North Carolina State Health Plan and NC Prevention Partners Collaborate with NCDOT to Support Employee Wellness
Raleigh, N.C. (Feb. 5, 2008) – The North Carolina State Health Plan is pleased to support a new and innovative employee wellness program with the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and NC Prevention Partners. The worksite wellness program is made possible by a $1.5 million charitable donation from AstraZeneca, LP.
“The donation supports an important program for our members,” said George C. Stokes, executive administrator of the State Health Plan. “At no cost to the taxpayer, the State Health Plan, along with our partners on the project, will use these funds to improve employee health and reduce costs that are attributed to mostly preventable disease.”
Seventy percent of the State Health Plan’s medical and pharmacy claims costs are attributed to mostly preventable chronic disease related to poor nutrition, obesity, lack of physical activity, tobacco use and unmanaged stress.
The program, which focuses on helping NCDOT employees increase healthy behaviors, aims to increase cost savings through reduced health care claims and improved employee outcomes. The program will focus on reducing tobacco use and stress, and increasing physical activity and good nutrition habits. The charitable donation will support the wellness program for three years.
“Our employees are our greatest asset, and we want to support their well-being through this initiative,” Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett said. “Employees can improve their lives by learning healthy habits and making them part of their regular routines.”
NC Prevention Partners Executive Director Meg Molloy, DrPH, MPH, RD, said: “Staying healthy goes beyond the individual. When employers support employees by offering healthier food options, creating opportunities for physical activity during work and increasing access to smoking cessation services, they increase the chance that employees will make healthier choices.”
“NCDOT was selected for the program for several reasons,” said Sherry Hay, director of integrated health management for the State Health Plan. “First, DOT’s existing commitment to employee wellness provides the perfect foundation for building a comprehensive worksite wellness program. Second, NCDOT is a large organization with employees across North Carolina. This program has the potential to impact more than 12,000 State Health Plan members statewide.”
AstraZeneca, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, is funding the wellness program. “At AstraZeneca, we feel that we have a global responsibility to support health and healthy behaviors worldwide,” said Michael Draine, national sales director for managed markets at AstraZeneca. “Making a contribution to NC Prevention Partners to fund the worksite wellness project at the NCDOT helps us meet that responsibility. We are pleased to contribute to a program that will help State Health Plan members manage their health more effectively.”
To evaluate the program’s impact, the State Health Plan will collaborate with NC Prevention Partners and Health Dialog. The State Health Plan currently works with Health Dialog for care management and analytic services.
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