As Central Texas continues to grow rapidly, the community's needs are shifting dramatically. Changing demographics combined with a multitude of factors are contributing to a rise in chronic diseases, health disparities and costs that affect not only quality of life, but also economic and business productivity. However, many of the health issues facing our workforce and communities are preventable. The question is, will we take action to change the course for Central Texas?

In this story, Central Health highlights five Central Texas companies that are focused on supporting and improving employee health in order to enhance productivity and reduce costs.

Health status is influenced by factors such as behavior, social and economic status, work status and physical environments that cut across all sectors of our community. More medical care, even if we could afford it, will not fix the problem. Significant and sustainable improvements require every individual and organization working together across sectors to change the future for Central Texans.

The examples in this article offer a range of innovative strategies that employers are adopting to strengthen their bottom lines and make Central Texas a Model Healthy Community. Each of these companies is recognized as a Central Health/Austin Business Journal Healthiest Employers of Central Texas, 2012.

1. Moving Towards Fitness — Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs' move to downtown Austin nearly five years ago launched a move towards healthier employees and a healthier company. "We've seen that a healthy work environment that supports a healthy lifestyle makes good business sense. Healthy, happy people are productive—and an active lifestyle is contagious," says Shannon Pleasant, Silicon Labs' Vice President of Corporate Communications.

The company encourages employees to take full advantage of the easy access to the hike-and-bike trails that are just a few steps outside the offices, as well as the onsite gym and fitness and yoga classes. Employees are running, walking and riding regularly throughout the day along the hike-and-bike trail. Silicon Labs supports a cycling club through the wellness program to encourage employees to bike to work. The company also offers onsite flu shots, and has a tennis club that plays at Austin High on lunch hours.

Pleasant credits these initiatives with reducing costs and promoting employee retention. "Our support benefits the employees as well as our bottom line," notes Pleasant.

2. Trading Candy Bars for Granola Bars — Encotech
In 2010, Encotech Engineering Consultants CEO, Ali Khataw, and his team started to transform their office into a healthier workplace. These steps have improved productivity and helped make the 19 employees at the Central Texas engineering company happier and healthier.

First, the company swept the kitchen and refrigerators of trans-fat products, replacing soda with water and healthy juices. The company offers a healthy breakfast for every employee in the morning, including steel-cut oatmeal, honey, cornflakes and fruit. Granola bars and vegetables—instead of chips or candy bars—are offered for employees as well as clients. According to Khataw, "There was a bit of resistance by employees worrying about surviving without Coke, so we compromised on zero calorie sodas like Coke Zero and Diet Coke."

Additionally, Encotech’s wellness program offers free flu shots in the office and encourages employees to make exercise a part of their regular workday. The company reimburses gym fees at a select number of gyms. The gym sends an attendance sheet to Encotech and, if the employee has worked out four times during any seven-day period, the gym fees are reimbursed. Khataw expects to reimburse fees for one-third of his 19 employees in February. Employees are also encouraged to participate in races, supported by Encotech’s Wellness Director, David Mitchell, who is also past president of the Austin Runners Club.

Encotech’s Personal Time Off policy creates what Khataw describes as a "double incentive." Each employee is alloted a specific number of days off that employees can use for any purpose. Healthy employees, who don’t need to use sick days, have more vacation days available.

Encotech's move toward health and wellness starts at the top, says Khataw. "I committed to being healthy myself. I definitely practice what I preach. I work out in the morning, I haven’t had a soda for months and I don’t eat trans-fat."

3. Reducing Healthcare Costs — Capital Metro

With more than 1,325 employees and contractors, Capital Metro was struggling with annual healthcare cost increases of 15-25 percent each year. In 2004 the Central Texas transportation agency implemented an employee wellness program designed to reduce absenteeism, lower costs and increase employee morale. Today, this program is producing a return on investment of more than $3 per employee, with costs declining by millions of dollars, according to Tim Kelly, Program Manager of Capital Metro's Wellness Center.

More than 38 percent of Capital Metro employees participate in the program that provides access to four separate 24-hour onsite Wellness Centers. Each location is staffed with a full or part-time Health Fitness Specialist and provides free personal training and exercise program design, free fitness classes, Polar BodyAge™, pedometer and heart rate monitor loan programs, fitness "Lunch and Learns," onsite "Freedom from Smoking" and diabetes management classes.

Capital Metro also offers financial health seminars, standard and alternative health fairs, and disease management seminars. Additionally, employees have access to free nutrition counseling with a registered dietician, a healthy cafeteria menu, healthy vending options and onsite Weight Watchers at Work classes.

Employees are also offered cash incentives for participation in the wellness program such as:

• Gym Participation — complete 30-minute workouts three times a week for three months and receive $100. Employees receive $50 every six months thereafter.
• Complete a Polar BodyAge Tri-Fit™ assessment and receive a rating of "average" or above in flexibility, blood pressure, VO2max, strength, flexibility, glucose and cholesterol. Employees receive $25 per category, and up to $75 every six months, for a maximum of $150 yearly.

Kelly also notes that, in reducing health care costs, the wellness department works closely with the health care provider for Capital Metro to ensure that fitness and wellness programs offered relate directly to specific and preventable costs. According to Kelly, the employees benefit from the wellness program by having full access to the tools and support necessary to adopt a healthy lifestyle and a financial incentive to do so.

4. Creating a Culture of Wellness —Southwest Key
The Southwest Key Wellness Program is dedicated to creating a culture of wellness among the national nonprofit's 1,000-person workforce. In just the past two years, 59 percent of eligible employees are reaping health benefits of the voluntary program and helping lower Southwest Key's health benefit payouts.

Two dedicated Wellness Coordinators develop the nonprofit's wellness program to improve the quality of life for the employees of Southwest Key's 56 locations. A Wellness Committee, employee-nominated Wellness Champions and ongoing surveys identify the initiatives that make the most improvements for employees. They have access to health assessments, nutrition classes, exercise programs and even a walking contest in which Southwest Key employees took more than 23 million steps in 30 days. Southwest Key published a cookbook featuring employees' favorite recipes after receiving a healthy makeover from the Wellness Coordinators.

Southwest Key Wellness Program is producing measurable health and productivity improvements for the organization:

• Reducing employee glucose High Risk levels from 24 percent to six percent in 2011.
• Dropping Body Mass Index High Risk levels from 48 percent in 2010 to 37 percent in 2011.
• Reducing employee Cholesterol High Risk levels from 25 percent in 2010 to eight percent in 2011.

Additionally, the company's disease management medical claims reflect a reduced payout amount per patient as compared to national averages in cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

• Average cancer claim per employee payout amount is 47 percent less than the national average.
• Average diabetic claim per employee payout amount is 15 percent less than the national average.
• Average heart disease claim per employee payout amount is 34 percent less than the national average.

5. Placing Health at the Heart of the Workplace — Charity Dynamics
Charity Dynamics places health at the center of its company culture and credits its focus on wellness with attracting top job applicants. The small, interactive agency headquartered in Austin, is dedicated to supporting the physical and mental health of its employees.

Two years ago Charity Dynamics took part in the American Heart Association’s Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program™ and outlined formal steps to improve the health and wellness for the company.

As part of the program, employees who are enrolled in any of the company’s medical plans are eligible to participate in programs including personal health coaching, integrated care management, an employee assistance program, tobacco cessation and a rewards program. Charity Dynamics reimburses enrollment fees for both first aid and CPR classes.

The company supports healthy activities by reimbursing each employee up to $200 in event registration fees per year for physical fitness events with a fundraising component. The company also sponsors the Austin Trail Foundation, making employees eligible for a 15 percent discount at Run Tex stores in Austin. Since the start of the health and wellness program, 58 percent of the company’s employees participate in the programs, with one-third of employees participating in local fundraising walks, fun runs, triathalons and half-marathons.

Charity Dynamics says good health is an integral part of the company culture and it will continue to grow and evolve as the company expands.