ValueOptions ® Creating a Culture of Health: Putting Theory Into Practice New York Business Group on Health Ed Jones, Ph.D. April 7, 2010

2 Health care costs are reducing competitiveness and profitability for companies – Spending nearly twice per capita as other countries with mediocre results The healthcare industry has long benefited from selling programs that take care of sick people – Health and wellness is not aligned with the fundamental incentives of most of the healthcare industry The Crisis in Corporate America

3 25 are smokers 64 are obese or overweight 60 are sedentary 27 have heart disease 24 have high blood pressure 10 have diabetes 50 are distressed 25 have high cholesterol Consider This – For Every 100 People...

4 A Focus on the Individual If 50% to 70% of illness is due to preventable behavior (i.e., lifestyle choices), then we must help people change unhealthy behaviors Focus on intrinsic motivation – intentional individual action Focus on extrinsic motivation – incentives

5 A Focus on Social Context Social forces affect mental health and wellness, yet we are rarely aware of when and how this happens Transmission of cultural values and norms are powerful determinants of behavior – People with friends who smoke are more likely to smoke – People with overweight friends are heavier – People will explain what they do with rational explanations focusing on motivation (i.e., we rationalize)

6 Culture of Health COH: Environmental Support + Culture Environmental Support is the sum of all social and physical influences on behavior (Tom Golaszewski) Culture is the sum total of social influences on attitudes and behavior, including shared values, norms, peer support, touch points and climate within an organization (Judd Allen)

7 Dee Edington’s Five Fundamental Pillars  Senior Leadership  Operations Leadership  Self-Care Leadership  Recognizing and Rewarding Behavior  Quality Assessment & Assurance

8 Beyond the HRA  Organizational Measurement  Medical Cost Trends  Productivity

9 Investment in Human Capital  Health benefits are an investment in human capital, not an expense  These investments are getting poorer results than desired because of the social determinants of health  It is difficult for people to sustain healthy behaviors if the environment and culture in which they spend much of their waking time is not supportive  Now let’s tackle the practical problem of building a culture of health…