The Workplace Wellness Investment:

Your Health Is Your Wealth

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Marissa Giuffre

BarnesCare Wellness Coordinator

September 16, 2013

Education

• BS Exercise Science

• MS Biomechanics

Work Experience

• Workplace Wellness Coaching and Program

Coordination since 2008.

• Employed by BarnesCare and assigned to the Metro

account since 2011.

Marissa Giuffre

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• Employees spend a significant portion of their day/week

at the workplace.

• The workplace provides a unique setting to engage

people about the importance of health and making

healthy choices.

• Workplace wellness supports a climate of trust and

enhances receptivity to healthy behavior changes.

Why Workplace Wellness?

Obesity in America BMI >30

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Survey by Northwestern National Life

• 40% of workers say their job is “very or extremely stressful.”

Stress on the Job

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• Obesity is linked to many chronic conditions such as

cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma and certain

cancers.

• Stress is linked to chronic health problems – especially

cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders,

psychological disorders and it sets the stage for injuries

at work.

• In the U.S., 7 in 10 deaths are due to chronic diseases

accounting for 75% of medical care costs.

Effects of Declining Health

• Personal Health Costs – 30%

– Medical costs

– Pharmaceutical costs

• Productivity Costs – 70%

• Absenteeism – Short-term disability

– Long-term disability

• Presenteeism – Overtime, turnover

– Temporary staffing

– Administrative costs

– Replacement training

– Off-site travel for care

– Customer dissatisfaction

– Variable product quality

The Cost of Employee Health

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The Main Mortality Risk Factors in U.S.

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20%

51%

19%

10%

Heredity Lifestyle Environment Access to Health Services

• A one percent reduction in excess weight, elevated blood

pressure, glucose and cholesterol has been shown to

save $83–$103 annually in medical costs per person. » Henke, R.M., Carls, G.S., Short, M.E., Pei, X., Wang, S., Morley, S. (2010).

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine

• An analysis of 22 employer studies showed employee

health care costs were reduced $3.27 for every one

dollar spent on comprehensive worksite health programs

and absenteeism costs dropped by $2.73 for every

one dollar spent over three years or more. » Baicker, K., Cutler, D., & Song, Z. (2010). Health Affairs

Financial Impact of Workplace Wellness

• Dedicated Wellness Coordinator

– Experienced wellness professional creates, implements and

sustains programming to meet employees’ needs and

employer’s goals.

– On-site, face-to-face interaction enables coordinator to discover

what motivates individual participants and offer encouragement

to keep them engaged.

– HIPAA-compliant, third party coordinator ensures employee

medical data remains confidential.

BarnesCare Workplace Wellness

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BarnesCare Workplace Wellness

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Operates the public transportation system for the

St. Louis metropolitan region, with:

• MetroLink, MetroBus and Metro Call-A-Ride

• St. Louis Downtown Airport, Gateway Arch

trams and the Gateway Arch Riverboats

Metro Transit Overview

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Metro Vision

To improve the region’s quality of life by

providing excellent transportation and promoting

economic development.

Metro Mission

Meeting the region’s transit needs by providing

safe, reliable, accessible, customer-focused

service in a fiscally responsible manner.

Overview

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• 2,400 employees

• Eight locations

• Median age of 47 years

• Wide range of jobs and physical demands

(administrative, maintenance, drivers/operators, security)

• Exposure to heat, cold, noise, general public

Metro Workforce

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• My mantras

– Your health is your wealth

– When you’re healthy, you’re happy!

– Not what works for me, but what works for the client, on a

macro- and micro-scale

• Getting down in the trenches, addressing client needs

one person, one department at a time

• Using wellness coaching to help reframe, gauge

readiness to change

Not One Size Fits All

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Metro Programs

– Nutritional: Grocery store tours, vending machine renovation

– Fitness: State-of-the-art exercise rooms, personal training,

group exercise classes

– Behavioral: Smoking cessation, TOPS participation

– Chronic Condition Management: Diabetes program, blood

pressure kiosks, educational programs

– Prevention: Mammogram van, blood glucose/ A1C testing

A Day in the Life…

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• “Mr. Uncontrolled Diabetes”

• “Ms. Exercise Excuse”

• “Ms. Emotionally Distraught”

Success Stories

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• 35% increase in annual health

screening participation

• 13% decrease in diabetes

• 5% decrease in hypertension

• 6% decrease in tobacco use

• 3% decrease in high-fat diets

• 5% decrease in coronary

health risks

Making a Positive Impact

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• Metro Wellness helped

reduce the cost of sick

leave and medical claims

by roughly $2-3 million.

• Estimated total annual

savings after cost of

program 4-5%.

Metro 2012 Return on Investment

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