Lincoln Industries

Narrative Description of Program

Lincoln Industries has a strong belief statement that stands with all of the beliefs and drivers of the company: “Wellness and Healthy Lifestyles are Important to our Success.”  Lincoln Industries Wellness is designed around wellness and life enhancement for the “whole” person.  The focus is broken down into six categories of wellness: physical, emotional, occupational, social, spiritual and intellectual.  Our goal is to improve the quality of life for our people and their families in developing positive long term behavioral changes by establishing wellness and life enhancement as part of the organizational culture.  Wellness is strongly integrated into the company’s strategic plan, business initiatives, innovation processes and people development.  Lincoln Industries recognizes wellness as one of its driving forces for personal improvement and company success.

Lincoln Industries Wellness uses its go! Platinum program as the driver for information, motivation, and behavioral change.  go! Platinum consists of programs involving physical fitness, nutrition, health screenings, occupational safety, disease prevention, medical information updates, work behavior and health risk assessments. go! Platinum ranks the Lincoln Industries population based on their health status, wellness participation, tobacco use, and safety (e.g. Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze).  People reaching Platinum level receive an invitation to join the senior executives on an expenses-paid climb of a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado. Other incentives include insurance discounts for tobacco free individuals, up to $160 for completing various activities, and wage increases from individual wellness performance evaluations.

The wellness staff is composed of three full time individuals, Director of Wellness and Life Enhancement, Occupational Nurse, and Wellness Specialist.  The VP of People Resources oversees the wellness staff.  The wellness team is also supported by the safety manager, selected wellness champions, and wellness committee members.  All wellness programs are fully funded by Lincoln Industries at no cost to the individual.

Narrative Description of Evaluation Results

Lincoln Industries Wellness uses an in-house designed Wellness Tracker to evaluate participation, biometrics (flexibility, blood pressure, body weight and body fat percentage), behavior based safety, tobacco use, worker’s compensation, EAP utilization rates, illness and injury rates, blood profiles, insurance cost per person, and lifestyle associated claims.

Evaluation Methods

go! Platinum’s medal classification is used as the measurable outcome for wellness metrics.  As a company, the medal/non-medal ratio is tracked throughout the year.  Department and production supervisors receive quarterly updates on the status of their area according to medal classification.  Platinum or Gold medals are classified as low risk, Silver medal as moderate risk, and Bronze medal or Non-Medal as high risk.

Program Evaluation Highlights

• In 2007, 70% of LI people identified as high/moderate risk participated in at least one wellness sponsored activity.
•  In 2007 lifestyle associated claims dropped to 17%.  In 2006 they accounted for 34% of claims.
• From 2006 to 2007, per person per year health care costs decreased by 9.7%. The norm health care cost per employee per year increased by 2.0% for the region, increased by 2.7% for the industry and increased 3.1% for company size.
• In 2004, 42% of employees were tobacco users, in 2007 only 19% of employees use tobacco products.
• 57% of employees participated in Trigger Point massage therapy for musculoskeletal injury prevention.
• 45% received a flu vaccine shot through the company paid vaccination program.
• The wellness dept scored a company high, 4.18/5.0 in the internal opinion survey.
• HR Magazine has named Lincoln Industries a Top 25 Medium Company to Work for in America four years in a row.
• The injury and illness rate has decreased from 10.4 in 2004, to 9.0 in 2007.
• Flexibility, using the sit and reach test, has increased by 8% over the last 4 years.
• Increased self-care through improved EAP self referrals over the past three years.  82% of the problems assessed were dealing with family, marital or mental health issues.

• Program Evaluation

The following are verbatim remarks made by the reviewers:

A

• 100% participation 522/522
• Quarterly physicals, year long PA challenge, HRA, cash incentive, tobacco cessation, health education seminars, wellness reimbursements, local race sponsors
• Significant decrease in lifestyle associated claims (34% down to 17%)
• Decreased HCC
• Decreased Tobacco users (42% down to 19%)
• $5.30 ROI
• Very invested leadership
• Program is superb.  Very, very impressive

B

• Senior management commitment and integration of program into company culture, business strategy, company policies, and belief statements.
• Tracking of entire population health status and risks due to mandatory testing regime.
• 100% participation through mandatory quarterly wellness checks, including biometrics, and 1-on-1 coaching
• Company time for wellness programs
• Integration of wellness into performance management and leadership development systems
• Integration of wellness, safety, and disease management
• Mandatory stretching, massage, and work hardening into work day based on job profile

C

• Broadly supported programming effort
• Ambitious approach to employee health management
• Shows strong management support
• Very innovative approach to incentives (Mountain climb with senior executives)
• Comprehensive approach

D

• Longstanding and successful program
• Risks down, especially blood pressure
• Institutionalized – high participant rates
• ROI analysis 5.3 but unusual approach

E

• Long running program – since 1977
• Small employer (N=992) but high participation
• Leader drives incentive – platinum award is an all-expense paid climb to a 14,000 ft mountain in Colorado
• Dedicated staff – 3 f/t staff including wellness director
• Tobacco use dropped from 42% to 19% (2004-2007) – elsewhere they state 28%-23%
• Dramatic reductions in BP risk
• Impressive results for a small company – impressive investment ($400K)
• “Gung ho” wellness culture
• Drop in healthcare costs from 2006 to 2007 by 9.7% seems dramatic – what else is going on?

F

• Good support of community.
• Innovative safety procedures.
• Like emphasis on injury prevention and treatment.

G

• This program started 5 years ago and has a 53% participation annually.  Families are included.  Above most others this company had the culture thing down.  Wellness is central to their business plan, wellness is included in leadership training, managers receive quarterly updates about their group’s participation and wage increases include a component based on performance against a wellness goal. There is even time for a 10 minute stretch break at the beginning of each shift. They are good members of their community; they manage environmental impact (the green team), hold blood drives and sponsor community bike races.
• The focus is on a safe work environment, wellness, and corporate culture.  Everyone is ranked on health status, wellness participation, tobacco use and safety.  Levels of rewards are bronze, silver gold and platinum depending on participation and results.  Individuals at platinum score level are invited on a 14er climb with executives and based on activity level everyone could get up to $160.
• Hcc are down 9.7%, lifestyle claims down 17%, and tobacco use down 27%.

H

• Tobacco free campus.
• Mandatory, quarterly health screenings are unusual but seem to be effective.
• Community involvement.
• Positive outcomes reported for programs in blood pressure control, flexibility, and body fat percentage reductions.
• Positive results reported in every year of the 2005-2007 program.

I

• Mandatory screenings and coaching
• management involvement
• safety
• community
• Program is part of corporate culture
• stretching and safety part of wellness
• Broad appeal.