An Easy Two-step Process to Keeping Employees Healthy
1. Early detection is key.
It costs much less to prevent a disease then to treat one. That's why Mission Health and Hospitals offers employers an opportunity to set up a Know Your Numbers health screening for employees. These screenings are conducted by Mission's healthcare professionals and can alert your employees to possible signs of dangerous and costly conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and complications from obesity. Each participant will fill out a health questionnaire and will receive the following screenings:
- Fasting lipids, which includes total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and Triglycerides
- Fasting glucose testing
- Height and weight measurement, including a body mass index calculation
- A resting blood pressure
Each will receive an individual report, with his or her blood work values, as well as blood pressure and BMI. There will be an individualized session to inform them on how to interpret their reports, a review of cardiovascular risk factors and ways that they can make lifestyle changes that will impact their numbers.
Each participant will also receive a tote bag including a tape measure with instructions on how to measure waist circumference in the privacy of his or her home, and two pocket pals entitled Know Your Numbers and Stress Management. In addition, all will receive health educational materials to take home to read. The cost of the screening is $30 per person.
If you are interested in having a Know Your Numbers health screening at your company, please call Mary Richard at (828) 213-7155.
2. I'm at risk or have a chronic condition. Now what?
Mission Health Education Center located at 445 Biltmore Avenue, is dedicated to helping people with chronic health conditions through support and education. It is an accredited diabetes education center offering one-on-one and group education around the self care and management of diabetes. It is also a primary provider of services for the Asheville Project Disease Management Program. This program utilizes a multidisciplinary care management team which includes pharmacists, nurses, nutritionists, exercise specialists and a behaviorist.
The current diseases managed by the program are diabetes, asthma/COPD, depression, hypertension and elevated cholesterol. Participants in each group are assigned to their own personal care manager, usually a Registered Nurse or Pharmacist, who works in conjunction with their physician to set appropriate, personal health goals. They receive group education and individual health education on the disease for which they are enrolled. The cost for this care is provided by the Health Plan of each employer. Nine area self-insured companies including 1500 employees in our region are currently participants in this cost-saving program.
"The program is in the tenth year and the cost savings to companies is significant," says Stephanie Kiser, director of Community Health Enhancement & the Health Education Center at Mission. "The drug costs go up initially because most patients get medication therapy, but the overall health care cost goes down. As of 2007, the average cost savings is $2000 per patient per year."
Mission also offers The Healthy Weight Program, a goal-related weight loss program, for a charge. To find out more about this program or the Health Education Center programs, contact Stephanie Kiser at (828) 213-4641.
