The City Of Rock Island Partners With Genesis To Promote Employee Health

Davenport, IA - The City of Rock Island's police and firefighters protect and serve the community and now themselves through a new wellness and prevention program. This pilot program has been implemented with the help of Genesis Occupational Health to improve the safety and overall well-being of the employees in these vital departments. Approximately 70 percent of the 140 civil service employees are participating in this voluntary program.

Worksite health promotion programs are shown to improve the lifestyles and quality of lives for employees as well as reduce the ever-increasing cost of healthcare for employers. Approximately $1.8 trillion is spent on health care in the United States annually, and most of these costs go to treatments for chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. On average, insurance premiums are increasing by 15 to 30 percent every year. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Wellness Councils of America and large insurance companies like Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, employers that do nothing about preventing health care costs will see them double by the year 2011. Self-insured employers are impacted directly with increases in costs and utilization of benefits. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends comprehensive worksite health promotion campaigns to improve productivity, moral, reduce absenteeism and prevent work-related injuries and chronic illnesses.

During the month of June, Genesis Occupational Health provided on-site health risk assessments and screenings to determine what needs and risk factors of the police officers and firefighters. Based on the results, Genesis provided the City's wellness committee with the following four recommendations for implementing ongoing initiatives:

• Focus on better nutrition – particularly by making better choices when eating on the run. Many workers who have fast-paced jobs and travel frequently tend to consume larger amounts of fast food. Dietitians can help build skills to make better choices in these situations. Even thin individuals can have abnormal cholesterol levels, which can be attributed to a diet high in saturated fat or family history. Approximately 34 percent of the participants indicated that they eat a diet high in saturated fats and almost all of them (96 percent) indicated that they eat a diet low in fiber.
• Focus on reducing high blood pressure (BP) through better nutrition, regular exercise and consultations with physicians. Current statistics show that 25 percent of Quad City adults and those across the country have high BP - defined as a systolic score of 140 or greater over a diastolic score of 90 or greater. This risk factor identified among the police officers and firefighters was 32 percent, which is slightly higher than the national average. New national guidelines indicate that any BP greater than 120 over 80 is considered pre-hypertension.
• Cancer Prevention – skin cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer in particular. Anyone who is often exposed to direct sunlight during work hours should take precautions such as protective clothing, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen to prevent overexposure. Prevention measures for colorectal cancer include eating more fruits and vegetables, which can help to remove carcinogens (cancer causing agents) from our bodies. Exercise also helps to increase the body's resistance to illness and tissue damage.
• Additional training to prevent injuries and illnesses experienced on the job. Workers who are in high-intensity environments can help to curb stress and improve their mental alertness by practicing stress management techniques and improved sleep habits. This can help to reduce injuries and illnesses that can result from overexertion and limited sleep (Only 18 percent of the participants indicated they were bothered by excessive personal or work-related stress, however, 46 percent of the program participants indicated they get less than 7 hours of sleep per day).

In July, each program participant received a confidential Personal Wellness Profile that provided details on their own health risks and ways to improve their lifestyles. They also participated in on-one-one nurse consultations to discuss their results and receive recommendations or referrals for further care if needed. The ongoing portion of the City's wellness initiative will include workshops that focus on the top areas of need and health issues that were uncovered in the health risk assessments.

"Overall, this is one of the healthiest populations we have worked with over the last two years," explains Amanda Hess, Marketing and Health Promotion Specialist for Genesis Occupational Health. "However they have some very specific areas of need that we can target for awareness and behavior change to improve their lifestyles and help reduce the risk for costly chronic illnesses."

Genesis Occupational Health provides comprehensive health management and prevention programs for injured and ill workers, OSHA-mandated screening programs, and medical surveillance of employee populations for exposure to hazardous substances, such as lead or asbestos. The organization serves more than 1,100 employers and 70,0000 employees in western Illinois and eastern Iowa. Fore more information on the services offered through Genesis Occupational Health, call (563) 324-6096.