Proven Employer Health and Wellness Program Strategies – Part 1
Evaluation of successful Employee Wellness Programs has revealed several key Employer Health and Wellness Program strategies to increase Employer Health and Wellness Program effectiveness and impact overall Soldier health.
Strategy #1: Communication with leadership is critical
• Assess leadership priorities.
• Report Employer Health and Wellness Program outcomes back to leadership in a timely manner.
Strategy #2: Employer Health and Wellness Program planning must be driven by data.
• Determine specific needs of the target population.
• Focus on the health status of the population as a whole to identify the top health concerns.
• Information should drive decisions regarding which health needs should be addressed first.
Strategy #3: Use electronic data collection and reporting as often as possible.
• Centrally collected data in an electronic format is fundamental for determining population health needs.
• Electronic reporting is also very valuable when communicating Employer Health and Wellness Program outcomes to leadership and other stakeholders.
• Flexible reporting capabilities allow data to be presented as information that can support decision-making, in formats that decision-makers prefer.
Strategy #4: Multidisciplinary collaboration enhances employee health and maximizes available resources.
• Collaboration between health disciplines increases effectiveness of Wellness and preventive medicine initiatives.
• Don’t forget to look outside the organization for collaboration partners.
• Optimized Employer Health and Wellness Program outcomes can be reached by coordinating the activities of medical consultants, cadre, community agents, and funding sources.
• Bundling services together also provides the additional benefit to units by conserving training and mission time.
Implementing these strategies can improve Employer Health and Wellness Program effectiveness and optimize available resources.