Employers, Healthcare and the Bottom-Line

Thank you to Gloria Guy our guest blogger this month.

As an employer your healthcare costs are escalating and will continue to do so. Your choices, your budget and your time are limited; and as a consumer, you have concerns about quality, safety, compliance and efficiency. To address increasing costs and the drivers that fuel them, you must create and implement effective health and productivity programs. By doing so, you can improve your employee’s health and lower employee related expenses such as workers’ compensation, disability, absenteeism, and healthcare costs. Being proactive and empowering employees to be responsible for their own healthcare is one of the most essential strategies to controlling your bottom-line.

It works!

Employers, Healthcare and the Bottom-Line By Gloria Guy, MMA was submitted for publication in Prevention Benefits Healthy Employees Cost Less published in 2013 now on Amazon.com click here

Gloria Guy, BBM

Illinois Chamber of Commerce

Gloria Guy is the Vice President of the Business Services Division at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and has served as Executive Director of the Chamber’s Statewide Drug-Free Illinois Workplace Program (DFIWP) that was funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services.  This was a highly successful, nationally recognized program whose mission was to promote awareness of substance abuse including prescription drug abuse and healthy lifestyles that translate in to improving an employer’s bottom line.  Guy graduated from the Institute for Organization Management at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Georgia, Athens and Colorado College, Colorado Springs, graduating from the U.S. Chamber Institute Program. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Illinois at Springfield. You may contact Gloria through www.ilchamber.org and gguy@ilchamber.org               

The Wellness Puzzle

Everyone agrees we as a nation needs to get healthier and if we don't it's going to cost us big time. After all that's the argument for the national Health Care Reform regulations whether you agree with them or not.

It's not just "our nation", it's a lot closer to home.  The big corporations, medium size businesses, and mom and pop shops are going to pay the price if they don't do something to impact employee health and quick. The work force is getting older, young people are getting sicker and company's are paying these big bills in rising insurance premiums, too many employees not working because of illness, and when they are at work they are so "stressed" they can hardly put in a full day of work. Some company's have even reported they spend more money on health care than any other expense in their company and it's driving them out of business.

The question is how to even get started and who should do it? Designing a work place wellness employee program seems complicated at best and exhausting at worst. The new Health Care Reform regulations are very specific on what is an acceptable wellness program to qualify for the premium discounts. Since most wellness programs do not quality, it's going to be a little tricky so you are going to need the help of a consultant to make sure your company is on the right track.

A consultant can help you design a program that fits into your company's mission and values along with your company's unique culture to insure your employees gain a healthier lifestyle at work and at home. A consultant will help you put the pieces of wellness together so they fit perfectly together to help your employees get healthier and your bottom line.

Your partner in health,

Wellness Consutant
Health Coach
C2 Your Health LLC

A Special Thanks to the Michiana BetterU Makeover Challenge

Since the inception of the Michiana BetterU Makeover Challenge, C2 Your Health LLC has had the privilege to administer and coordinate the BetterU program, including facilitating the health coaching sessions over the 12 week challenge. C2 Your Health LLC is a proud sponsor of the American Heart Association Go Red for Women Michiana BetterU Makeover Challenge. 

Each year for the last 4 years 12 women from different backgrounds, walks of life and companies take on the BetterU Challenge demonstrating you can improve your health status in just 12 weeks. It's remarkable how big of a difference you can make in your health and the health of your family in such a short period of time. 

A special thanks to the women who participated in the 2013 American Heart Association Go Red for Women Michiana BetterU Makeover 12 Week Challenge for their willingness to share their fears, aspirations and hope to achieve a healthier life. We also salute them for being an inspiration to all of us who are striving to experience a disease free, long and vital life. 

Here is this weeks installment on the Michiana BetterU Blog.

Challenge Yourself to be a Better You Too

The BetterU Challenge is for all of us. The BetterU Challenge provides the average person with information, education, guidance and support. By making a series of small changes over time you will make a big difference in our health and wellness by reducing their risks of cardiovascular disease over your lifetime. Reducing heart risks such as lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and weight not only improve quality of life; it saves money on doctor bills, medications, hospital admissions and sick days. Isn't that what we all want?

To read the rest of the article go to the Michiana BetterU Blog ...

Your partner in health,

Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA

Wellness Consultant, Health Coach

C2Your Health LLC

Lose Weight. Eat Healthy. What's Your Why?

Since 2009 C2 Your Health LLC has sponsored the Michiana American Heart Association Go Red for Women BetterU Luncheon held each May.  Each year for the 12 weeks previous to the luncheon   BetterU Challengers (12 women) follow the recipe for better health to reduce their heart disease risk (blood pressure, cholesterol, weight) along with reducing their risks of all chronic diseases through lifestyle modification. C2 Your Health LLC engages the participants in the same wellness programing they provide to worksites resulting in consistent improve lasting health and wellness. This year the BetterU Challengers are from Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, South Bend, IN. 

This weeks blog is from the Michiana BetterU Blog - Enjoy!

No matter what it is you want to achieve, there is one question you can ask yourself to get to the core fundamentals of your goal and massively increase your motivation.
That question is simply, “Why?”

 Glen Allsopp, How One Little Word Improve Your Motivation

Here we are at the midpoint of the Better U Challenge, 6 weeks in and 6 to go. Now is the time for a little reflection; as the famous statement goes from the movie Mission Impossible, "Your mission, should you choose to accept it" is to put into one single word what success means to you, or in other words "your why?"  

Just one word, not an essay, a paragraph, or even a sentence, just one word.  One word that's personal for you. One word with meaning and depth that goes to the core of answering the question of "why be healthy and fit for the rest of my life? One word to motivate, inspire and direct your actions as you move forward. One word that's bigger than you, and temptation to lose direction. One word to hold you accountable.  

To read the rest to the BetterU Blogspot click here 

Your partner in health,

 

Cindy Cohen, RN 

Wellness Consultant

C2 Your Health LLC