A health information service available through a toll-free phone number, staffed by a registered nurse/health professionals; provides confidential information on health topics, general medical questions, registration for Step In Time prenatal program, VDT Hotline and information on other FitWorks/Health Promotion programs. Employees, retirees and their dependents can call between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Program Description
Narrative Description of Program
Contact: Susan Blair, M.B.A.
Pacific Bell Health Promotion Manager
2600 Camino Ramon, 2W050E
San Ramon, CA 94583
510-823-6029
Health Information Program (HIP)
A health information service available through a toll-free phone number, staffed by a registered nurse/health professionals; provides confidential information on health topics, general medical questions, registration for Step In Time prenatal program, VDT Hotline and information on other FitWorks/Health Promotion programs. Employees, retirees and their dependents can call between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Health Promotion Video Library
Wellness/health topics, fitness/exercise, and prenatal videos for home or worksite viewing can be ordered by all employees. Catalogs describing the videos are available from the Health Information Program.
Step-in-Time
A pregnancy/prenatal program available to all employees and spouses who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. A bet-selling pregnancy guide book can be sent to the home by calling the Health Information Program. Expecting parents are invited to participate in the prenatal Self-Check and the birth announcement card. A thank-you maternity t-shirt is sent out after the Self-Check is returned; also a congratulation baby t-shirt is sent out after the birth announcement card is returned.
Body Fat/Blood Pressure Screening
Screening programs for body fat and blood pressure measurements by health professionals are offered periodically.
VDT/ER Gonomic Hotune
Current cumulative trauma /ergonomics information and company resources are available through the Health Information Program, (VDT Hotline).
Breast Health Screening
Breast cancer prevention and information is available through the Health Information Program (HIP). National Cancer Institute brochures are included in these materials. Four videos on Breast Self Exam, Mammography, and Risk & Prevention are available via the Health Promotion Video Library.
A la Carte Weight Management
The Weight Kit, a four-step guide to losing weight and maintaining weight loss, produced by the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, may be obtained by calling the HIP. Many self-help weight management videos are available via the Health Promotion Video Library. Chart Your Progress, a program for monitoring girth measurements and percent body fat, is available through FitWorks. Personalized presentations for your worksite on weight management issues are available upon request from FitWorks personnel. The thirty to sixty minute presentations include: brochures and interactive participation.
Blood Pressure Machines/Weight Scales
Self-testing blood pressure machines are available at twenty-eight locations.
Smoking Cessation Program
The Smoke Stopper self-directed kit is available to smoking employees via the Health Information Program. This comprehensive kit includes written material, relaxation audiotape, and tools for success.
Employee Assistance Program
Voluntary, confidential, and professional counseling is available to employees experiencing personal problems which may be affecting their health, safety, and work performance. The counselors offer evaluation, referral, and short-term counseling to employees with: marital or family problems, alcohol or drug abuse, work-related concerns, interpersonal difficulties, personal growth and development issues.
Good Mornings! Sleep Program
Workshop sponsored by FitWorks. A thirty minute group presentation to learn about sleep problems and practical strategies for developing better sleep habits.
Return to Work
Trial program designed to assist employees following an injury or illness by providing an opportunity to continue prescribed conditioning programs at worksite fitness facilities.
Coronary Risk Modification Program (CRMP)
A prescribed exercise and lifestyle risk modification program designed to assist employees returning to work following a coronary illness; heart attack, angina, or heart surgery (angioplasty/coronary bypass).
Fitworks
Worksite fitness facilities are available in 12 locations for use by all Pacific Bell employees after a brief health assessment. These facilities feature aerobic exercise classes, circuit weight training on Keiser air powered equipment, free weights by Cybex, StairMasters, stationary exercise bicycles (including recumbent), Concept II rower machines, VersaClimbers, treadmills, and Nordic Track cross-country ski simulators. Exercise and training goals are supervised by an Exercise Physiologist.
Osteoporosis Risk Profile Program
Participants complete a self-reported questionnaire obtained from a local FitWorks or by calling the HIP 800-line. Once returned, a computer generated risk profile and suggested behavior changes are mailed to the participant.
Back to Health
Multidimensional approach to back education and injury prevention program. Personalized worksite presentations upon request from FitWorks. The thirty to sixty minute workshop includes: brochures, demonstrations, and interactive participant training. Back To Health injury prevention and conditioning classes, taught by exercise physiologists, are available at the FitWorks facilities. These worksite presentations are currently available at no cost.
Home Equipment Program
Pacific Bell employees can receive discounts on certain manufacturers' exercise equipment. Discounted exercise equipment includes: ski machines, stair climbers, treadmills, stationary bicycles, resistance training equipment, total body climbers, rowers, and more. FitWorks does not endorse the equipment, the equipment manufacturers, or the equipment dealers and is not responsible for any agreements or disputes between the employee, the manufacturer, and/or the dealer.
Wellness Walker Club
Employees are invited to join this self-paced, self-monitored walking program. Wellness Walker Club members have the opportunity to log cumulative miles to award levels in the Mileage Club, or simulated tours in the Walk Across Europe, Australia, China, Canada, and the Appalachian Trail. Members receive a Club Kit outlining the program and simulated route, a quarterly newsletter, and incentives of lapel pins, fanny packs, shoelaces or T-shirts.
Work Hardening
A program designed to decrease the incidence of job related injuries, absenteeism and health care costs of Pacific Bell employees through improved health and physical conditioning. The Business Units purchase fitness equipment (actual facility set-up costs run $12,000 to $13,000 depending on equipment selection) to install at their work site. FitWorks provides: facility set-up, initial and all follow-up screenings, exercise prescriptions and results tracking.
Pacific Bell Health Promotion Program Description
In 1988, Pacific Bell expanded internal health education efforts to offer 52,000 employees opportunities to improve their health habits and work capabilities. The parallel program goals were to encourage employees to assume responsibility for their individual and familial health and to reduce Company health-related costs. To determine program targets, data from 30,000 health risk assessments and 500,000 employee medical claims were analyzed. Each year integrated health data is reviewed to amend these targets. Currently, employees have access to programs including fitness activities, prenatal care, back care, sleep education, cancer and osteoporosis screening, smoking cessation, stress reduction, family care, workplace violence prevention and medical consumer information. Twelve FitWorks and twenty-two satellite facilities are available at the worksite. A team of occupational health nurses, exercise physiologists, social workers, safety and administrative experts design and implement programs. Human Resources funds the budget; all services are free-of-charge.
Program participation is voluntary and union supported. Sixty-six percent of employees participate in one or more programs. Surveyed employees report overall program satisfaction levels at eighty-five percent. As one participant stated "FitWorks has encouraged me to make a stronger commitment to controlling the state of my own health".
Contact Summary
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Program Name | FitWorks |
| Company Name and Address | Pacific Bell2600 Camino Ramon, Room 2W050E
San Ramon, CA 94583 |
| Contact Person | Susan Blair, Health Promotion Manager(510) 823-6029 |
| Program Information | |
| Program Category | Worksite |
| Year begun | 1988 |
| Total number of individual participants | 33,000 |
| Number of currently actively enrolled | 24,000 |
| Number of companies/groups involved | 4 |
| Access to Program | Marketed broadly, replicated (each individual program marketed to a specific target) |
| Cost per participant per year | $81.81 |
| Data available to external reviewers or investigators | Yes |
| Program targeted at Healthy People 2000 goals |
Yes |
| Program goals (in priority order) | (1) Cost-effectiveness(2) Risk factor reduction
(3) Health outcome improvement (4) Cost-savings |
Evaluation Summary
Narrative Description of Evaluation Results
Pacific Bell has experienced "actual" economic contributions from Health Promotion programs. In 1993 cost avoidance savings were $5,800,000; a 2.15 return-on-investment (ROI). The greatest savings contribution was reduced absenteeism; employees participating in FitWorks programs (N= 8,986) were absent three fewer days than a matched control group. FitWorks 1992 results were similar: $4,600,000 cost avoidance savings with a ROI of 1.48.
Excerpts of two efficacy studies, that typify program evaluations, are included in the documentation: Breast Health and Work Hardening. The Breast Health study measured participants' health education retention and behavioral influences for breast self examination (BSE) practices and mammography. Program participants (N=473) were surveyed six months following BSE education and mammography and were compared to a control group. "Thirty-five percent of the test group compared to twenty-two percent of the control group stated that they practiced BSE three to five times during the previous six months." In addition to identifying BSE patterns, the evaluation determined that "convenience" was the number one reason employees participated in on-premise mammography. Work Hardening, a yearlong study of biometric changes of self-paced exercise in remote locations, resulted in positive changes in resting heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle endurance.
In addition to economic and efficacy analyses, Health Promotion conducts customer studies (program awareness, participation, and satisfaction) and benchmarks best practices.
Evaluation Documentation
Critique
The following assessment of program strengths and weaknesses has been abstracted from reviews by the Task Force on Program Selection of The Health Project. Where weaknesses are postulated, it must be taken into account that the review Task Force is very critical, that no programs are perfect, that the Award Winning programs have been selected from over 300 candidate programs and represent the very best, that the materials reviewed may have been incomplete, that suggested deficiencies may have resulted from incomplete understanding of the program by the reviewers or that any problems may have been corrected since the time of review.
Evaluation
"FitWorks" at Pacific Bell for 24,000 participants, 30,000 health risk assessments and 500,000 employee medical claims provided the base for measuring savings in 1993 of $5,800,000, a 2.15 ROI. 20 percent of claims come from retirees and a pilot retiree program is underway with evaluation scheduled for first quarter 1996.
High participation rates at 60 percent. Employees and families are involved. There is a low cost per participant. Longitudinal data is available. There is good corporate commitment. This is a comprehensive health promotion program that demonstrated some cost-savings and cost-effectiveness, plus some documented behavior change in the Breast Health Program. It is targeted toward the Healthy People 2000 goals and cost reduction goals. Evaluation was excellent. The approach is multidisciplinary. Offering programs to retirees is commendable. Satisfaction rates are high. Evaluation focus on behavioral efficacy, cost-savings, customer studies and bench marking best practices is impressive as are the results. There is a huge data base. There is a matched control group. The program was begun in 1988 and has been extended, thus has good longevity. Return on investment was 1.84 and 2.15 in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Greatest savings was from absenteeism reduction with three fewer days in members than the matched controls.
Participation should not serve as a proxy for outcomes. There may be self-selection bias in cost evaluations. Some of the research approach is retrospective. There is minimal conclusive health risk change data. They have not published. There may be too much focus on fitness; expansion of the program's scope should be encouraged. There is lack of good pre-implementation data for comparison to post-implementation data. There could be more focus on risk reduction.