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Hospitals Plan to Launch Wellness

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Kerry O'Neill
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40 Percent of Hospitals and Healthcare Systems Plan to Launch Wellness Programs by 2010

Results indicate continued interest for workplace wellness programs in healthcare industry, despite current barriers to implementation

Buffalo, NY (Nov. 18, 2008) - Meritain Health, the nation's largest independent provider of services for self-funded health and wellness plans, today announced results from a recent survey that found 40 percent of human resources decision makers in the hospital and health system industry plan to launch a workplace wellness program between now and 2010.

The survey of nearly 100 attendees at the 2008 American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) annual conference held in Austin, Texas, in October, also found that 74 percent of respondents have considered implementing a wellness program for their employees.

These statistics, when compared to another from the same survey that found only 7 percent of respondents currently have some sort of wellness program, indicate barriers to implementation in the hospital and health system industry.

Employers that have wellness programs often offer employees participation incentives that include discounts to join and frequently use a gym, on-site weight loss support groups and cash incentives for quitting smoking.

Respondents listed several barriers that have kept them from launching a wellness program in their respective workplaces, and the following three were most frequently mentioned as being the most problematic:

• 30 percent said their greatest challenge has been concerns about offering a program that appeals to all employees.
• 27 percent said cost was the great factor.
• 15 percent said that convincing C-level executives was the most significant obstacle.

"These survey results reflect a significant opportunity for helping healthcare workers become healthier and more productive, but unfortunately also illustrate the challenges HR managers face in making wellness programs an integral part of the benefits offered to employees at our nation's hospitals and physician's offices," said Laura Smith, Vice President of Healthcare Systems Accounts for Meritain Health. "In perhaps no other industry could it be more important to have employees modeling healthy behavior, while at the same time producing significant cost savings for their employers."

The value of a workplace wellness program that encourages a proactive and preventive approach to long-term health is underscored by a 2006 Purdue University study, which found that 74 percent of all diagnosed conditions are preventable. Additionally, on average, research has found that companies can expect a 6-to-1 return on investment over time from a workplace wellness program.

"In these lean economic times, it is tempting for healthcare executives to eschew offering new employee benefits in the interest of prudent budgetary policy," said Dr. Larry Luter, Chief Medical Officer for Meritain Health. "With the cost of healthcare continuing to rise every year, and national data regarding the number of Americans who are overweight, obese or living with diabetes doing the same, an investment in employee health is one of the most important things any company can do to secure its long-term financial future."