Information provided to you by: Benefit Logic

 JANUARY

- Cervical Health Awareness Month

- National Birth Defects Prevention Month

- National Glaucoma Awareness Month

- National Radon Action Month

- Thyroid Awareness Month

- National Folic Acid Awareness Week (8-14)

FEBRUARY

- AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month

- Heart Month

- International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month

- National Children’s Dental Health Month

- Give Kids a Smile Day (3)

- National Wear Red Day (3)

- Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (7-14)

- National Donor Day (14)

MARCH

- National Endometriosis Awareness Month

- National Nutrition Month

- Save Your Vision Month

- Trisomy Awareness Month

- Workplace Eye Wellness Month

- National Sleep Awareness Week

- National School Breakfast Week (5-9)

- World Kidney Day (8)

- Brain Awareness Week (12-18)

- National Poison Prevention Week (18-24)

- World Tuberculosis Day (24)

- National Tsunami Awareness Week (25-31)

- American Diabetes Alert Day (27)

APRIL

- Alcohol Awareness Month

- Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month

- National Autism Awareness Month

- National Distracted Driving Month

- National Donate Life Month

- National Facial Protection Month

- National Minority Health Month

- National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month

- Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

- Sports Eye Safety Awareness Month

- STI Awareness Month

- Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month

- National Public Health Week (2-8)

- National Alcohol Screening Day (5)

- World Health Day (7)

- National Infant Immunization Week (21-28)

- National Infertility Awareness Week (22-28)

- World Meningitis Day (24)

MAY

- Arthritis Awareness Month

- Better Hearing and Speech Month

- Employee Health and Fitness Month

- Healthy Vision Month

- Hepatitis Awareness Month

- Lupus Awareness Month

- Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month

- Mental Health Month

- National Celiac Disease Awareness Month

- National High Blood Pressure Education Month

- National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month

- Ultraviolet Awareness Month

- Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (1-7)

- North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (6-12)

- National Stuttering Awareness Week (7-13)

- Air Quality Awareness Week (7-11)

- Food Allergy Awareness Week (13-19)

- National Alcohol- and Other Drug-Related Birth Defects Week (13-19)

- National Women’s Health Week (13-19)

- National Women’s Check-Up Day (14)

- HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

- Heat Safety Awareness Day (25)

- National Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 27-June 2)

- National Senior Health & Fitness Day (30)

- World No Tobacco Day (31)

JUNE

- Fireworks Safety Month (June 1-July 4)

- Cataract Awareness Month

- Home Safety Month

- National Aphasia Awareness Month

- National Congenital Cytomegalovirus Awareness Month

- National Cancer Survivor’s Day (3)

- Men’s Health Week (11-17)

- World Sickle Cell Day (19)

- National HIV Testing Day (27)

JULY

- Fireworks Safety Month (June 1-July 4)

- International Group B Strep Awareness Month

- Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month

- National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month

- UV Safety Month

- World Hepatitis Day (28)

AUGUST

- Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

- National Immunization Awareness Month

- World Breastfeeding Week (1-7)

SEPTEMBER

- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

- Fruit and Veggies – More Matters Month

- Leukemia & Lymphoma Awareness Month

- National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month

- National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

- National Cholesterol Education Month

- National Sickle Cell Month

- Newborn Screening Awareness Month

- Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

- Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

- Whole Grains Month

- Healthy Aging Month

- National Celiac Disease Awareness Day (13)

- National Farm Safety & Health Week (16-22)

- National Rehabilitation Awareness Celebration Week (16-22)

- Get Ready Day (18)

- National School Backpack Awareness Day (19)

- World Alzheimer’s Day (21)

- National Women’s Health & Fitness Day (26)

- RAINN Day (27)

- World Rabies Day (28)

- Family Health & Fitness Day USA (29)

- World Heart Day (29)

OCTOBER

- Eye Injury Prevention Month

- Health Literacy Month

- Home Eye Safety Month

- National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

- National Bullying Prevention Month

- National Down Syndrome Awareness Month

- National Physical Therapy Month

- Stop America’s Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Today

- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month

- Drive Safely Work Week (1-6)

- Child Health Day (1)

- Walk to School Day (3)

- Mental Illness Awareness Week (7)

- Bone and Joint Initiative National Action Week (12-20)

- World Food Day (16)

- International Stuttering Awareness Day (22)

- Red Ribbon Week (23-31)

 

NOVEMBER

- American Diabetes Month

- COPD Awareness Month

- Diabetic Eye Disease Month

- Lung Cancer Awareness Month

- National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

- National Healthy Skin Month

- National Hospice Palliative Care Month

- National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month

- Drowsy Driving Prevention Week (12-18)

- Great American Smokeout (15)

- National Survivors of Suicide Day (17)

- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Awareness Week (18-24)

DECEMBER

- Safe Toys and Gifts Month

- World AIDS Day (1)

National Health Observances Calendar Design © 2011 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.

Workplace Wellness: Reducing Worksite Injuries

-Provided by Benefit Logic-

Workplace injuries are a significant risk for any business, and they can be incredibly costly in medical bills, lost productivity and increased insurance premiums. You likely have safety protocols to help prevent on-the-job accidents, but another type of injury could be just as costly. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are not caused by accidents, but rather from job conditions or tasks that lead to or contribute to the condition. This article discusses WMSDs and includes tactics to address and prevent them in your workplace.

What is a WMSD?

A musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) is an injury or disorder of the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage or spinal discs. Work-related MSDs are conditions in which the work environment and performance of work contribute significantly to the condition, and/or the condition is made worse or persists longer due to work conditions. Examples of workplace conditions that made lead to WMSDs include routine lifting of heavy objects, daily exposure to whole body vibration, routine overhead work, work with the neck in a chronic flexion position (head bent forward) or performing repetitive forceful tasks.

Examples of MSDs are sprains, tears, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and hernia. MSDs are associated with high costs to employers such as absenteeism, lost productivity, and increased health care, disability and workers’ compensation costs. In addition, many of these conditions are or can become chronic, further escalating the costs to employers.

Workplace Strategies

There are a variety of strategies employers can implement to reduce WMSDs in their workplace. They may not all make sense for your business, but consider the following ideas to help minimize the impact of WMSDs and prevent them altogether.

• Examine your workplace and look for ways to modify it to reduce the chance of injury. For instance, you may be able to change the way materials, parts and products are transported, to relieve burden on employees. Also consider altering the layout of workstations to be more ergonomic.
• Promote healthy lifestyles, including physical activity and weight management. Improving physical health and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce pain for individuals with arthritis and back pain, and can help employees prevent these and other MSDs.
• Provide training to management and workers regarding risks for workplace injuries, including:        
• Training for how to reduce/avoid injuries
• Training to help management and workers recognize potential workplace risks for MSDs and mitigate those risks
• Raised awareness of WMSDs among employees and management, and education for employees to recognize a potential injury and know when to seek medical evaluation
• Make administrative changes as they make sense in your workplace to reduce the risk of injuries. These may include reducing shift length, limiting overtime, scheduling more breaks for rest and recovery, rotating workers through jobs that are physically taxing, instituting pre-shift stretching sessions, etc.
• Develop policies that support a corporate culture of good health, safety and injury management, such as:
  • Required use of personal protective equipment (PPE), plus training on how to properly use
  • Ergonomic workplace initiatives
  • Workplace safety program
  • Disability management policy
  • Return-to-work program
• Encourage early reporting of WMSDs by employees, and prompt evaluation by health care providers. Many workplaces stress early reporting for injuries, but employees may understand that to mean only sudden injuries, like accidents, slips and falls. Even though WMSDs occur over time, employees should still report them and get evaluated early – employee education can help promote this practice in your workplace.
• Work with health care providers so they are familiar with jobs and job tasks, to better facilitate injury treatment and return to work.
• Educate employees on workers’ compensation and disability benefits, including protections and accommodations offered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

This article is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel or an insurance professional for appropriate advice. Design © 2011 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.

DID YOU KNOW…

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Oct. 14 that it was suspending implementation of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program.

The CLASS program, mandated by health care reform, was intended to be a voluntary, consumer-funded long-term care insurance program.

HHS declared that it had not found a way to make the program work at this time, and there is no indication if HHS will revisit the CLASS program in the future.

Surveys: Health Care Costs Increase at a Declining Rate:

Recent surveys from Mercer, Segal Co. and Aon Hewitt found that health care costs are increasing at a declining rate.

The studies cited various reasons for the decline, including:

• Consumers are using fewer medical services, as the economy remains tough and employers shift more costs to employees.
• Employees are using more in-network providers.
• Wellness and health management programs are reducing doctor visits due to healthier employees.
• Employers are adopting value-based plan designs that incentivize lower cost, higher quality care.

Though a slower growth rate is welcome news, it is cause for concern if employees are opting not to seek necessary medical care in order to save money. Lower utilization will improve a company’s bottom line right now, but could have devastating effects in the future as those employees have more serious health complications.

Even despite the slowing growth, employers are still feeling the massive burden of health care costs. Unhealthy employees, especially those with chronic conditions, continue to drive costs for employers.

In response, more employers are offering consumer-driven health plans, or raising copays and deductibles. Wellness programs are also popular to help reduce health care costs.

Most importantly, employers must educate employees on the medical and financial importance of seeking appropriate preventive care, properly managing chronic conditions and always receiving the medical care they need.

Time and Tools Key to Enrollment Success:

According to a recent study by employee benefits provider Unum, employees need three weeks to review benefits materials and employers should use at least three communication methods for effective benefits education.

In the study, communication methods favored by employees included printed information, personalized benefits statements and an employer intranet or website. Other popular forms included email, group and one-on-one meetings, and interactive online tools.

Sufficient time to review benefits is vital as well, as employees were more likely to rate their benefits favorably when they also approved of the benefits education.

The study found that effective benefits communication helps employees make informed benefit choices and use their benefits wisely, which can ultimately save money for themselves and the company.

Benefits and HR tips brought to you by the insurance professionals at Benefit Logic

© 2011 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved

Workplace Wellness: Involving Families and Doctors

Although the work environment is a key site for wellness, extending your efforts beyond that setting will increase success and make it easier to maintain a high percentage of healthy, low-risk employees who will add productivity and decrease health care costs. Your program should use several methods to move beyond the workplace. Self-care, family involvement and health care provider involvement have been shown to improve a person’s success in adopting and maintaining good health habits. Anything you can do to encourage employees, their families and their health care providers to be actively involved in their personal health will complement your efforts at the worksite.

 

Self-care:

Self-care or personal interest in one’s health is very important because you want employees to be proactive in their personal health. Examples of self-care include exercise, diet monitoring, seeking more information about health care and following medical instructions to deal with a health condition. Through self-care, employees are empowered to take charge of their own health and to make better decisions, which will make it easier to get them involved in your wellness program activities. To encourage self-care, make sure that you provide good information and resources to employees who are looking for additional resources.

 

Family Involvement:

Family involvement can often make a difference because of the social support and encouragement it provides. Healthy behavior can be influenced and reinforced by family members’ health habits. The healthier all family members are, the more likely your employee will be healthy. Get everyone involved by sponsoring events that include employees’ spouses and dependents, and provide education for living healthy as a family. Allow flexible scheduling for increased family time, especially when an employee or dependent is sick.

 

Health Care Provider Involvement:

Because there are many aspects of wellness that need to be addressed in the health care setting, working closely with health care providers is essential. Encourage participants to establish a solid relationship with their health care providers so that prevention and treatment of health conditions can be coordinated with your program. As a starting point, create a follow-up plan for HRAs and biometric screenings. And having a systematic referral plan for screening results that require medical follow-up is important for addressing high-risk health factors.

Source: Wisconsin Worksite Wellness Resource Kit

©2011 Zywave, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Health and wellness tips for your work, home and life-brought to you by the insurance and health care specialists at Benefit Logic.

 

 

Did you know…?

If you burn at least 150 extra calories per day, you significantly reduce your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, anxiety, and depression.

**In addition to trimming your waistline, regular exercise and healthy eating will help you feel better, think more clearly and live a longer, healthier life.**

Start Sensibly:

Don’t begin your exercise program too ambitiously. The key to success is to start slowly and increase the difficulty of your workouts as you become more fit. Those who overdo it often experience muscle soreness, become discouraged and quit. Rather than trying to run three miles on your first day, begin by running a mile and increasing your distance as your fitness level improves. Most importantly, remember that feeling dizzy or ill is your body’s way of telling you that you are working too hard. If this happens, take a break or stop your workout for the day.

At What Pace Should I Be Exercising?

Exercise should be fairly comfortable for you. Your pace should be just below the point at which you start to breathe quickly. Exercising at this pace produces two desirable results: it mobilizes fat burning and helps you develop endurance. This means that for maximum fat burning, longer, slower exercise is more beneficial than short, strenuous workouts. If you are reasonably fit and are exercising at the proper pace, you should burn between 400 and 600 calories per hour during any aerobic exercise. This includes riding a stationary bicycle, walking or running on a treadmill or using a stair climber.

Counting Calories Means Trimming the Fat:

The media is full of varying reports on how to lose or maintain weight. It’s no wonder that you may be confused about what foods to eat and what to avoid. Most experts agree that eating a well-balanced diet low in fat is the key to losing weight. Since fat contains more than twice the calories of carbohydrates or protein, high-fat food equates to higher calories. While lowering your fat intake is important, it is also important to monitor your calorie intake. Your ideal caloric intake depends on your age, body size and level of activity. Generally, women ages 23 to 50 need an average of 2,000 calories per day, while men in the same age group require about 2,700 calories per day.

For more information about healthy eating, visit: www.mypyramid.gov.

This brochure is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. For further information, please consult a medical professional.

Photography © 2000-2004 Getty Images, Inc. All rights reserved. Content © 2008-2011 Zywave, Inc.