Did you know that for every $1 invested in employee wellness that you would see a $3 savings in health care costs? The Wellness Council of America has been studying this for some time and has found that employers are better off having wellness plan options for their employees than not having anything at all. As we continue to witness the seemingly uncontrollable rise in health care costs, we see that employers are trimming benefits in different ways to help contain those rising costs.
The tough situation employers are faced with is requiring a new way of organizational thinking. Employers don’t like to be scaling back on health benefits offered to their employees, but they need to cope with the financial realities being imposed by insurance carriers. The best remaining option is to encourage employees to take part in wellness programs that can improve their health and at the same time cause a cultural change toward better health awareness and prevention at work. This can be achieved through education and the adoption of wellness programs that are comprehensive and easily accessible.
Some of the most prevalent health problems in the work place are obesity, smoking, drinking, high blood pressure and cholesterol. This population spends two to three times the amount a healthy individual spends each year on health care costs. Besides the fact that this population has a higher incidence of absenteeism and can be less efficient on the job, they typically are the ones that will have heart attacks, strokes and acquire a number of related illnesses that can take them away from their work for weeks and even months at a time.
Large companies are beginning to adopt wellness programs and establish partnerships with local care providers. They are looking for programs that can benefit their unhealthy population and at the same time offer preventive care to their healthier population through education and the promotion of healthy habits and lifestyle changes. Employers want to preserve the good health of healthy employees and improve the health of those that are unhealthy. Local providers with comprehensive programs can enable employers to improve productivity and efficiency, improve attitude in the work place and reduce overall health care costs all at the same time.
New Horizon Medical of Norwood, MA has seen employees make great strides by lowering their weight, cholesterol and blood pressure. More importantly, through the teachings of registered dietitians, personal trainers and coaches, incredible changes in their attitudes about themselves and their work have been recognized. The more employee participants coming through our wellness and weight loss programs, the quicker the culture at work will start to improve. Can you imagine improving the “happy” bar, “health” bar and the “positive attitude” bar all at once in the workplace? This is where a quality wellness plan can take your company.
New Horizon provides free phone consultations, coaching and dietitian services, health screenings, physical exams and lab work. Consistency and accountability are also key ingredients to having employees make the behavioral changes necessary for their own success. Meeting with participating employees weekly helps them stay on track. All of the necessary support mechanisms for success are available at New Horizon. Has your company been thinking about taking action and offering a wellness option to your employees? Call New Horizon to discuss options and benefits.

New Horizon Medical
38 Vanderbilt Ave
Norwood, MA 02062
Also serving the communities of Foxboro, Mansfield, Westwood, Walpole, Sharon, Canton and Needham