alcohol/drug dependency, or HIV/AIDS?

Answering yes to any of these questions may make you ineligible for coverage under a short term health insurance plan. Question #3 emphasizes the final example in the “who would purchase “section outlined above. If you are currently uninsured and shopping for health insurance, your first choice might be to obtain temporary health insurance coverage until you can find a permanent plan.

How quickly can I be covered by a Short Term Health Insurance plan?

In most cases, you can be covered within 24 hours. Unlike permanent health insurance, short term health insurance plans do not require a lengthy “underwriting” process. Your eligibility is determined by answering only a few questions. The application for a permanent individual insurance policy is much more lengthy and detailed as to your health history. In addition, a permanent policy application is thoroughly

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reviewed by the insurance company so that they may be certain the risk in providing you with health insurance is an acceptable one. If, on your application, you disclose health issues that cause concern, the insurance company may request medical records to better assist them in making a decision. This process can take several weeks at best, and may result in a decline of coverage. These are just some of the issues to consider when deciding if a temporary health policy is right for you. Since one of the major goals of health insurance is to provide long term financial stability and peace of mind, short term policies should only be considered in certain circumstances. Due to the limited nature of the period of coverage and the ease of obtaining this type of insurance, special attention should be paid to short term medical insurance covered expenses and short term health exclusions, because they differ from more permanent plans. If your budget simply won’t allow for insurance premiums, then a medical discount plan from a valid Discount Medical Plan Organization (DMPO) may be your next best option. These plans are not insurance, but through participation with a nominal monthly membership fee, you and your family are provided immediate nationwide access to participating network medical and ancillary health care providers who offer reasonably good discounts at the time of service. Discount plans do not have any maximums, waiting or medical conditions typically seen as restrictions with insurance plans. Make sure you deal with reputable companies that are licensed to do business in your state and hold direct contracts with the networks, and you should also be able to get a refund of your money if you are not pleased with how the plan works. There are several very good nationwide DMPOs that you can find on the internet, including Careington International and others.

Short term health care is a valuable tool to help you through times when regular health coverage is not available. Researching those policies can be challenging, so find a good agent that can help you navigate the various options in the market place. It’s your health, so do your homework and make wise choices.

About the Author Mark Roberts’ professional sales background includes almost 30 years of sales and marketing in the tax, insurance, and investment markets. Additionally, Mark has been writing a healthcare blog for the past three years, found at www.yourbesthealthcare.blogspot.com, which is a topical weblog about various healthcare issues. He has been noted recently as the medical reporter for an online news service with more than 110,000 subscribers at www.thecypresstimes.com and he has been pleased to regularly contribute articles to magazines for both medical and dental topics both in the US and the UK. You can reach Mark at [email protected].


Is Your Office a Danger Zone for Your Employees?

In January 2010, the media quickly hopped onto the “sitting can kill you” bandwagon after a research study that was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggested that even people who regularly exercise were at an increased risk of injury or death if they sat most of the day. The Canadian study covered in the British Journal article suggested that “after four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals that cause the genes regulating glucose and fat in the body to shut down” (Ekblom-Bak, 2010). This is why even those who exercised regularly were still at increased risk. Hundreds of articles have been written since then on the topic, all presuming this is a major revelation. Sadly it is not new news.

Researchers have known this for more than 40 years. Workers who use a fixed seated position all day are more uncomfortable and suffer more often from chronic disorders (Graf et al, 1993, 1995). Recent research studies indicate that people who sit long hours are more likely to be obese, have a heart attack, or die. Other health problems that arise from lack of movement include arthritis, inflamed tendons, impaired circulation, and chronic joint degeneration (Grandjean, 1987). A study in 1975 found that workers over 35 that spend more than half their day sitting had a higher rate of herniated discs (Kelsey, 1975). Sitting isn’t the only cause of injury in the office, the tools your workers use - keyboards,

by Lori Appleman

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mice, and monitors can also create health problems. During 1998 alone, an estimated 3 out of 10,000 employees lost work time due to carpal tunnel syndrome. Half of these people were out of work for more than 10 days. The average lifetime cost for a single case of carpal tunnel syndrome, if surgery is required, is $90K - $175K including both medical costs and lost time from work, and $24K - $60K without surgery (USDOL, 2010). The cost of lower productivity is not included in this number but a computer user experiencing pain puts off their tasks for 5 minutes out of every 15 minutes worked. This lost productivity adds up to over 13 hours per week.Employers lose billions each year in both direct and indirect costs due to these injuries. The costs associated with occupational injury and related illness cost employers as much as diabetes did in 2005 (Leigh, 2008). If your company’s wellness program does not include a strong ergonomics program, you’re missing a key component of creating a healthier and more productive workforce.

The Good News

The good news that many of these injuries are preventable when a good ergonomics program is in place, workstations are setup for healthy working conditions, and employees are given appropriate education so they use equipment properly and participate in behaviors that lower risk, such as taking regular stretch breaks or standing part of the day. Office ergonomics reduce worker’s compensation claims, lower overall health insurance costs, and increase employee productivity, all of which can have a huge positive impact on your firm’s bottom line. An added bonus - employees who are not in pain and who feel their employer is invested in their health and well-being are

happier, which reduces employee turnover. The return on investment for ergonomic programs is excellent. According to the Wellness Council of America, $3 is saved in health care costs for every $1 invested.

Office Ergonomics

Designing a healthier, ergonomic office environment doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult, however I will begin with an important caveat - a product labeled as ergonomic may, or may not be ergonomic and even if it is, it may not be the best choice for a specific user. A well-designed, ergonomic workstation fits the worker and is designed to minimize stress on the body. As people come in different sizes and have different work styles, there is no “one size fits all” solution. The chair is the most critical part of the puzzle. Seek out well-constructed chairs that offer many points of adjustment. Adjustments should include: seat depth, seat height, back angle, lumbar support, and arms that are both height and width adjustable. Chairs selected should fit the majority of employees. If you select chairs from one of the manufacturers that offers modularity, then simple modifications such as changing a seat pan or chair height cylinder can allow for easy adaptation of existing chairs to new employees. Employees that are petite, taller than 6’3” or over 250 lbs. will need chairs designed to fit their respective statures. A number of great companies offer chairs that meet all these requirements including Soma Ergonomics, Neutral Posture, and Bodybilt. Keyboards and mice should be as close to the body as possible to minimize reaching and the risk of arms resting on desk edges. For many workers a height adjustable desk and/or an adjustable keyboard tray is recommended to bring the keyboard to a level that allows the


arms to be level with the floor when shoulders are in a relaxed position. Monitors should be positioned so they can be easily viewed without straining the neck forward, back, or down and about arm’s length away from the eyes. Desk lamps may be needed to provide workers with adequate lighting and can reduce the dependence on harsh overhead fluorescent lighting. Most computer workers will benefit

from an ergonomic keyboard and mouse.The keyboard should be positioned so the wrists do not extend upward. A downward, away from the body (negative tilt) is recommended by many ergonomists; this is best accomplished with an articulating keyboard tray. A wide variety of excellent products are available to fit anyone’s requirements. Laptop computers present significant ergonomic problems because it is not possible to have the keyboard and screen in a healthy position at the same time, thus they should not

be used “as is” for long periods of time. These problems can best be handled by elevating the laptop to a comfortable viewing height with a stand or laptop arm and the use of an external keyboard and mouse. Using an external keyboard and mouse has the added benefits of being able to use a good quality ergonomic keyboard with full sized keys, softer key pressure and healthier positioning.

Don’t Forget Your Remote Workers

“Out of sight and out of mind” should not apply when it comes to the health of your employees. Home workers should be provided with the necessary equipment and education to work in a healthy manner. Traveling workers need appropriately equipped, mobile laptop equipment such as a portable laptop stand, travel keyboard, and mouse, plus a good bag to carry it all in. It’s advisable to consider issuing either a laptop case with wheels or a well-designed laptop backpack to minimize the stress of carrying a computer. Workers that drive need headsets for their phones.

Getting Funded

Getting upper management to agree to fund a quality ergonomics program can sometimes be challenging. Be prepared to show current needs and costs, as well as expected savings. Use of an ergonomics software program such as Comfort Zone by ibr can give health and safety personnel the needed information to target urgent needs and develop cost effective ergonomic programs that resolve and prevent injuries, as well as monitor the results of the program. If your company does not have an in-house expert, it is absolutely worthwhile to invest in the expertise of an ergonomist to

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ensure your program meets your employees’ needs and does so in a cost efficient manner. Unlike many other components to a corporate health and wellness program, investments in ergonomics typically deliver a return on investment in just a few months.

Ergonomics Programs Deliver

Numerous research reports have been done that prove the value and payback of ergonomics programs. One example, Blue Cross Blue Shield Rhode Island implemented an ergonomics program in March 2000. An ergonomic team was created and workstation changes were implemented. Changes included installing ergonomic keyboard trays, moving or adjusting desks, changing furniture vendors to those that offered appropriately ergonomic furniture, and giving employees a phone headset. First year results represented a 70% decrease in lost work days and a 25% reduction in worker’s compensation cases. By the end of the third year, worker’s compensation cases had dropped from 8 in 1999 to only 1 by 2002. Lost work days had dropped from 345 to 89 (USDOL, 2010).

In summary, an ergonomics program is an important and necessary component in any employee wellness program that delivers results in a very short time period. Creating a healthy and comfortable work place can reap huge financial rewards by increasing productivity, reducing employee turnover, and reducing health care and worker’s compensation insurance rates. When it comes to ergonomic programs, an ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure.

About the Author

Lori Appleman is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Ergoprise. Ergoprise is a certified, woman-owned, multi-brand provider of high quality office, mobile, and industrial ergonomic tools, located in Austin, Texas. Through the showroom, website, and sale team, Ergoprise offers a broad range of ergonomic products that have been selected to provide workers with a comfortable working environment; and to deliver an excellent return on investment. Ergoprise’s mission is to build awareness of the importance and value of ergonomics, as well as the products that create a healthy workspace, prevent repetitive stress injuries (RSI), and provide for worker’s comfort.

Contact Lori [email protected]

References1) Ekblom-Bak, E. (2010) British Journal of Sports Medicine.2) Graf, M, Guggenbuhl, U. and Krueger, H. (1993) Investigations on the effects of seat shape and slope on posture, comfort and back muscle activity. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 12 (1-2), 91-103.3) Graf, M, Guggenbuhl, U. and Krueger, H. (1995) An assessment of seated activity and postures at five workplaces. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 15 (2), 81-90.4) Grandjean, E. (1987). Ergonomics in computerized offices. London: Taylor and Francis. 96-156.5) Kelsey J. L. (1975). An epidemiological study of the relationship between occupations and acute herniated lumbar intervertebral discs.Int J Epidemiology. 4(3): 197-205.6) Leigh, J. P. (2008) Cost of occupational injury and illness combining all industries, Powerpoint presentation for 11/3/2008 seminar for Western Center for Agriculture Health and Safety7) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.(2010). Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Fact Sheet. Retrieved from: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm8) US Department of Labor (2010) Blue Cross Blue Shield Rhode Island. Retrieved from: http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/success_stories/compliance_assistance/abbott/blue_cross.html

Health Care Cost Containment ~ Beyond the Obvious


Health Care Cost Containment ~ Beyond the Obvious

When you think about health care cost-containment, you probably envision wellness programs such as weight loss plans, exercise regimens and

smoking cessation programs. Poor health habits are very costly to us as individuals, and as a nation. According to a new study by the Society of Actuaries, obesity-related illnesses cost the U.S. an estimated $270 billion dollars per year. Smoking has been a strong risk factor for cancer and heart disease for many years.

As you will see from the healthy living pyramid below, lifestyle is the foundation for overall good health. First, you must exhaust all opportunities to heal with a healthy diet, adequate rest, a healthy outlet for stress, and regular exercise. If these options do not help the symptoms, the next step is to add a trial of

vitamins or supplements. If still not successful, then try prescription medication, with the last resort being surgery.

Healthy living is an obvious solution for reducing health care costs. But there are other actions that you and your employees can take to use your health care resources more efficiently, thus reducing or even eliminating unnecessary

by Lisa Hall

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health care spending. More importantly, these simple strategies can help you and your team members improve your quality of life and in some cases, even save your life:

1. Keep up with Regular Screenings. Early detection is the next best thing to prevention. Catastrophic illness caught in an early stage offers a much better prognosis and cost savings to the patient, employer, and insurer. You may assume that your doctor will tell you when you are due for your screenings, but this is not always the case. Claire had her first mammogram at age 77 – at her request. Because she visited her primary care physician sporadically, her regular screenings fell through the cracks. Larry’s story is more compelling. He requested his first colonoscopy at age 68, despite the absence of symptoms. The gastroenterologist found a large mass which turned out to be malignant. Fortunately, Larry’s cancer was stage I and he was cured with surgery and didn’t need chemo. But had he waited, his story may not have had a happy ending. Bottom line is this - the responsibility for regular screenings lies with the patient. Your physician cannot possibly know when you and 3000 other patients are due for screenings, unless he has an expensive electronic medical system. To determine which screening tests you need

based on age and gender, visit women.webmd.com/tc/early-disease-detection-overview.2. Make the most of physician office visits. The average primary care physician must see between twenty-five and fifty patients per day to maintain a successful practice. This means you will have just to nine to nineteen minutes with your physician. Make the most of these minutes by preparing a list of questions prior to your visit and by bringing an up-to-date list of medications, surgeries, hospitalizations and chronic conditions, particularly if any of these have changed since your last visit.

You can find downloadable tools to help you organize your medical information at www.theproactivepatient.com/page7.php. 3. Manage your medications. Medication errors occur with far more frequency than any other medical adverse event. Physicians, nurses and pharmacists take precautions, but there are also steps that you as the patient can take. Use just one pharmacy to avoid dangerous drug interactions. You must have one central source for your medications; there is too much room for error with more than one. Most pharmacies have sophisticated computer systems that flag dangerous interactions. But as an added precaution, you should check medications before you take them to make sure you received the correct prescription. Learn as much about medications’ side effects and interactions as


possible. Talk to your pharmacist, look at the package inserts, check the Web sites of the drug manufacturers, and check online for postings from patients who have experienced troubling side effects. Call in refills on your medications several days before you run out in case the pharmacy has to order more.

4. Coordinate care between multiple physicians to avoid costly duplication of services. To ensure that you are not receiving treatments that conflict with one another, make sure your primary care physician knows about medical care you are receiving from any specialists you have found on your own or from alternative practitioners. You may find that one doctor needs to share your records and, in some cases, X-ray films with other doctors. It is your responsibility to follow up to make sure this happens; even if it means hand delivering reports and films yourself. You must also be the focal point when you have several medical practitioners working together on your case. You cannot assume that all of your doctors are communicating effectively with one another.

5. Know your insurance plan and its limitations. Again, this is a patient responsibility, not a physician’s office responsibility. The best time to determine coverage of a test or treatment is before it is administered. If you have questions after contacting your insurer or reviewing the manual provided by your insurer, you can contact your company benefits administrator.

6. Know your options for emergency medical care before you have a medical emergency. Contact local urgent care clinics to determine their capabilities for treating

emergencies that are not life-threatening. In many cases, urgent care clinics can provide care for a fraction of the cost at a hospital emergency department. And you may get better care with a shorter wait time.

7. Know your rights and responsibilities during hospitalization. If you are unable to assume these rights and responsibilities, make every effort to have a friend or family member help you safeguard against infection risks, surgical errors and medication errors. You can also contact the hospital’s patient advocate or administrator if you need help resolving any issues with treatment.

These strategies are simple, no-nonsense ways to curb unnecessary health care spending, while keeping your team as healthy and happy as possible!

About the Author

Lisa Hall works full-time in human resources at AAR CORP, with a focus on training and development. She is also the author of the patient health care reference guide Taking Charge of Your Own Health (Harvest House Publishers: 2009.) To learn more about this book and Lisa’s amazing medical journey, please visit www.theproactivepatient.com.

Lisa is an avid runner and recently completed her first marathon. Her story appears in the December 2010 issue of Runner’s World magazine.

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by Lesley Crawford Costner

“It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!” You’ve heard that about a millions time regarding a million different things. But have you ever heard it in reference to your own health and well-being? You should have! You need to know your health; you need to know your foods and you know you need to get moving.

Setting New Year’s Resolutions can be about as painful as the bypass surgery you’ll need if you aren’t taking care of yourself. They can also back fire when they are not set to your advantage. Picture this. You’ve got a car that is old (as old as you are), you haven’t driven it in over a year and you need to go 40 miles. You get into the drivers seat, and hit the gas and don’t let up until you reach your 40 mile destination. You would probably hear hissing, clanging, banging, you’ll drop the transmission and wheels could fall off. Why wouldn’t you

check the engine, and valves and tires, then sit down and slowly accelerate, listening for a possible problem and slowly head toward down the path to your 40 mile destination? That car is you, that 40 miles is 40 pounds and driving is exercising. So many people will jump right in knowing they need to hit this 40 pound weight loss marker, and when they run into a problem at mile 2 (pound 2) they run off the road and never reach their destination. You’ll never reach a long-term goal without having many short-term goals!

You need to break it down for ease, enjoyment and achievement. So let’s do just that.

You Need to Know Your Health

Question: “What fits your busy schedulebetter, exercising 1 hour a day or being dead 24 hours a day?”

One, Two, Three Wellness!


Don’t jump into these goals and activities without having a doctor tell you that you are ready. Once you know your family history and your current health status and you are cleared for activities, then you must start slowly. You know you can’t eat the elephant in one sitting; you must go bite by bite. Do NOT focus on losing all 40 pounds (or whatever your goal maybe); think only about how I can change a few meals and add a little exercise. Your health history and health status will also help you to plan your path ahead. If you have high cholesterol then you know you’ve got to focus on foods that lower your cholesterol. If you’ve got high blood pressure, then you need to focus on good cardiovascular exercise. Ask your doctor what the solutions to your specific problem is and if you get the blanket response “you need to diet and exercise”, then press him/ her further for specifics. You don’t want to add 12 pills a day to your diet regime. In fact, if you are on 4 prescriptions because of health problems, at best that will cost you approximately $4,000 per year. The truth is though, is that most people are on more than 4 medications. Wouldn’t you rather spend that on a great vacation?

You Need to Know Your Foods

Most of us cringe each time we approach the threshold of our local grocery store. We want to stay within our budget and want to get out of the store before we hit our next birthday, but with every brightly colored confusing package, we get that glazed over look and grab whatever is within reach. Select the produce section first. These foods are your “free-bees”. Choose foods with bright colors and ease of preparation and if you are unsure if a fruit or veggie is too ripe or not ripe enough, ask a staff person. Next when you move on to the packaged items ignore anything and everything on the

front and go right to your nutritional label. No need for a second look, it’s definitely written in English. But the genius marketing groups have made it look confusing so that you stop reading, and just toss it into your basket- going on the hopes that it just tastes great! Don’t give in! Read the serving size, total calories and total fat (unless you’ve been directed by your personal physician or personal nutritionist for health reasons). A single serving size should be what you are serving yourself, and not how many servings can you consume. The numbers that are listed for total fat and total calories won’t mean a thing to you, if you don’t know how many calories you should be consuming in a given day. I like this calculator:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm.

Once you’ve established how many calories you need to take in a day, then you need to plan how you will consume then and when. Ideally, you want to spread them out over the day; 3 meals and 3 snacks. This is best to get your metabolism going, and keep it up. A good rule of thumb is that snacks should always be 200 calories or less. So if the calculator says you need 1600 calories in a day, don’t go blow it all on the Awesome Blossom/ Blooming Onion appetizer, which clocks in between 2,000 and 2,700 calories and 200 grams of fat! No one with any nutritional knowledge is going to suggest that you try to live off of water and lettuce. It’s only natural that we plan our lives around food, but you can make small changes that can pay out big rewards. Pick a few of these and slowly incorporate all of them and then make them your food rules:

• Switch to skim milk• Switch to diet soft drinks• No fast food for one week• No soft drinks for one week

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• Switch to fat free mayonnaise• Switch to fat free cheese slices• Switch to fat free salad dressing • Drink a half gallon of water a day• Begin taking a daily multivitamin• Walk the dog everyday for one week• Eat breakfast every morning for 1 week• Switch from white bread to wheat bread• Try toast with jam/ jelly instead of butter• Toss out the vegetable oil and use olive oil• Switch out teaspoons of sugar and use

Splenda• Don’t buy/ order food at the movie

theatre anymore• Do crunches during the TV commercials

for one week• If you smoke, then choose to not smoke

before noon for one weekDon’t focus on any thoughts you have

about this or that tastes bad or different. Give yourself 3 days on the selected food change and chances are you won’t want to go back to your old habits. If you do, add spices to a particular food and change the taste yourself!

You Know you Need to Move

So your doctor has cleared you to start moving. Now all you need to do is turn off the TV, dust the potato chips crumbs off your lap and pry yourself off the couch. One proven means of exercise success is to have a partner. Choose a person that you are close enough with that you can discuss your goals and obstacles and someone that you know will hold you accountable…even when you convince them that today is “National No Movement” Day. Begin slowly. Maybe your goal is to walk 10 minutes for the first day, 15 minutes the second, and so on. Your life change should not be a sprint race, it’s an endurance race. This brings me to

a great topic- Races! Don’t run out and sign yourself up for Ironman Hawaii, but definitely sign up for a local 5k fun run/ fundraiser. You WILL feel great and it’s a tax deduction! What a combo! Walk it at first. Maybe you and your partner can try to jog the last half mile.

Some people can’t bear to step foot in a gym because they think they need to get in shape before going to a gym and that they’d choose a root canal over any work out clothes. So if that is a fear then walk your neighborhood or ride bikes in your area. Wear bright clothes and a helmet! Another great option is to exercise indoors. This alleviates having to commute to a gym and solves a problem if you don’t have streets or neighborhood conducive to walking and riding. (I can hear it now, “it’s too hot”; “it’s too cold”, “it’s too rainy”; “it’s too sunny”. No excuses when it’s in your living room). There are great DVD’s and small equipment that you can use inside your home that can really get the job done. Merely owning them will not help you lose weight however; you must actually turn them on and press play!

About the Author

Wellness Health Fairs is a 26 year old Non-profit corporate wellness company that works on a nationwide (and worldwide) basis with companies of all sizes and industries in increasing productivity and morale, and reducing sick days and health care claims. Our non –profit status allows us to offer the most competitive pricing when shopping for a Health and Wellness vendor and our experience, knowledge, and “A - Z” services is exactly what our client are looking for...one vendor, one long –lasting successful relationship. ContactLesley Crawford CostnerNationwide Wellness Director1 866 320 2510


One of the main fronts of the healthcare revolution is the workplace. The shift in employer provided health insurance from a benefit to

an entitlement is front and center in the larger debate over insurance and the role of govern-ment mandates in the healthcare marketplace. With big changes looming, many companies are looking into different ways in which they can create and maintain a healthier workforce – both as a way of reducing claims experience and as a way to improve productivity. While many companies have begun to offer different types of wellness programs, companies on the cutting edge are adopting in-novative health programs that go beyond pre-ventative care and optimize total body health.

Preventative & Integrative Care vs. Inclusive Care

Unlike ordinary preventative care which aims to prevent specific conditions, or integra-

tive care which uses a multi-disciplinary ap-proach to remedy specific conditions, Inclusive Health is an approach to care that is designed to protect and promote health on the cellular level. This approach literally creates the youngest, healthiest “you” possible. Because the benefits of Inclusive Health are so broad, they help to control both the anticipated and the unantici-pated processes that lead to adverse changes in health.

Promoting and Protecting Cellular Health Inclusive Health uses a three-pillar ap-proach that advances the health of every cell in the body by creating the ideal environment within and without the body. By optimizing your internal, external and emotional environments, Inclusive Health gives your body and spirit the best opportu-nity to thrive. Studies conducted by the Murad Medical Group at the Murad Clinical Research Center have conclusively demonstrated that when these three environments are optimized,

Inclusive Health~ The Future of Healthcare

by Dr. Howard Murad

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people don’t merely report a perceived increase health and happiness – wellness is objectively reflected in an increase in intracellular water, a fundamental marker of good health.

1. Internal Care: Inclusive Heath advocates eating healthy, nutrient rich foods and taking dietary supplements so that the body is flooded with the building blocks of strong, water-tight cells. When we look at the body on the micro level and examine what we need to build our cells, the truth of the adage, you are what you eat, is incontrovertible.

2. Topical Care: Since skin is both the body’s largest organ and its first line of defense, In-clusive Health recommends topical treatments such as esthetic facials, appropriate skin care regimens and cosmetic medical services to sup-port and enhance the skin’s barrier function to protect cells from environmental damage and dehydration. These recommendations also en-courage healthy cell turn-over so that surface layers have a higher population of stronger, younger cells. Care of the skin is absolutely central to good health. Not merely because it is our primary protection from the everyday assaults from the world outside our body, but because it is our most connected organ and does double duty to support every major system in the body from endocrine to digestion.

3. Emotional Self Care: Because stress trig-gers a cascade of adverse consequences that lead to cell damage and cell death, programs and activities that help people achieve psycho-logical and social balance are critical. Manag-ing stress, maintaining a healthy connection to yourself and your surroundings, and a positive social environment will not only reduce stress, they nurture the psyche to make it better able to withstand unavoidable stress. In today’s

world, people are often connected to demands of the workplace 24/7 and under constant as-sault from negative news and over-stimulating entertainment. The burden of this lifestyle cre-ates a pervasive Cultural Stress® that is even more damaging than acute stress by virtue of its chronic and unrelenting nature. Ameliorating the impact of this kind of stress is job one for any emotional self-care program.

Why Cellular Water Matters

In simple terms, the work of the body is done within our cells. Each cell is a factory of dazzling complexity that uses chemistry to turn what we eat into who we are and the energy we need to be alive. Those chemical reactions, largely enzymatic, can only occur in the pres-ence of water. Once a cell membrane loses its integrity and starts to leak, the reactions become increasingly less efficient as the cell approaches death. By protecting and promoting cellular integrity, so that the body has the youngest and strongest possible cellular population, we opti-mize the efficiency of every system in the body and fortify the entire body against injury and ill-ness.

Inclusive Health in the Workplace

Because, on a practical level, Inclusive Health is a lifestyle built in small steps that re-place bad habits with good habits, it is infinitely adaptable to the needs of each person and each organization. By designating a floating holiday as an Inclusive Health day on which employees can book medical appointments for themselves and their families or simply take a day to rest and recharge, employers enjoy both the good-will generated by the gesture and a reduction in sick days and general absenteeism. To invite broader participation, and dis-


pel the notion that Inclusive Health is something imposed by management merely to control healthcare costs, one company that is embrac-ing Inclusive Health has volunteered its highly stressed and slightly out of shape general man-ager for a ten week intensive Inclusive Health program. This program includes personal coaching and diagnostic metrics that can assess the improvement in cellular health by analyz-ing, among other factors, the body’s electrical resistance which is indicative of cellular mem-brane integrity and higher intracellular water. To inform, amuse and inspire the workforce, he has been posting weekly emails on the compa-ny’s intranet that track his progress toward the goal of adopting an Inclusive Health lifestyle. The response to date has been over-whelming with employees from all departments offering support, suggestions and healthy reci-pes. Because exercise is a key part of the emo-tional self-care component of Inclusive Health, pedometers were distributed to the employees to encourage them to match the general man-agers 10,000 step a day pace. What resonates most with the employees is the idea that with Inclusive Health, a relatively healthy man, liv-ing a relatively healthy life, has made a series of manageable, practical changes to make his good life even better.

Feel Better, Look Better, Work Better

Inclusive Health programs in the work place are the outgrowth of a broader Inclusive Health movement in healthcare. This move-ment asks patients to partner with care provid-ers to take responsibility for their health and their lives. The flexible and cumulative aspect of this approach to care is extremely appealing, as is the emphasis on adding good things to life as opposed to focusing on deprivation as many

diet programs do. Because the renewal that In-clusive Health offers is complete, the benefits are broad and significant. Participants in In-clusive Health programs uniformly report bet-ter energy, better overall appearance because of visible improvements in body shape and skin health and a more positive view of the future. Inclusive Health programs in the workplace ul-timately offer true transformations in health – a wonderful dividend for the investment by the employer and the employee.

About the Author

Howard Murad, M.D., FAAD has literally changed the face of skincare by devoting his life to mak-ing beautiful, healthy skin attainable for everyone. His scientifically-proven formulas and Inclusive Health approach to overall skin and body wellness have helped millions to live better lives.

A board-certified dermatologist, trained pharma-cist, and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (Dermatology) at the Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Dr. Murad has personally treated over 50,000 patients. In 1989 he founded Murad, Inc. as a way to share his groundbreaking skincare formulas which were among the first to achieve significant measurable anti-aging results without surgery. Dr. Murad has received numerous recog-nitions including being named the “Best Forward-Thinking Doctor” by Vogue Magazine, a “Beauty Genius” by Elle Magazine, an “Industry Vision-ary” by the International SPA Association, and was inducted into Dermascope magazine’s “Acad-emy of Legends”.

ContactJennifer Newton Murad Inc. 310.726.3380 [email protected]

Sarah LaskyMurad [email protected]

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Imagine you are head of Human Capital for a 100-person company. Imagine the owner of the company walks into your

office on Monday morning with the weekend newspaper, tosses it onto your desk and tells you, “We need a wellness program for our employees. Look at the stats!” Yes, you know employee wellness programs are all the rage. Yes, you absolutely know healthy employees who feel well are happier, have better morale, are more productive and are less likely to leave the company (not to mention will save the company money in healthcare premiums). Yes,

you know it is time you find a wellness program solution for your team. And that is where all of the agreeing ends. With 100 employees you have a wide variety of shapes, genders, cultures, sizes, health statuses, needs, habits, preferences and knowledge. How in the world can you find one, affordable, wellness solution to meet everyone’s needs? The answer… choose carefully. How? Let’s explore.

The Challenge

First, take a look at what we’re facing.

by Joanne Frederick

One Size Wellness


If your 100 employees represented the average American , this is what your company would look like. Impressive, isn’t it? Your mission is to: Find a wellness solution for the fast food eater and the vegetarians. Find one that will mesh with the different ethnic backgrounds your group represents. Find one to address the vastly different educational experience and health knowledge you’re dealing with. And find one to help the 25% of your group that doesn’t get any physical activity during their leisure time. Oh, and one more requirement… find a wellness program people will actually follow, and dare I say, enjoy. Let’s start with a quick review of what wellness programs are out there. To make a gross generalization, wellness programs fall within three categories:

• Ones that tell you the status of your team (HRAs and other assessments)• Ones that work to educate and inform (emails, health fairs, health coaches and online content)

• Ones that track data (pedometers, calories, steps, laps, etc.)

It is simply a fact that some people on your team will do better with option 1, others with option 2 and some will succeed with the available data from option 3. Ideally, you would be able to offer a wide variety of programs and something that would meet each person’s needs. Doing so, unfortunately, could create discrimination and legal challenges so tread carefully if you go in that direction. Not to mention the fact that our current economic environment demands you find an affordable program that is easily managed. Having several different programs could be expensive and time consuming to negotiate and monitor. Choosing one of the three options often comes down to how much involvement your company wants to have in the health and wellness of your employees. Providing people with information about their health status is important, but many firms have found it is simply not enough. The 25.4% of your employees who aren’t getting any physical activity? They know

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they should be doing some exercise, yet they aren’t. The most common excuses are lack of time and lack of information or knowledge about how to exercise. If you get each employee a pedometer and suggest they follow the recommendation to get 10,000 steps a day, you could see some results. Most people who first get a pedometer get more exercise each day. The problem is the pedometer gets left at home or in the car or on the desk. The pedometer can be viewed as a fad and, only if it becomes engrained in each person’s daily life, does it work. Plus, eventually 10,000 steps will create a plateau and we know people onlystick with what produces results. Option 2, are the “educate and inform” types of wellness programs. Programs that provide each employee a personal health coach are pretty effective. And, they are also expensive. Books, emails and other online content is only as good as its ability to keep your team coming back for more. The real objective for any wellness program should be to help your employees learn what they need to know to keep themselves healthy. People learn best when they are engaged, having fun and seeing the results from their new knowledge. Programs that teach are your best bet. They are out there, but you still need to find the one that most closely matches the needs of your team.

Finding the Best Wellness Program

Given all of those challenges, finding the best wellness solution for your team is possible. Here are a few helpful steps:

1. Do a census. Understand who is in your company. Understand what they spend most of their workday doing (sitting at a computer, driving, physical labor). Understand their general health status, age, preferences and health knowledge.

2. Take a survey. Ask them what they would like in a wellness program. Ask them about their preferences. Ask them what would work best for them. Ask them their biggest personal wellness challenge or need. If you want help coming up with survey questions, do a Google search, there are plenty of examples on the web.

3. Create a budget. Wellness programs can range from practically free to hundreds of dollars a month. Sure, a weekly health coach onsite to meet with each person would be great and is generally very expensive. Be realistic about your annual budget and what your company can afford.

4. Consider a co-pay. People are more likely to follow something they are invested in. Simple fact. Ask your employees to pay a fraction of the wellness program costs and then consider a discount on their insurance premiums for meeting wellness goals.

5. Ensure accessibility. To be most successful, the wellness program you select should be available 24/7 from everywhere. Sure, office-based workout facilities are great but what does your staff do at night and on the weekends? Wellness should integrate into their lives, not just become another thing “to do.”

6. Build a community. Look for tools that help your team get, and remain, engaged in the program. Are there social networking features? Inter-company challenges? Ways to measure group success?

7. Seek Balance. A well-balanced wellness program includes exercise, nutrition and stress-reduction information. With the diversity in your group, each person will need a different aspect from a wellness program. More exercise won’t combat a bad diet of too much processed


food. And eating leafy greens won’t much help the person so unhappy and too stressed. Be sure the program you choose has some elements of each key tenet of wellness. Once you have selected a wellness approach, start the program right. The vendor you select, now your wellness partner, should provide you tools, tips and information to hold a fabulous kick-off party. Some of the best ones combine stuff (water bottle and resistance band giveaways), fun (have a dance contest) and information (a healthy cooking demo). After your kick-off party, your next mission is to:

1. Create a culture. Regardless of what wellness program you choose, have regular in-office wellness sessions. They don’t have to be fancy or expensive. Hold a weekly brown bag lunch and project a health or wellness video in the conference room. Create a lunchtime walking group. Have an exercise break where everyone does a desk-side workout at 3 PM.

2. Gather feedback. Ask people, both formally and informally, what they like and what they don’t. Work with your wellness partner to address the “don’t likes” and be sure to share the “do likes” so they can give you more of what works for your group. Bring back the suggestion box!

3. Celebrate success. If your team starts losing weight, share the good news. If people are feeling better, encourage them to spread the word. Give awards. Acknowledge success.

4. Review. At the end of the first year, do another survey and take another look at the wellness solutions available. New programs, ideas and concepts are being introduced all of the time and next year there may be something

even better out there. The websphere is full of articles that estimate the return on investment of wellness programs. Some experts are suspect on the validity or importance of such ROI reports. Plus, the biggest gains are measured over time. Having an idea of the return on your wellness investment is important, but remember one thing: It is very difficult to measure success one company at a time because many“one-size fits all wellness programs” are unlikely to work for your entire team. Your success in helping your employees get healthy and be well is based on your ability to implement a solution with something for everyone. After all, wellness programs, like people, aren’t “one size fits all.”

About the Author

Joanne is the Founder and CEO of Cybercise and the author of “Move.Eat.Be. Finding Your Personal Plan for Wellness.” She is a certified personal trainer, a Health Coach, a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She will graduate in June 2011 with a Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Social Change from Tai Sophia Institute. To learn more about Cybercise visit www.cyber-cise.com. You can also find Cybercise on Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot. “Move.Eat.Be. Finding your personal plan for wellness.” is based on the wellness education program delivered through the Cybercise portal and is due to be published in book form in the first quarter of 2011. More about Move.Eat.Be.can be found at www.moveeatbe.com.

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Businesses come in all shapes and sizes, much like the CEOs who run them.

The lifeblood of the business depends on the drive, the energy, and the action the CEO puts forth to provide the direction and growth for the business vision to prosper. CEOs are the driving force behind our country’s economy and commerce. They are the doers, the movers and shakers that make it all happen. The most effective CEOs understand and acknowledge their own strengths and weaknesses and capitalize on them or compensate for them by hiring and delegating for effectiveness and completeness of their organizations. They are the leaders who provide the spark and the example for their employees to follow. They rule similar to the head of the family who instills order and integrity into the family dynamics to grow up the family in the

way that is most productive for them. Like the school teacher who finds ways to instill the necessary information into the students and then find ways for them to apply the concepts for desired outcomes.

Every department in a business is different, yet all action are directed to the same vision, the same outcome. The types of people, equipment, supplies, and methods used by each department are different.

Most CEOs are reinvesting in equipment updates and insisting on faithfully following maintenance schedules to prolong productivity and life. They send their key employees to seminars and continuing education with the understanding that those employees will come back to their job function and take action to put that information or those skills into practice with action. Most of these same CEOs do not recognize that their own body is an organization of systems and processes, with each organ,

CEO in Action,CEO Inactionby Greg Justice


system, bone, muscle, and joint having its own job to do, interdependent on the other organs, systems, bones, muscles, and joints, which can only function fully when provided with 7 key ingredients. Water, sleep, exercise, nutrition, fresh air, stress reduction, and sunshine. Every day. If the human body does not receive these key elements it will break down into a state of disease and deterioration. 100% guaranteed.

CEOs are human, just like their employees and have their own priorities and values. Many CEOs are not wellness minded, and do not take care of their own health because they are ‘busy’.

There are many reasons why people today put the care of their body and their health last in their list of priorities and often don’t take care of themselves until they have symptoms that interfere with the rest of their life. The

preference of spending time making money is one of those reasons. Losing income is one interference that spurs people to action.

The CEO that is motivated to implement a wellness program for employees because of the high costs of insurance, low productivity, and absenteeism, among other company problems is no different than the average person who has a heart attack and is told you have to start exercising and eating right or you will die. Suddenly everyone is paying attention.

The human body has 11 distinct systems that are interdependent on each other to keep up their job function. The supplies they need EVERY DAY to function well include restful sleep, water, exercise, nutrition, fresh air, stress reduction, and sunshine. Regular exercise and proper nutrition supply the foundation of these bodily needs.

Human Body Systems Business Systems

Circulatory System (heart, blood, vessels) Customer Service

Respiratory System (nose, trachea, lungs) Advertising

Immune System (many types of protein, cells, organs, tissues) Business Vision/Mission

Skeletal System (bones) Business Structure and Culture

Integumentary (skin, hair, nails, glands) Security

Urinary System (bladder, kidneys) Maintenance and Janitorial

Muscular System (muscles) Sales and Marketing

Endocrine System (glands) Clerical and Administrative

Digestive System (mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines) Equipment and Supplies

Nervous System (brain, spinal cord, nerves) Upper Management and CEO

Reproductive System (male and female reproductive organs) New product development

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If a system in your business or your body is destined to break down for lack of care, which system would you agree to allow to work at a reduced capacity or to do without altogether? I recently had a conversation with a client that is typical of the perspectives of people everywhere. When I asked him if he took any medication he said no. I looked at him quizzically and he corrected himself, “Well, just my high blood pressure medicine.” Too many people don’t understand that medication is not a cure, is not a long term solution to chronic illness, and that it isn’t a ‘normal’ state of aging. Medication is like a cast on a broken leg – it’s there to help you while you take ACTION to get your body healthy again. Here is what Mayo Clinic says about high blood pressure, “High blood pressure can quietly damage your body for years before symptoms develop.” They go on to explain some of the complications high blood pressure can cause when it’s not effectively controlled.

These include damage to your arteries, aneurysm, damage to your heart, heart failure, damage to your brain, stroke, dementia, kidney failure, and damage to your eyes. Other possible dangers include sexual dysfunction, bone loss, and sleep apnea. Thousands of research studies have shown that regular exercise and proper nutrition are key ingredients to achieving health and wellness and that without them, the body will deteriorate into a state of disease. That disease is still present while a person is on medication and not exercising and/or eating nutritiously. Mayo Clinic explains how high blood pressure and exercise are connected, “Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. If your heart can work less to pump, the force on your arteries decreases, lowering your blood pressure.” The human heart is a muscle. Regular exercise is needed to strengthen the heart as well as the body. If the leg muscles are weak,


how can the heart muscles be strong? If your business sales are weak, how can your business growth be strong? The bottom line is that every human being needs regular exercise and proper nutrition. Wellness programs are usually very good about providing lots of good information to the employees and the CEO about what it takes to create and maintain a healthy body, yet that is where most of them stop. While the employee is expected to be taking proactive action all day, every day on their job, most wellness programs simply put the information forth and assume that the employees will take the necessary action. Therein lies the key to wellness program success. Every organizational structure follows the lead of the leader – what is good for the goose is good for the gander, right? If a CEO is leading by ‘do as I say, not as I do’, the wellness program has little chance of success. The human body predictably follows the input and actions of the brain that is controlling it. The business predictably follows the input and actions of the CEO and upper management controlling it. Insisting that they eat well and then bringing in donuts for a meeting is counterproductive and sends a very clear message that the wellness program is lip service and not a part of the company culture and values. A sedentary body with poor nutritional habits describes 70% of the people who die of preventable illness each year in this country, according to the Centers for Disease Control. CEOs, do NOT leave exercise and nutrition out of your wellness equation. Be advised that if they don’t go to a gym now, they will not go if you give them a gym membership. However, if you place the exercise program in front of them, 45% - 75% of them will attend right out of the gate.

You do not need a fitness facility. You simply need a conference room or empty office and a Personal Fitness Trainer certified in training groups and special populations. Your on-site fitness programs must be directed by a Trainer who can work with multiple fitness levels simultaneously and write programming to progress everyone at their own pace. Employees will work out on their lunch break or before or after work because it’s convenient, there is peer support and encouragement, and there is a schedule and a plan that has considered their individual goals. The human body begins feeling and seeing the benefits of exercise immediately. The Personal Fitness Trainer becomes as important to your business as your financial experts, legal experts, marketing, sales, production, and maintenance experts are. They help move your wellness program in the direction of prevention and healing and help increase participation by your employees. CEOs know that action is what turns the profit, fuels the growth, feeds the vision, and secures a healthier future. Is your company CEO in action with a mind for wellness?

About the Author

Greg Justice, MA owner of AYC Health & Fitness, Kansas City’s Original Personal Training Center and founder of Corporate Boot Camp System has been actively involved in the fitness industry since the early ‘80s. His growing network of Trainers spans 9 countries, 45 states, and 6 Canadian Provinces, helping fill the gap in corporate wellness with on-site workplace exercise programs. Speaker, author, and coach, Greg can be reached at [email protected].

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Baseline Testing in Corporate Wellness Programs Offers Better Results

The Benefit to Corporations

Many corporate wellness programs include incentives for exercise, nutrition and weight loss goals that promote a proactive attitude toward health. Studies have shown that wellness programs do provide a financial reward for the companies that implement them. The Meta-Evaluation of Worksite Health Promotion Economic Return Studies published in the Art of Health Promotion Newsletter compiled results from a variety of studies and stated that Health Promotion Programs are associated with a lower rate of absenteeism and lower health care costs. The cost benefit ratio averaged 5.93%1. But organizations that actively promote these objectives while recognizing a reduction in both

their healthcare costs and a reduction in lost productivity may not be going far enough. Changes on the outside, a number on the scale, amount of time in the gym, and looking better are certainly valuable, but the changes that occur on the inside when people exercise or lose weight is what ultimately counts in the battle to improve your health. Establishing a health baseline for each employee before starting other programs offers additional benefits to the achievements employees make when they reach health goals. While educating people on the rewards they will reap as they move forward to improve their health, corporations need to include information and resources to help employees track their progress. When was the last time you had a checkup? Can’t remember? Waiting until

by Maureen Young


something goes wrong and landing in the hospital is the scenario that could be lurking around the corner. Corporations are in a powerful position to dislodge employees from this rut and get them the information they need to make significant changes in their long-term health, but they may be missing the opportunity. According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control2, 75% of health care spending pays for diseases which are preventable. Organizations that implement comprehensive wellness programs that include health assessments to identify employees with high risk factors and then provide incentives and access to information and healthy lifestyle options showed the largest improvements in critical factors such as absenteeism. While studies at Dupont and General Mills found 14 - 19% reductions, General Electric reports an astounding 45% decrease in absenteeism3. The largest gains will be seen over time. Initially health care costs may rise as employees discover risk factors or health conditions that weren’t evident through health screenings. For example, a surgical procedure may cost $15,000 in surgical costs, but the costs for acute disease

can average as much $40,000 per incidence.

The Benefit to Employees To highlight the benefit for individual employees, take John’s story. John hadn’t been to a doctor in years for numerous reasons, including his long hours at work. When his company sponsored a free health care screening as part of a new wellness program he decided to take advantage of it. His father is in a nursing home after a severe stroke and he suspects he has some risk factors beyond stress and poor health habits. The screening results show that his cholesterol is moderately high and his company wellness representative suggests he get a VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) test to pinpoint his risk. The results indicate that John has a very high Lp(a) level, a clear warning sign for cardiovascular disease. Because of his other risk factors and his father’s stroke John also has a PLAC test which shows that although his cholesterol is only moderately high, the type of arterial plaque that he has is the type that ruptures causing strokes. Because he doesn’t want to end up

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debilitated and in a nursing home like his father, John takes advantage of all the information and exercise facilities that his company provides to change his diet and exercise. He works closely with his doctor to use the right combination of statins and supplements. John loses weight and is able to reduce his Lp(a) level and his LDL or “bad cholesterol” level and feel better about his health. The company incentives for his weight loss, the better cholesterol levels, and his hours in the gym don’t hurt either!

Helping Employees Establish Health Baselines

Sponsoring health fairs in the office that allow employees to get clinical tests without leaving the office or taking time off are an incentive for employees to establish their health baselines. Even for corporations who can’t afford to set up complete health assessment programs, many diagnostic tests are available without making a doctor’s appointment and spending hours in the waiting room every time employees want to monitor their health. With recent changes in the healthcare system some tests may not be covered by insurance, but many independent laboratories offer medical tests at reasonable prices. Getting tested and establishing your health baseline takes only a few minutes. The test results can be shared with the employee’s doctor and they can maintain a copy in their files as well.

Unique Baselines and Monitoring Each individual has a different baseline and knowing what that is presents the opportunity for employees, in partnership with their doctors, to create a treatment plan that is appropriate for

their specific needs. The information obtained through baseline testing can allow the tracking of small changes over time. These changes may be indicators of problems that are slowly surfacing or they could be positive responses to advances people are making in meeting health objectives. Because baseline information is unique for everyone, it is important to know what your baseline is. The PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test for men measures the level of this substance in the blood. Although anything under 4.0 ng/ml is considered normal, an increase over time, even below the 4.0 ng/ml threshold, can indicate a possible prostate issue. This early warning can allow men to monitor changes more frequently, perhaps every 6 months, to determine if a problem is surfacing. At a minimum, if all test results are normal, people should be tested annually to look for changes from previous results. Frequent follow-ups, even as frequent as every 3-6 months, can help to track specific things that people may want to monitor because they are taking supplements or specific medications, or have made major lifestyle changes. This can allow almost real time adjustments in supplement intake, exercise and/or diet so that employees can see whether their actions are effective. Some alternative treatments, such as Niacin or Red Yeast for high cholesterol, have been shown to be effective in combination with statins and tracking the results more frequently provides insight into how they are affecting health. New research is also emerging that tracking your thyroid levels can detect sub-clinical hypothyroidism that is manageable if properly diagnosed. This is frequently overlooked because results appear to be in the “normal” range but it has been suggested that the TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)


should stay closer to the high range and that the T4 Free level should be closer to the low range. Beginning an exercise program or adjusting your diet to include better food choices often creates dramatic changes in health. These are just a few examples of changes that can be periodically monitored to track progress toward very specific health goals such as lowering blood pressure or cholesterol levels.

Some Recommended Baseline Tests

Some of the tests that help to provide a clear picture of your health and establish a baseline include:

Basic Check–Up Tests in a basic check-up might include:

• A Complete Blood Count (CBC) which tests for blood disorders such as leukemia, anemia, and blood clotting. • A chemistry panel which includes multiple tests that provide information on glucose levels, electrolytes, and kidney and liver function. • A lipid panel to measure cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides which can identify possible risks for coronary artery disease or stroke. • A Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test to monitor thyroid function and can identify the presence of hyper- or hypothyroidism. • A urinalysis that looks for substances in the urine that could indicate metabolic or kidney problems. • A blood pressure check.

These basic tests are generally administered during an annual physical in a

doctor’s office and provide valuable information on normal bodily functions. Results from these tests can be used to determine whether more in-depth or further testing is needed in specific areas.

PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) Test PSA is produced by the prostate gland in men and is recognized as an indicator of prostate health. Regardless of age, getting an initial test to establish a baseline against which periodic tests are measured over time has been shown to be a valuable preventive measure for men.

Thyroid Panel The thyroid gland regulates the body’s use of energy and abnormal levels of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), T3 or T4 can cause an array of symptoms including fatigue, weight fluctuations or hair loss. A thyroid imbalance can make people susceptible to additional health problems such as osteoporosis, heart disease and infertility.

Glucose (Serum) Test Abnormally high levels of sugar in the blood may indicate metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes) or diabetes. Comparing later glucose levels can identify early signs of diabetes. Preventive treatment and lifestyle changes can dramatically delay the onset of diabetes.

C-Reactive Protein The amount of this protein increases in the body when inflammation is present. High levels of CRP (C-Reactive Protein) can indicate cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, some forms of arthritis, or pelvic inflammatory disease, among others.

VAP Test The VAP or Vertical Auto Profile test takes a deeper dive than a standard

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lipid panel by measuring the density of the lipid particles directly and looking at the level of Lp(a) which is correlated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Smaller, denser particles indicate higher risk than can be identified by HDL, LDL and total cholesterol numbers. PLAC Test: The PLAC test measures Lp-PLA2, a vascular specific inflammatory enzyme that is associated with a very high risk of stroke. This enzyme indicates the presence of rupture-prone plaque that can cause strokes. This is the only test that can identify stroke risk specifically, as opposed to general cardiovascular risk.

Rewards for a Proactive Attitude toward Health

The ability to be more proactive with our health by taking tests to monitor critical bodily functions may help individuals to feel empowered and not frightened by test results. In most cases, you can do something about the test results. Knowing their own bodies and their internal status on several fronts allows people to be healthier and, in the long run, prevent serious diseases that can become disabling. The rewards for reaching health goals are usually visible to everyone on the outside, but the changes on the inside are the ones that will prolong lives. Changing numbers, whether on the scale or on lab reports, highlights improvements that translate into a “pat on the back”, financially, physically and emotionally, for individuals who have made a positive difference in their health. Corporations that endorse a healthy work environment supported by on-site gyms, access to healthy foods in the cafeteria or snack machines, and encouragement to seek medical testing either through promotions or on-site health fairs will

see positive responses and solid action from employees and a positive change to their bottom line. Who wouldn’t want to work in such a supportive environment?

References1. Chapman L. Meta-Evaluation of Worksite Health Promotion Economic Return Studies. Art of Health Promotion Newsletter 6(6):January/February 20032. The Burden of Chronic Diseases and Their Risk Factors, February 2002. Fries, New England Journal of Medicine, 19933. IRSA, Association of Quality Clubs, “The Economic Benefits of Employee Fitness”, 1992, www.fitresource.com

About the Author

Maureen Young is a Consumer Education Advocate for ANY LAB TEST NOW®, a healthcare lab testing facility. She is a writer, health care advocate, and fitness enthusiast driven to explore advances in the health care and medical industries and share her research with the public. Ms. Young started her career in high tech sales and marketing but quickly found her passion in education, training and health issues. Ms. Young’s background in technical writing and research enables her to translate medical and technical information into laymen’s terms. Her recent experience includes work for not-for-profit membership organizations, website development and optimization, and health related blog, E-Book and article writing.

ANY LAB TEST NOW® provides health and wellness tests, drug and alcohol tests, and a variety of DNA tests for individuals and corporations throughout the country.


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Corporate Wellness Feb. issue 19