Summer 2007
CDC launches new website
In April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an updated and easier-to-use home page at www.cdc.gov. The new page offers easier access to items such as resources for businesses and health educators; statistics; publications; information on a variety of health and safety topics; and health tools, including a BMI calculator and an immunization schedule. Also, information is now available in several languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, Portuguese, and Japanese. To take a virtual tour of the new CDC site, visit www.cdc.gov/Features/VirtualTour/.
New CDC website Drink your fruits and vegetables HealthMedia modules Bottom line business Highlight on health Free nutrition counseling Healthy Dining website Upcoming health observances
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Drink your fruits and vegetables
If the thought of munching apples, oranges, and salads to get your daily servings makes you cringe, try drinking your servings of fruit and vegetables. A review of many studies shows that 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices are just as effective in delivering the punch of fiber and important nutrients found in whole fruits and vegetables. Juices are comparable in their ability to reduce risk for certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. However, be sure to check the salt, sugar, and calorie content of your juice. Some juice options are better than others. The study was published in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition.
Welcome to the newest Wellness Partners:
County of Chester Accord ACTS Berwind/BPG Pindar Set University of Pennsylvania Health System Tasty Baking
New online support for a healthier lifestyle
Are your employees looking to make lifestyle changes to improve their health? Members with access to the ConnectionsSM Health Management Program have a new option in addition to the Healthy LifestylesSM programs. Connections now offers no-cost online programs through HealthMedia®. These online resources can help members take steps to eat healthy, manage their weight, quit smoking, manage stress, and make other healthy changes.
Programs offered
Connections now offers these programs: • HealthMedia® Breathe™ – Take steps to quit smoking • HealthMedia® Balance™ – Manage your weight and physical activity • HealthMedia® Nourish™ – Make healthy eating decisions • HealthMedia® Relax™ – Manage stress • HealthMedia® Care™ for Your Back – Prevent and treat low back pain Whether your employees are facing an important medical decision or want to take better care of themselves and their family, encourage them to visit the Dialog Center website today at www.ibxpress.com and take advantage of valuable health care resources. If you or one of your employees would like to talk to a Connections Health Coach or get more information on our Healthy Lifestyles programs, call 1-800-ASK-BLUE (1-800-235-2583) anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Note: Connections is not available to some groups. Please contact your benefits administrator or call Member Services at the telephone number on your ID card to verify your group’s coverage. You may also refer to your member materials for complete details of the terms, limitations, and exclusions of your health care coverage.
Personalized support
These programs provide personalized wellness plans based on individual needs. Each program walks the member through a survey that takes 15 to 20 minutes. To help members stay on track, they will also receive follow-up emails that provide additional information and support as they work toward their wellness goals.
Getting started
To enroll in one of the programs, members can log on to www.ibxpress.com and click on the Connections Health Management Programs box at the bottom of the page. Then, go to the Dialog CenterSM and click the Healthy Living tab. Members can enroll in as many programs as they like, all at no cost.
Bottom line business
Smokers take more sick leave. Smokers take an average of almost 8 more days of sick leave a year than nonsmokers, suggests research from Sweden in Tobacco Control. Both men and women smokers tended to take more sick leave. The authors say smoking has a significant impact on productivity. Active employees lower risk of work-related injury: Health benefits associated with physical activity during leisure time are widely recognized, and a new study in Arthritis Care & Research says leisure activities indeed decrease risk of repetitive strain injury (RSI). Canadian researchers looked at more than 58,000 workers. Repetitive strain injuries affect nearly 5 percent of the workforce. Upper-body injuries (wrist/hand, shoulder, and elbow) accounted for more than 63 percent of injuries in full-time employees. Being physically active by gardening, fishing, bowling, weight training, swimming, cycling, and home exercise, for example, was protective against RSI. Researchers speculated that such activity counters the repetitive and sedentary effects of many jobs.
IBC taking the lead in the fight against obesity
Highlight on health – Tasty Baking
Being a Wellness Partner is more than just seminars and screenings. It’s about changing corporate culture and envisioning good health for all employees. Learning from the success of our Wellness Partners, we have decided to add a new feature to our wellness newsletter called “Highlight on Health.” Each quarter we will highlight a Partner that has demonstrated a corporate health change through utilization of the Wellness Partners program. The newsletter this quarter highlights Tasty Baking Company. This group, with the dedicated oversight of its Benefits Manager, Amy Pierson, recently formed a wellness committee with employee representatives from various business units in order to maximize valuable input. The committee’s “Wellness at Work” programs include a new Personal Health Profile campaign with raffle incentives; a “Pack a Healthy Lunch” promotion on National Employee Health & Fitness Day with lunch bag giveaway and proper portion displays; and the second annual “Fit for the 4th Challenge,” a contest where employees compete to earn rewards for regular attendance at Tasty Baking’s onsite fitness facility, for loss of body fat, and for an increase in cardiovascular and flexibility activities. Amy reports that Tasty Baking’s “Wellness at Work” programs are gaining momentum now that they have a committee dedicated to wellness initiatives. Attendance at the fitness center is improving and the healthy lunch information is well received. Future activities may include an annual health fair, mobile mammography screenings, and “lunch ’n’ learns” that target the health risk areas of employees as identified in the Personal Health Profile summary report.
To combat the epidemic of obesity and promote healthy behavior, Independence Blue Cross (IBC) has added a new benefit for members with Personal Choice or Keystone Health Plan East HMO or POS coverage. Effective July 1, 2007, members can receive six free nutrition counseling visits from a registered dietitian or their doctor.
Benefits for members
During their nutrition counseling sessions, members receive: ▪ An assessment of their dietary habits ▪ Measurement tools, such as the Body Mass Index (BMI), to assess risk ▪ A developed strategy to achieve dietary change and reach goals ▪ Ongoing support to maintain dietary changes and reevaluate goals ▪ Guidance toward an appropriate exercise program
Taking advantage of the benefit
Members who wish to take advantage of the six free nutrition counseling visits can make an appointment with a registered dietitian or network provider. Members can search for a provider at www.ibx.com/find_a_provider/. To find a registered dietitian, members must first log into www.ibxpress.com, then click on Healthy Lifestyles. From the Healthy Lifestyles page, members should select Alternative Health and then Nutritional Counseling.
Healthy Dining site shows best choices
If you want to make an informed choice when dining out, first read the suggested menu selections for popular nearby restaurants at www.healthydiningfinder.com. Healthy Dining, a California-based company, and the National Restaurant Association created the website, which includes nearly 30,000 popular restaurants nationwide – from fast food chains to independent restaurants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided partial funding for the development of the site. You may be surprised about the many healthful choices you can make, even at fast food restaurants. Because Americans dine out an average of four to five times per week, the site’s developers want diners to make smart choices.
Other monthly observances include: July • UV Safety Month
http://www.aao.org
August • Cataract Awareness Month
http://www.aao.org
August is national immunization awareness month
Many people think immunizations are important only for babies and toddlers. However, staying current with immunizations is a task important to people of all ages. In honor of National Immunization Awareness month, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Immunization Project website at www.cdc.gov/vaccines to see if you and your family are up to date on your vaccinations.
September • Fruit and Vegetable Month
http://www.5aday.gov/
• Healthy Aging Month • National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month
www.sicklecelldisease.org
• National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
http://www.ovarian.org/
• National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/prostate
September is national cholesterol education month
According to the American Heart Association, more than 105 million adults in the United States have total blood cholesterol values of 200 mg/dL and higher, and about 35 percent of those adults have levels of 240 or above. Levels above 240 mg/dL are considered high risk, and levels from 200-239 mg/dL are borderline high risk. To help your employees be aware of the risks of high cholesterol, visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s website, www.nhlbi.nih.gov, to download the 2007 National Cholesterol Education month kit. Information is also available on Independence Blue Cross’s Worksite Wellness page, located at www.ibx.com/wellness_partners.
• National Suicide Prevention Week – September 9-15
http://www.suicidology.org/
•Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
http://www.lls.org/hm_lls
Some of the Web sites referenced in this issue are maintained by organizations not affiliated with Independence Blue Cross. Independence Blue Cross has no control over the content of these websites. Independence Blue Cross neither guarantees the accuracy of the information nor endorses the products and services on these Web sites. Certain services and treatments described on these websites may not be covered under your benefits plan. Please refer to your benefits booklet for a description of your coverage.
Newsletter Staff
Editorial Director Lorrie Reynolds Director, Population Health and Wellness Managing Editors Sarah Anne Matthews Communications Specialist Marian Hay Manager, Health Promotion & Wellness
Design: IBC Creative Services