Pacific Bell

FIT WORKS

Evaluation Documentation

The retiree study was part of the proposal to extend health promotion programs to retired employees. Lifestyle diagnoses are cross-validated to prescription drugs used most frequently by retired employee population. Information demonstrates the potential program health targets: cardiovascular disease, stress reduction, and lung cancer. A pilot retiree program is underway; an evaluation is scheduled for first quarter 1996.

FitWorks Evaluation Executive Summary demonstrates the 1992 and 1993 economic contribution of the program to the Company. The study to evaluate 1994 results is underway.

Excerpts of Breast Health evaluation - Reported Incidence of BSE and Table 13: Reasons for Having Follow-up On-Premise Mammography. An additional thirty-two tables and the survey questionnaire are available for review.

Four Work Hardening Program results document the positive results of self-paced exercise programs at remote locations. Presently, there are twenty-two worksites participating in the project.

Background and Purpose

FitWorks is one of a variety of human resource and benefit programs currently provided by Pacific Bell to ensure the health of its employees. In 1990, the FitWorks program was introduced at four worksite locations. The program was expanded to ten additional locations beginning in 1991. Due to a start-up period, 1991 is considered the year of implementation for purposes of this study. The FitWorks program includes fitness facilities, diagnostic, educational, and screening services. In 1993 the program at two of the fourteen locations was downsized to Work Hardening facilities. At Work Hardening sites, FitWorks provides initial and follow-up screenings, exercise prescriptions and results tracking; however, these facilities are no longer supervised by an exercise physiologist.

The FitWorks program plays a major role in the Pacific Bell Health Promotion Mission, which is to:

• Develop an integrated health promotion approach involving educational, organizational, and environmental changes to improve employees' health, capabilities, and quality of work life.
• Develop on-going programs which inform and motivate employees and families to adopt and sustain positive health behavior.
• Develop programs which ensure contribution to shareholder, business, and client expectations.

Since implementation of FitWorks, Pacific Bell has been committed to measuring the program's affect on employee health and productivity. In addition, the FitWorks' program management was interested in the program's financial contribution and payback. To measure the financial effect, the MEDSTAT Group performed a two-phased cross-sectional evaluation. In the first phase, we measured FitWorks Members' program outcomes for short-term disability, absenteeism, and group medical claims (excluding maternity). Short-term disability (STD) experience included all occupational and non-occupational disabilities up to 52 weeks duration. The disabilities were managed and reported by Pacific Bell's Disability Assistance Program. Absenteeism was defined, for purpose of this analysis, as employee absence from work including illness with or without disability and all non-medical/non-recreational time-off (e.g. jury duty, union activities).

In addition, we investigated differences between members who were in the FitWorks program since its implementation (Continuous Members) and members who were identified in a given post-implementation year (Current Members). The same set of measures used for the post-implementation analysis was used for the analysis of Continuous and Current Members. We also determined possible pre-program differences between Current Members and Non-Members, and differences between Continuous and Current Members by measuring STD and medical activity using data prior to program implementation. Absenteeism data were not available in the pre-program period identified as 1989 and 1990.