Program Spotlight: Interview with State of Nebraska, 2012 Koop Award Winner

Interview participants:
Roger Wilson, State of Nebraska
Barb Tabor, HERO

2012 Koop Award summary

HERO:
What have been the keys to your success in creating an effective employee health management program?

Wilson:
The main ingredient to our success has been the ongoing and very visible support of the governor. Not only is he an active participant in the program, but he also promotes the program wherever he goes, even offering his time to reward employees for their accomplishments through things like special commendations and employee celebrations. He’s accessible to employees and walks the walk when it comes to the program.

We also have enlisted a talented team of wellness coordinators and internal staff to manage the program. This staff includes wellness champions in each of our 80 different agencies; these individuals are our feet on the street, working to engage employees in their respective areas. Each of these agencies has its own business model and its own culture, which means we have to understand what they do and what the best way is to incent them. The wellness champions give us this connection to the agencies, and the visible support and involvement of the governor reinforces the state’s commitment to employee health and increases program participation and uptake with all of these departments.

HERO:
When you look back at your program outcomes, what results or outcomes do you feel are
the most significant?

Wilson:
We’re truly changing people’s lives with this program, which I think is even more important than the positive ROI we’ve achieved in just three years. We’re reducing risk factors and preventing diseases, such as precancerous conditions, that are saving people’s lives. We even have a wall of fame, or wall of wellness, where employees post their personal health stories as a source of motivation for all of our employees.

When it comes to ROI, within the first three years of our program, we’ve realized an ROI of $2.7:1. According to industry research, this definitely shows that we’re heading in the right direction.  Although the program may have been about cost in the beginning, it was also about teaching people to take care of themselves and to become more productive citizens.

HERO:
What lessons have you learned over the years that you can share with other companies that have made a commitment to improving employee health?

Wilson:
Aside from garnering the support of your leadership, I would say that investing in employee education and communication is the most important thing you can do to support your program. Employee communications can be challenging, but investing in a comprehensive communications strategy and being consistent with that strategy over time will pay huge dividends in the end. When employees understand what you’re doing and why, in addition to their options for participating, everyone wins.
 
We do a lot of personalized communications to both employees and spouses, because both have to achieve the program criteria to get the wellness benefit. Spouses and employees might have different messaging, which increases our printing costs, but we feel that if we can save or change one life, the cost of the communication has been well worth it.

We went into this trying to help people improve chronic conditions and their overall health. We’re learning more and more about different engagement techniques and about the industry itself. Overall, we’ve gained a better appreciation for the structures that need to be in place to operate a comprehensive wellness program.

At the end of the day, however, employees need to know that we have their best interests at heart and that we’re in this for their benefit.

Periodically HERO on Health will spotlight an award winning EHM program.  If you have interest in sharing about your program please contact the HERO office to schedule an interview.