On Creating a Culture of Health
Submitted by: William C. Reed, President and CEO, AllOne Health
American business has the power to positively impact the nation’s health care crisis by applying the same disciplined approach to health care that was applied to quality control during the past several decades.
In the 1980s and 1990s, employers realized that a culture of quality, grounded in research and capable of providing measurable outcomes, was needed to transform industry. And quality, they realized, wasn’t a serendipitous accident when things came together favorably; it was the result of a defined process — and one that could be systematically controlled. The impact of this movement is still felt throughout industry today with the Total Quality Management and Six Sigma quality processes.
Fast forward to 2008 and we’re looking at an opportunity for an exciting new paradigm shift. This time, it’s in the area of health and finding new ways to motivate employees to take more responsibility for their health. Emerging research indicates that employees can and will change their lifestyles if approached in the right way and consistently supported throughout the process. In fact, a recent survey found that 80 percent of employees support health care programs in the workplace that emphasize healthy lifestyles and weight management.
There’s more good news, particularly for those businesses that have been cautious about investing in health management programs because ROI has been hard to measure. Metrics are improving. A growing body of evidence suggests that in addition to restraining direct medical costs, effective health programs can also boost productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower turnover and recruiting costs, and improve morale.
Unfortunately, many American businesses have not yet embraced workplace health management programs. As a result, the average health benefit cost per employee in our country rose more than six percent in 2007. This a somewhat lower trend than in recent years, but still high enough to put many American businesses at a competitive disadvantage in an increasingly global economy. Now, more than ever before, employers must seize this critical opportunity to make health the new quality movement.
The first step in taking a more strategic view of health care — and creating a culture of health — is looking beyond direct medical costs to the broader and more nuanced effects of a healthy workforce: higher productivity, lower turnover and reduced recruiting costs. The top business leaders of tomorrow will be those visionaries who recognize the value of creating such a culture and take steps today to make it a reality.
Creating this culture will require a vastly more sophisticated and holistic approach to the problem, and will require individuals and employers to become more engaged in its execution. But I am convinced that we’re all up to the challenge.
This article is provided by William C. Reed, President and CEO of AllOne Health. AllOne Health provides tools and services to employers and health plans to help individuals take responsibility for their health. For more information, visit www.allonehealthgroup.com or call (888) 989-9001.
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