ADHS and ADOA will be working together over the next several months to get Arizona State Government to become the 1st government entity in the nation to meet the American Cancer Society’s CEO Cancer Gold Standard Program criteria. Our objective is to set the standard for excellence in the prevention, early detection, and effective management of cancer and improve the wellness of our workforce.
More than 50% of the AZ working population has two or more chronic conditions, increasing medical costs and absenteeism in the workforce. Research shows by making an investment in comprehensive worksite wellness and employee health, employer healthcare costs are significantly reduced. Every dollar invested in comprehensive employee wellness saves $4 in reduced health care costs and $5 in reduced absenteeism.
Our plan of action is to partner with ADOA on their Wellness Strategic Plan and convene a cross-functional taskforce that will develop ways to leverage existing resources to help the State save money as we help employees and their families lead healthier lives by focusing on: 1) Tobacco prevention & cessation; 2) Healthy nutrition and weight control; 3) Active Lifestyles; and 4) Risk-appropriate health screenings.
Health risks drive health costs, and we’ll be exploring ways to better connect state employees to meaningful, evidence-based programs focusing on the prevention, early detection, and successful management of chronic diseases. We’ve already partnered with ADOA to develop Diabetes Self-Management Training for state employees covered dependents (over 124,000 covered lives). By working closely with ADOA on this new initiative, we’ll become a model for worksite wellness in Arizona and play a major role in promoting evidence-based programs across a wide range of employers throughout Arizona.
You can help by encouraging other worksites to take the plunge with us. Here’s how they can get started. Visit our Healthy Worksites Website which provides information and tools to help businesses in Arizona have healthier worksites and healthier employees. The Program Design page lists the eight steps for developing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive worksite program. You can start with a Worksite Assessment which is a web-based tool to help you assess your current worksite environment and health-related policies and to identify and define actions that will make it easier for your employees to be healthy. Our Resource Guide is designed for all worksites to gain resources and program ideas to start or further worksite wellness initiatives. The guide focuses strategies to increase physical activity and encourage healthy eating among your workforce.
