Matters of health: employers are finding that wellness programs increase morale and decrease sickness and injury.

• Author: Myers, Deborah J.

Wayne Halliday's job saved his life. It wasn't the work he performs maintaining aircraft simulators for ERA Aviation in Anchorage, but the company's health fair he attended in March 2002 that prevented a heart attack that would likely be fatal.

Halliday received information indicating he could have some health problems and should see his doctor. Subsequently, Halliday visited a cardiologist.

"He put me on a treadmill and it showed I had several arteries blocked," Halliday said. "I had an angiogram and the next day I had a full bypass. If I hadn't had the surgery, I could have had a major heart attack.

"I have two daughters in nursing and they say for certain the health fair saved my life and a few bucks, too."

A HEALTHY SAVINGS

Halliday isn't the only one saving. Employers implementing wellness programs are finding that their employees are healthier, happier and therefore more productive and less prone to increasing insurance premiums through expensive claims.

"Wellness is an active process of becoming more aware and making good choices to a healthier life," said Mike Chriss, health promotion coordinator for BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. "It deals with the occupational, spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of a person. Now we are looking into what it means to us in business."

Employers are finding that wellness programs increase morale and decrease sickness and injury. Once considered a warm and fuzzy perk, the wellness program is earning respect as a way to cut costs. "With health care costs rising 10 percent to 15 percent annually, people want to reduce that," Chriss said.

Doug Smith, health and safety director at Arctic Slope Regional Corp. Energy Services in Anchorage, cited cost as a reason his company invested in a wellness program two years ago.

"We've seen 15 percent to 20 percent increases (in health care costs) for quite some time," Smith said. "We need to keep people well for life on and off the job."

"We want to look at reducing the risk to a lower risk," BP's Chriss added. "Risk migration is where you really show the dollars. I may not have a disease and my health care costs may not show I have a disease, but as soon as something shows up, there will be a higher level of cost for my company."

These costs are not only reflected by insurance premiums, but also by reduced productivity and higher turnover. Focusing on employees' needs makes wellness plans an investment.

"That's why we're moving from health and wellness to a health and productivity aspect of it," Chriss said.

THE RIGHT MATCH

The new wave in wellness is "population trend management," according to...