Department of Social and Health Services Economic Services Administration (ESA)

Kjerstin Riedel

HEALTHY WORKSITE INITIATIVE

The Tale of Two Journeys

Personal Journey Began with a telephone call “What did I get myself into?” There is a happy ending

ESA Journey Began with a goal…

Goal

Create a culture of wellness that is embraced by most employees.

How we accomplished our goal: Gathered and evaluated data Sought, valued and acted upon employee input Implemented interventions and best practices Created a wellness culture that is multi-faceted

ESA HQ Demographics 500 employees 60% female and 40% male 65% > 45 years old Location - 2 offices among 6 floors Sedentary work

ESA Mission and Vision

To help people build better lives by eliminating poverty and hunger and

building stronger communities

Engaging Employees

Division coordinators All staff presentations Surveys Weekly emails and newsletters SharePoint web site Email address Bulletin boards and wellness literature Sharing success stories Prizes and incentives; wellness gift bags, iPODs, mountain

bikes, elliptical machines, yoga kits, etc.

Changes to Work Environment Strong leadership support Wellness committee – representatives from each division Sick rooms converted to wellness rooms Release form Equipment - bicycles, blood pressure monitors, scales,

pedometers, etc. Literature about cholesterol, high blood pressure, Diabetes

prevention, etc. Wellness web site Fit-Picks in the vending machines Promote Energize Your Meetings Little changes add up to big results!

Effective Wellness Activities Changes that Last a Lifetime Healthy Quarters™ On-site health risk screenings Weekly lunch and learn sessions, including; Diabetes

Prevention, Nutrition 101, Identity Theft Protection, Retirement Planning, Living with Change and Managing Stress, etc.

DASH to the Market Bicycle check-out program Yoga In the works – Fitness room, walking routes with maps,

walking meetings, wellness fair, and flu prevention campaign

Results

39% participated in health screenings 87% took action to change behavior Risk factors for diabetes, cholesterol, and blood

pressure decreased Tobacco usage decreased by 7% 75% of those overweight or obese lost weight

Accomplishments Strong leadership support and staff involvement 3 rounds of on-site health risk screenings Changes that Last a Lifetime - more than 50 employees

participated in this 12-week program. One of two Grand Champions came from ESA.

Implemented Healthy Quarters™ “Sick” rooms converted to “Wellness” rooms Robust wellness web site Weekly emails and wellness-related “Lunch and Learn”

sessions “Culture of wellness” is now the norm

Lessons Learned Dedicated resources are recommended for consistency

and momentum Data is important for understanding your population and

implementing interventions Changing work priorities and limited resources can have

a negative impact on a wellness program Leadership support is crucial to a successful wellness

program – keep them engaged Incentives = increased participation The Health Care Authority is a valuable resource A culture change does not happen overnight If I can do it, anyone can do it!

Next Steps

Proposal for on-site fitness room Focus on Flu prevention Wellness Fair Spread information throughout ESA Keep “Culture of Wellness” alive – pursue

Washington Wellness Worksite designation

ESA Wellness Web Site