HOW TUFTS HEALTH PLAN PROMOTES WELLNESS

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1 PROMOTES WELLNESS Planning is an important part of any Wellness initiative your company undertakes. At Tufts Health Plan, we start the annual planning process early. Our Wellness manager begins by choosing the themes for the year. In order to arrive at these themes, it s important to look at any employee survey data that exists, past program successes, organizational goals, and current health and fitness trends in the news. Once the themes are chosen, a schedule is developed. Wherever possible, the themes are aligned with National Observances, time of year, holidays, weather, past program successes, etc. For example, February is American Heart Month. Tufts Health Plan had a special heart health bulletin board created, produced a newsletter containing heart health tips, hosted a nutrition education seminar and a smoking cessation lecture, and began a new 8 week session of the Freedom From Smoking program. The forms of tools we use to educate our population include: n Bulletin boards (in the WorkingWell Center and in the atrium/cafeteria) n Fliers and posters throughout the building n Brochures n Newsletters (WorkingWell Monthly Newsletter, Living Health nutrition newsletter) n s n Intranet articles n WorkingWell Online (incentive programs, activity tracking, health education and tools) n Seminars and workshops (Nutrition Education seminars, CVS medication awareness series, WalkBoston pedestrian advocacy) n On-site resources (Registered Dietitians, Massage Therapy, WorkingWell group exercise, personal trainers, and, soon to come, medication consultation with a pharmacist) n Fliers and information placed in new parent packets (issued by Human Resources) n Education materials placed in the Mother s Rooms n We work with Corporate Communications to get activities in the weekly activity reminder, manager newsletters, lobby screens, and intranet pages n We work with HR to educate the business partners so they can offer support and suggestions 22

2 SUPPORTS WEIGHT LOSS AND GOOD NUTRITION Weight Watchers Every 17 weeks, Tufts Health Plan hosts a new series of Weight Watchers At Work classes for all employees. Tufts Health Plan subsidizes $5 per class to all Tufts Health Plan employees who participate, for a total of $85 per 17-week session. Additionally, Weight Watchers is discounted 33% for everyone (both employees and contractors). Weight Watchers is an extremely low-cost program to offer as it is free to host. We pay nothing to Weight Watchers beyond the subsidy for employee participants. ChangeOne Quarterly, Tufts Health Plan hosts ChangeOne Diet & Fitness, an employee weight loss and support program open to all employees. ChangeOne is deployed over 12 weeks at a cost of $65 for all who participate. Classes include 12 weeks of support group sessions, weekly s, the official ChangeOne book, journal, weekly weigh-ins, and access to knowledgeable advisors. Team Lean Challenge: 12-week program The Team Lean Challenge is similar to the popular TV show The Biggest Loser. Teams of four employees compete over 12 weeks to see which one can lose the most weight. Prizes are also awarded to individuals who have lost the most weight. Weekly weigh-ins with prize incentives keep participants engaged. Extensive promotion helps rally support from colleagues and management. Much like other incentive programs, it is virtually free to host. What makes it a success? n CEO support at pep rallies and management participation n Lunch and Learns free and low cost n Large reward upon completion (up to $1,000 for the team, up to $500 for individual winners) In our last competition, 256 participants made up 64 teams. n Total Weight Loss: 1,549.6 lbs n Average Team Weight Loss: 24.4 lbs. n Average Individual Weight Loss: 6.1 lbs. n Average Individual Weight Loss: 3.1% n Number of participants who lost at least 2% of their body weight: 124 n Total calories burned: 5,422,900 23

3 Nutrition Programs Tufts Health Plan has implemented a number of programs to help employees adopt healthy eating habits and lose weight, including: Registered Dietitian Program: n Registered Dietitians are made available quarterly to coach employees to meet their health goals through ongoing nutrition education and support. n A nutrition consultation includes a comprehensive review of medical history, family history, relevant blood tests, food and exercise habits, and, most important, discussion of the client s concerns and goals. Nutrition Education Seminars: n Offered monthly seminars are free of charge n Topics include: - Deceptive Dining - Healthy Eating on the Road - Tried & True Tricks of a Dietitian - Food & Fitness Monthly Newsletter topics include: n A new seasonal theme each month n Recipes n Nutrition tips n Seasonal foods n 200-calorie breakfast options n 400-calorie lunch options n Farmers market dates n Web site resources Fruit/Salad Bar Subsidy Tufts Health Plan offers a 25% discount when employees purchase items from the fruit/salad bar. Yo! Naturals Vending Vending machines provide healthy snacks and beverages such as Stacy s pita chips, Cliff bars, trail mix, Vitaminwater, Tazo tea, smoothies, and more. The vending machine is extremely green, using approximately $30 a year in energy costs. Hosting Yo! Naturals vending machines is free. 24

4 Resources Massachusetts Massachusetts Department of Public Health Nutrition and Physical Activity Unit Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse Farm to Table: Working With Local Farmers to Access Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Resource Guide Department of Agricultural Resources Mass in Motion The John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition has The A List of vending and snack products that meet the Massachusetts A La Carte Food & Beverage Standards to Promote a Healthier School Environment (Massachusetts Standards) Massachusetts Partnership for Healthy Weight The Massachusetts Dietetic Association ( lists registered dietitians who are available for presentation in their MDA Speakers Bureau ( and will link you to the American Dietetic Association to the Find a Nutrition Professional for a listing of RD available to counsel patients ( Fresh to You: A discount, high-quality fresh fruit and vegetable delivery program for worksites National Local Harvest: Listing of farmers markets, farm co-ops The Worksite Wellness Kit: Washington State Department of Health. Contains various policies for different settings such as worksites, community, health care, and schools, as well as specific nutrition policies data/worksite_wellness_toolkit.htm The American Cancer Society s Food & Fitness resource The American Diabetes Association Nutrition & Recipes resource The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( Information on the Fruit and Vegetables More Matters campaign; prevention and control of obesity; food safety and health information The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nutrition advocacy organization ( It has a Nutrition Action Health newsletter, information on food safety, and Eating Green and other food policies The U.S. Department of Agriculture Web site has much information on many topics related to agriculture. May be best known for the new Food Pyramid Steps to a Healthier You U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans Nutrition Environment Assessment, Michigan Department of Community Health,

5 SUPPORTS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Recognizing that physical activity is key to achieving health and fitness goals, Tufts Health Plan has developed programs to help employees get moving and incorporate exercise into their workday, including walking routes and recreation programs. Indoor Walking Route n The indoor walking route is approximately 3,000 feet long. After walking it twice, employees will have walked just over 1 mile. n Is marked by 45 signs posted throughout the building. n Is accessible any time of the workday. Outdoor Running Route Six running routes are mapped out surrounding the Tufts Health Plan building. n The running routes range from 2.5 miles to 6.2 miles. n Running routes are clean and safe year-round. On-site Fitness Center (WorkingWell Center) The WorkingWell Center is known as the hub of fitness and wellness at Tufts Health Plan. Open seven days a week, the WorkingWell Center is easily accessible to all Tufts Health Plan employees. The on-site fitness center includes: n Three group exercise studios (mind-body, aerobic, and multipurpose) n Massage room (chair massage and table massage) n Consultation (registered dietitian, exercise consultation, etc.) n State-of-the-art locker rooms n Group exercises classes (30+ a week) n Circuit training area n State-of-the-art fitness equipment (cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility) n Personal training n Fitness assessments n Blood pressure readings n Incentive programs 26

6 Recreation Leagues WorkingWell hosts and organizes an on-site recreational program with: n Spring Flag Football n Fall Flag Football n Basketball n Men s Baseball n Softball n Golf league and lessons Participation in recreation sports is available to all Tufts Health Plan employees, contractors, and temps. Hosting team sports year-round is an excellent way to engage a variety of employees. With the exception of equipment, jerseys, and prizes to purchase, the cost associated with facilitating recreation programs is minimal. Resources Physical Activity Toolkits activity.htm Physical Inactivity Cost Calculator Tips to Help You Get Active (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) What Is Physical Activity? (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Updated Physical Activity Guidelines (American College of Sports Medicine) Physical Activity for Everyone (CDC) Physical Activity in Your Daily Life (American Heart Association) America on the Move Green Streets Initiative Motivational physical activity signs (CDC): motivational_signs.htm WalkBoston Yoga and stretching desk videos (Alberta Centre for Active Living) StairWELL to Better Health Program Ideas on worksite stairwell interventions Virgin HealthMiles Inc. 27

7 ACHIEVED A SMOKE-FREE WORKPLACE With the goal of creating a smoke-free workplace, Tufts Health Plan surveyed the entire employee population to gain an understanding of the need for on-site smoking cessation resources. Information collected from the survey included: n 16% of employees who completed the survey were smokers (35% had been smoking for 20+ years). n 85.2% answered yes to an interest in on-site smoking cessation resources. From the survey results, Tufts Health Plan developed a best-in-class smoking cessation program for employees including: n On-site support groups led by the American Lung Association-trained Freedom From Smoking facilitators n Telephone and online support promoted on the employee Web site n Education on the services and resources provided by Tufts Health Plan insurance n Distribution of a smoking cessation brochure outlining resources and programs available to all employees Resources Programs funded by Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program: Try-to-Stop Tobacco Quitline (1-800-Try-to-Stop) provides confidential telephone information, referral, and counseling at no charge to smokers and support to quit or make a quit attempt. Counseling is available in English and Spanish and through interpreters in all other languages. QuitWorks ( is a free, evidence-based stop smoking service developed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in collaboration with all major health plans in Massachusetts. QuitWorks links providers and their patients who want to quit smoking to the full range of the state s tobacco treatment services. Employees may participate by having their health care provider fax a completed referral form to the Try to Stop Tobacco Quitline. Trained telephone counselors then contact patients to provide counseling. They also send providers reports on each patient s progress. is a Web site for smokers that offers expert advice, self-directed quitting tools, resources, and information. has additional information about secondhand smoke and tobacco prevention. Other resources for quitting smoking: American Cancer Society for_quitting_smoking.asp?from=fast American Heart Association American Lung Association Smoking_Cessation_Support.htm The EX Campaign CDC tobacco information Massachusetts tobacco information Massachusetts information about addictions Free educational materials are available on smoking cessation and secondhand smoke from the Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse. 28

8 REDUCES STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE Tufts Health Plan s policies support employees who require a variety of work options, including part-time schedules, job sharing, compressed workweeks, flexible scheduling, and telecommuting. In addition, we offer classes on a number of topics including managing conflict, dealing with difficult people, time management, and assertiveness training, to name a few. In addition, Tufts Health Plan provides employees with several opportunities for reducing stress, including: Massage Therapy Every week, employees can take advantage of on-site massage services. Both male and female licensed massage therapists provide best-in-class service to all Tufts Health Plan employees. Massage services are available onsite twice a week. Employees may seek relief with chair, table, therapeutic, deep tissue, sport, and prenatal massages. Mother s Room Tufts Health Plan offers two private spaces for pregnant and nursing mothers. The Mother s Room offers a clean and quiet area where employees will find: n Clean spaces for feeding or pumping n Screens for privacy n Comfortable chairs n Secure access n Dedicated refrigerator for milk n Nearby kitchen and restroom Resources The Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace Women s Bureau U.S Department of Labor The Boston College Center for Work and Family Center for Mindfulness, Healthcare and Society Stress Reduction Program Expanding Our Understanding of the Psychosocial Work Environment: A Compendium of Discrimination, Harassment, and Work Family Issues The Center for Stress Reduction at UMASS Medical School Sloan Work and Family Research Network National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. (1999) Stress at Work. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number Available online at Parenting in the Workplace Institute (Worksite Wellness Toolkit Page 164) 29