Identifying Trends in Company Health and Wellness
As a benefits consulting firm, we have recognized that the modern workforce has changed, and that top talent is attracted to organizations with purpose, community, courageous leadership, communication, and choice. Wellness and disease management opportunities have become key additions to conversations in Human Resource Departments to attract and retain top talent.
When designing the Apex Population Health Team, our goal was to help promote and provide consultation around health and wellness offerings in all forms and with all audiences, including our workforce. Data analytics and cultural needs assessments provide the foundation for effective population health management. The ability to identify strategic opportunities for intervention within wellness design has prompted a growing number of onsite engagement initiatives. Some of the most common offerings include team challenges, health fairs, lifestyle management programs, and onsite screenings or physician care visits.
According to a recent SHRM report, 64% of employers offer wellness resources throughout the year in addition to communicating wellness tips and information at regular intervals (newsletter, email, social media, etc.). Employers are now able to invest in their employees financially, and they’re doing so through onsite health coaching, telemedicine, fitness center reimbursement, premium differentials, and wellness incentive programs.
Apex CEO and President John Gause repeatedly states, “What’s good enough for our clients today, won’t be good enough tomorrow.” This statement is part of our value proposition for all customers and our employees.
To meet the health and wellness needs of Team Apex, we continuously evaluate our programs to fine-tune the wellness offerings and services we endorse. Measuring return on investment and population health programs’ effectiveness depends on identifying metrics of success (such as lower healthcare costs, closed gaps in care, lower absenteeism, increased behavior change, and increased employee morale).
Take our near-site clinic as an example. Since we have a fully insured health plan, access to carrier claims data and pharmacy spend is often difficult. However, our partnership with our clinic helps us take care of our employees, and it allows us to understand the health of our population more efficiently.
We receive monthly data on clinical usage through this partnership, as well as a yearly aggregate report of visits as it pertains to utilization, pharmacy, and aggregate biometric data. This amount of information allows us to evaluate our programming further and make changes as needed. We also assess our programs through participation and engagement numbers, as well as feedback from internal wellness surveys.
Having a leadership team that champions employee well-being, and by listening to employees’ wants and needs, we can create a culture of community. At Apex, our vision for wellness isn’t just about healthy bodies. It’s about a healthy mindset and culture by creating an environment that contributes to a greater quality of life. As we grow as an organization, we keep this vision in the forefront to hold true in helping Apex achieve its mission to empower organizations and inspire employees through customized benefit solutions, health-focused engagement, and human capital strategies.
