Jeff VanWormer

1
Employers and the Heart of New UlmA 2009
Update

• Jeff VanWormer
• Epidemiologist
• Project Director

2
Quick Refresher of HONU Objectives

• HONU is a demonstration project designed to apply
  evidence-informed practices that can improve the
  heart health of an entire community. It is
  primarily a systems-level intervention designed
  to synchronize and bolster existing health
  improvement efforts/resources within New Ulm.
• The overarching goal of the Heart of New Ulm
  (HONU) project is to reduce heart attacks in the
  56073 zip code. To achieve this, the HONU project
  aims to improve modifiable risk factors for heart
  attacks (across the entire community), including
  high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes,
  obesity, tobacco use, physical inactivity, low
  fruit/vegetable consumption, uncontrolled stress,
  medication underutilization/non-adherence
• The population of interest includes residents of
  the 56073 zip code, but the overarching goal is
  to create a partnership model that can be
  transferred to other communities in order to
  improve how preventive healthcare is delivered in
  the U.S.

3
2009 Accomplishments with Employers (to date)

• Conducted a heart health screening at 36 New Ulm
  worksites, including 19 of the 25 largest
  employers in the community.
• Screened over 2,600 actual employees (who live in
  the 56073 zip code), with a range in
  participation between 10 and 90 percent at each
  site.
• Enrolled about 2,000 employees in the Move to
  Improve community challenge program
• Directly engaged the leadership of 15 of all
  screened worksites in wellness committee planning
  or offering an onsite wellness program.

4
Heart attacks among New Ulms workforce(i.e.,
about 9,000 residents age 18-69)
5
Risk factors among New Ulms workforce(i.e.,
2,600 screened employees)
6
Productivity loss among New Ulms workforce

• The average New Ulm employee loses about 5 of
  their scheduled work hours due to health-related
  absenteeism and presenteeism (combined).
• Thats equivalent to about 2,500 per employee
  per year.

The most influential factors on productivity
loss were stress and metabolic syndrome.
Productivity losses from employees with high
stress and/or with metabolic syndrome are 2-3
times higher than employees without such
conditions.
7
Main 2010 Employer Initiatives

• HONU Community Challenge program for employees
• Customized wellness consulting, including
• Onsite promotions/programming
• Environment/policy assessments
• Employee health reporting
• Benefits design advice

8
We still need your help!

• Recruit your employees to take part in the
  upcoming HONU Community Challenge program
• Start (or strengthen) an employee wellness
  program at your worksite. Contact the HONU office
  at 233-1945 to find out how.
• Help support the project through a philanthropic
  gift. Contact Carisa Buegler at the NUMC
  Foundation to learn about options
  (carisa.buegler_at_allina.com 507-233-1188).