1. Empowering Employees to Take Care of Themselves
Region IX VPPPA Safety Summit
March 2018
Rajy S. Abulhosn, M.D. Associate Medical Director WorkCare, Inc.

2. What Exactly is Wellness?
Physical Health
Mental Health
Emotional Health
Social Health
Environmental Health
Spiritual Health
From Presentation by Nicole Oakley

3. Culture, Culture, Culture
If you want your wellness initiative to yield sustainable results and keep a happy, productive workforce, it’s time to create a culture of wellness at your company Your employees are directly affected by the culture of your company

4. Who holds the power to make those cultural changes?

5. YOU!

6. Practice What We Preach
No one likes to take life advice from a hypocrite

7. Make sure YOUR words and actions are in line with the message
So, Don’t be a Hypocrite
Make sure YOUR words and actions are in line with the message

8. Wait…Donuts are Bad?
For employees to be motivated to become healthier and prioritize their wellness, you need to develop a workplace culture that supports and rewards healthy behavior change and habits

9. Population Health Management Challenges
Conditions
Age-related physical changes
Depression
Cholesterol and high blood pressure
Obesity as a risk factor for:
Heart attack and stroke
Diabetes
Sleep apnea
Certain types of cancer
Musculoskeletal disorders
Lifestyle Choices
De-conditioned
Weekend warriors
Social media versus social interaction
External Triggers
“Super-size” it
Watching sports instead of doing them
Long work day, commuting
Stress at work or home
Ergonomics
Access to healthy options
Work-related injury rates are declining, but health-related injury risks are increasing.

10. More companies than ever are offering corporate wellness programs
Join the “in” Crowd…
More companies than ever are offering corporate wellness programs
then
Aflac found almost 50% of businesses recently surveyed offer employees a wellness program in some form, up from 30% in 2012
now

11. Wellness Not Just about Sweating, Toned Abs and Big Muscles…
Simple measures such as providing natural light, ergonomically designed workspaces, and having plants in the office contribute to a sense of physical and mental well-being

12. HAPPIER and MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKFORCE
Why Promote Wellness?
Improved employee perception
Better community partner/enhanced reputation
Better company culture (supports talent recruitment and retention)
Exponential feeling of wellness
HAPPIER and MORE PRODUCTIVE WORKFORCE

13. High Stress = Low Productivity
Overly stressed employees are less productive and more prone to injury A company culture that consists of crazy hours, high pressure and no opportunities for employee health will lead to burnout

14. High Stress = Low productivity
When employers provide opportunities for employees to de-stress and recharge, they can expect more efficient and productive workers…and lower costs

15. How Do Your Empower Your Employees?
Medical knowledge/Prevention
Early detection screening tests
Financial Incentives
Contests to lose weight, or dollars to spend at company store for meeting certain goals
Discounts at gyms
Fitness incentives
Onsite fitness center or yoga classes onsite

16. How Does Wellness Relate to Injury at Work? The SPICE Model
We help prevent routine injuries from becoming complex, costly claims.
We understand that staying at work promotes good health and healing.
We promote early intervention – optimally during the "golden hour” – for best results.
We collaborate with all parties to effectively manage every case.
We provide reassurance and establish reasonable expectations for recovery.
The SPICE model provides the foundation for WorkCare’s approach to injury assessment and care guidance. The concept originated with the medical management of WWI soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders.

17. Prompt Injury Reporting and Early Intervention Benefits for Employers
Demonstrate caring, progressive approach to workforce health management Identify and correct hazards enterprise-wide – before more injuries can occur Gain insights to determine work-relatedness

18. Education and Early Intervention Benefits for Employees
Alleviates anxiety, provides reassurance Encourages prompt reporting Empowers self-directed care Supports return to function, livelihood Reduces likelihood of disability

19. An Overlooked Aspect: Mental & Emotional Health
$193.2 billion in lost earnings per year due to serious mental illness
Mental illness/substance abuse cost employers estimated $79- $105 billion a year (Center for Prevention and Health)
10% of claims included at least one mental health-related diagnosis and accounted for 60% total costs (Hartford Financial Services Group, workers’ compensation claim data)

20. Determining Wellness ROI
anxiety
depression $
Empowering your employees’ emotional health means adding program benefits that don’t necessarily have an immediately traceable ROI In rankings of most-costly health conditions, depression ranked 1st, anxiety 5th – obesity, arthritis, and back and neck pain fell in between

21. Six Categories of Empowerment
Offer healthy choices Promote movement Encourage healthy habits Provide opportunities for social interaction Be flexible Lessen stress

22. Make healthy options the easy options Use your own in-house platforms to promote health Make sure information and tools you share are culturally and economically relevant to your population
Recommendations

23. Help employees narrow down broad dreams and desires into achievable, manageable goals Emphasize that change is about improvement not perfection Ask employees for guidance
Recommendations

24. Empowering employees is not a passive process For them to become active in their health, you need to be active in your program
Recommendations

25. Wellness is 24/7, at Home and at Work
Your wellness strategy will not yield significant and sustainable results if employees aren’t able to practice a healthy lifestyle during work hours

26. Remember, Who can be the Change-Agent?

27. Rajy S. Abulhosn, M.D. Associate Medical Director | WorkCare, Inc.
Discussion
Thank you!
Rajy S. Abulhosn, M.D. Associate Medical Director | WorkCare, Inc.
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