Earlier this year, The Graham Company rolled out its improved wellness program to help businesses control health care costs. We partnered with BioSignia, a company that offers a comprehensive wellness, health coaching and care management solution for employers. There are several different types of wellness programs available to businesses, but The Graham Company ultimately determined this program, Know Your Number®, was the best option for its clients because the program takes a total population care management approach in which employers, employees, and their primary care physician all work together.
The way the program works is simple:
Stage 1: Identify Risk
The program starts with routine biometric screenings. Through on-site wellness screenings with a registered nurse, lab results, clinical measures (height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, pulse rate), and limited health history are collected to assess an individual’s risk for chronic diseases.
Stage 2: Educate and Create an Action Plan
Approximately two weeks following the wellness screenings, the health information collected is analyzed and a report is mailed exclusively to the participant. Participants then receive a phone call from a registered nurse that reviews their results with them. The program builds awareness of disease risk and provides employees with a personalized road map that focuses on prevention, risk reduction, and condition specific goal setting that may encompass weight management, nutrition, and healthy eating, tobacco cessation, fitness and exercise, and stress management.
Stage 3: Eliminate Risk Factors
In response to privacy mandates on medical information, the health data that is obtained from the wellness screenings is not released to the employer, only the employee. The Graham Company monitors aggregate report results that stratifies the de-identified employee population by modifiable and relative risk, as well as targets disease states with the greatest potential impact of modifiable risk for appropriate wellness intervention.
With this knowledge, coupled with information on historic medical claims, we are in a position to determine “gaps in care” and assist employers with implementing targeted programming and incentives to motivate at-risk employees to meet with their doctors to discuss test results and get the appropriate preventative care and treatment.
In the Spring 2014 issue of Graham Advisor, we took an in-depth look at the program and encouraged you to check out the issue for more information.
Testimonials
Since partnering with BioSignia, we’ve heard first-hand from our clients’ that their employees are experiencing improved health and engagement in their professional and personal life. As 2014 is coming to a close, we thought we’d share some positive feedback from employees who have participated in their company’s wellness program.
I had a high HgbA1c score and worked with a registered nurse to change my lifestyle habits. The registered nurse recommended I remove white carbohydrates from my diet, refrain from drinking Pepsi and adding sugar and creamer to my tea, in addition, to incorporating exercise into my daily routine. After taking the advice to heart, I have already lost eight pounds and I’m feeling great! I plan on continuing to work closely with the registered nurse to reach my goal of losing 25 pounds.
– Member #1
Since reviewing my results from the health screening, I’ve made major changes to the way I eat. My tchol is now 156, compared to 204 at the initial health screening. I’ve lost nine pounds! I feel like I have so much more energy and am no longer a ticking time bomb. The registered nurse I’m working with has encouraged me to keep up the good work and to try eliminating fried, fatty foods from my diet completely and to eat more salads for lunch. </em
– Member #2
Health screenings revealed I had a high a1c level. By working closely with a registered nurse, I’ve begun making healthier meal choices and exercising regularly. To date, I’ve lost 24 pounds and I’m working on losing one more pound by the end of the month. –
Member #3
