Friday, September 23, 2011

ASHA Recognized as One of Greater Washington's Healthiest Employers

Yesterday, we attended the WBJ Healthiest Employers award event. Honorees were broken into four categories according to their size, and then ranked one to ten within each category. ASHA was ranked #4 in the 100 to 499 category.


Arlene Pietranton, ASHA's Executive Director, accepting our award. 

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Sharing. Exchanging. Social Health.

On Monday, I attended the #sxsh conference -- Sharing. Exchanging. Social Health. I was really out of my element which made me think. (I spent part of the time just trying to keep up with the acronyms being tossed around.) I liked the TED style of the conference and it was a tremendous value -- $50 for a full day of learning in a pleasant environment from an impressive group of presenters. These were some of the highlights for me.

Todd Park, CTO Heath and Human Services, delivered the keynote address. He was held out as "better than coffee" first thing in the morning and he didn't disappoint. He spoke energetically about new incentives and a shift from a fee for service system to one that pays for health, quality and value. He talked a bit about integrated delivery systems and suggested there will be a range of approaches that will motivate and reward innovation prompted by projects like the CMS Innovation Center. Then he moved onto discussing information integration like the Blue Button Initiative and the Direct Project. A project to create the set of standards and services to seamlessly and securely transport health information. A note I starred -- fuel with data to spur change. (I can't help drawing analogies between healthcare and Moneyball this week with the movie coming out.) A list of initiatives he mentioned that I want to take a look at -- iTriage, Healthline, Castlight, patientslikeme, Asthmapolis, Food Oasis, and Ozioma

Melissa Davies, NM Incite (Nielsen/McKinsey), talked about patients driving online discussions. Interestingly, patients with a condition with lower prevalence tend to have greater online engagement. She had some interesting slides and shared some new data from Healthcare Social Media by the Numbers. (Be sure to check out the info graphic.)

Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, previously known only to me as @healthythinker, suggested that people are adopting a DIY approach in this post-recession economy that extends to healthcare. There has been a lot written about people self-rationing care during an economic downturn, but Jane brought a different perspective. She kindly summarized her talk on her blog, (which is on my routine reading list) so you can get this great info directly from the source -- Peoples’ home economics are driving DIY Healthcare
.

Kent Bottles, M.D. gave a presentation on Grassroots Mobilization. He talked about patient advocacy and the success of the Avastin campaign by breast cancer patients. Of course, Avastin was not ultimately approved by the FDA for use with breast cancer, but you can still appreciate effectiveness of the grassroots campaign by patients and their supporters. Dr. Bottles suggested that we would all benefit from a social approach to recruiting for clinical trials. He shared that cancer patients get half of what their doctors tell them wrong and talked about CareCoach.com a service to help people prepare for conversations with their doctors and even record them to revisit or share with family members later. A lot of doctors decline to have conversations recorded at this point, but Dr. Bottles predicts it will be like using video in police cars, someday doctors will come to appreciate the value of the transparency. 

At lunch time, we witnessed the launch of Is My Cancer Different. We were told, "If you've seen one cancer, you've seen one cancer." This is a campaign to educate people with cancer to request advanced molecular-level testing so treatment can be targeted. There is a very compelling and passionate group of people behind this initiative. If you know someone with cancer, encourage them to visit the site and talk with their doctors about molecular-level testing.

I was hoping to meet more of the #co_health group IRL, but I did enjoy seeing Fran Melmed (@femelmed) and hopefully a few of the #sxsh folks will join in our chat today at noon on games and engagement. 

Dave deBronkart, aka e-Patient Dave, shared his story and made a compelling case for increasing consumer involvement in healthcare. His story seemed to illustrate why we were all there. Take a few minutes, 16 to be more exact, and watch his TEDx Talk from earlier this year. 


 

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Our New Weight Loss Program

We are kicking off a new weight loss program for staff members who have a desire to lose 30 or more pounds. The approach is highly individualize and will focus on improving nutrition and increasing activity  This program will be very different than our previous weight loss campaigns with frequent one-on-one consultations with a nutritionist and occasional group activities. There will be no teams and no competition involved.

Interested staff contacted our partner, LifeWork Strategies, and Cyndi Fales interviewed everyone who was interested. She assessed a number of things like the support candidates had at home, health conditions that might be improved by weight loss, readiness to change, and what worked and didn't in their past attempts at weight loss. 32 staff members expressed an interest in the program and 12 people were selected to participate.

Each participant has a one hour, one-on-one meeting scheduled with the nutritionist that we're working with, Ellen Slotkin, RD. We've provided each of the participants with a copy of Volumetrics and Ellen will be using the book as she works with people individually.

United Healthcare provided us with Fitbits to give to the participants. We're going to let everyone get started with changes to their diets since that has the biggest impact on weight loss and then we'll get them set up with the Fitbits.

We're making a long term commitment to the folks in this program. We have a plan for the next 12 weeks or so and will be relying on feedback from the participants to figure out what comes next.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Got Grit?

I recently wrote a post about willpower and how my thinking had evolved from my theory that one's willingness to tolerate discomfort had a lot to do with whether or not a person exercised routinely, to thinking about self control as an exhaustible resource, to thinking about willpower.  Willpower is defined as being able to resist your own natural impulses and to focus your energy on the task at hand. I'm currently reading Drive and they introduce the concept of grit being and indicator of success. Grit is defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals. 

Maybe it's not just willpower we need to make a healthy lifestyle change. Maybe we also need grit. Now I'm thinking you need willpower to make a change -- start a new diet or an exercise program -- but once you get some momentum going, you need grit to sustain the change and make it part of your lifestyle. From what I've read, you can't just apply grit to any random endeavor though. You have to see how your actions bring you closer to a long-term goal that you're passionate about.

There is a Grit Test on the University of Pennsylvania's Authentic Happiness Site. It's 22 simple question and only takes a few minutes to complete. Unfortunately, it takes a minute to register with the site to get access, but it's worth doing. I hope you'll take the test and let me know what you think.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Free Trial of ASHA Fitness Classes

We've recruited a wonderful group of trainers and developed a fun array of classes for our staff. Next week, staff can drop-in on any class and try it out at no cost. Then, they can sign-up for what they like best for our next 12 week session. This is what we're currently offering.


Mondays
Functional Training – Class 1 (Matt and Chris)
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Mondays 7:30 am

Discover your inner athlete in this circuit training class developed by True AP for the mature athlete hidden in all of us. Improve your speed, agility and quickness while increasing your strength and balance.

Women & Weights – Class 1 (Christina)
Level – All
Mondays 4:00 pm

Get your heart pumping and muscles moving in this whole body strength and conditioning class combining weights, bands, balls and floor work to challenge the entire body.


Women & Weights – Class 2 (Christina)
Level – All
Mondays 5:15 pm

Get your heart pumping and muscles moving in this whole body strength and conditioning class combining weights, bands, balls and floor work to challenge the entire body.


Tuesdays
Boxing Bootcamp (Matt and Chris)
Level: All
Tuesdays 7:30 am

Get in shape Rocky style. Learn the basic punches, combinations, and defenses while working out your entire body to improve cardiovascular endurance, core strength, power, footwork, and coordination. Take out your frustrations and find your inner peace. (Hey, some folks like yoga, some prefer hitting things.) Gloves and all equipment are provided although some folks prefer to sweat in their own gloves.

Total Body Conditioning – Class 1 (Ahmad)
Levels – All
Tuesdays 4:00 pm

Tune-in to the heart pumping music and get a full body work out in this high energy class. Includes cardio and weights and is designed to burn fat and build muscle. Open to all fitness levels; exercises are easy to follow and modify.

Pilates – Class 1 (Carol)
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Tuesdays 5:00 pm

Sculpt and strengthen your core without all those boring crunches and sit-ups. This mat-based workout is designed to help participants develop leaner, longer-looking muscles, establish core strength and stability, and heighten mind-body awareness. Props may be incorporated to add variety. This class will leave you standing tall and feeling refreshed and in touch with your breath. Please bring a mat.


Wednesdays
Get Fit ChallengeNew (Matt and Chris)
Level: Beginner
Wednesday 7:30 am

Do you want to begin an exercise program, but find it a bit intimidating to start off on your own or by joining one of our existing classes? Well, this is the class for you. Matt and Chris will lead you through some total body cardio drills and low-impact strength and core training. Assessments will be built into the class every four weeks, so you can measure your progress and there will even be prizes to encourage you to stick with the program. This is the perfect starting point for people who want to improve their health and fitness.


Zumba (Christina)
Level -- All
Wednesdays 4:00 pm

Dance your way to the lean and graceful body you desire. Moderate impact, high-energy class designed to burn calories by moving to the beat.

Cardio Kickboxing (Lisa)
Level – Intermediate to Advanced
Wednesdays 5:15 pm

High intensity, high impact, fat blasting work out designed to increase your stamina and strength. This class combines easy to follow, drill based elements of boxing and martial arts with aerobics to elevate your heart rate. All to some good tunes. Be prepared to sweat.


Thursdays
Functional Training – Class 2 (Matt and Chris)
Thursdays 7:30 am
Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Discover your inner athlete in this circuit training class developed by True AP for the mature athlete hidden in all of us. Improve your speed, agility and quickness while increasing your strength and balance.

Total Body Conditioning – Class 2 (Ahmad)
Levels – All
Thursdays 4:00 pm

Tune-in to the heart pumping music and get a full body work out in this high energy class. Includes cardio and weights and is designed to burn fat and build muscle. Open to all fitness levels; exercises are easy to follow and modify.

Yoga (Kathleen)
Level: Beginner
Thursdays 5:15 pm

Yoga is so much more than a good stretch for the body—it’s a good stretch for the mind and the soul, as well! Round out your work week by coming to this relaxing Level 1 class. Whether you’re a newbie, a seasoned yoga “veteran,” or just plain stressed out, please join Kathleen and Crew for our weekly dose of sanity. NOTE: This class is very intentionally centered on quieting the mind, focusing on the breath, relaxing the body, and slowly but mindfully moving through some of the most beneficial, foundational poses in yoga. We’ll open our hips, strengthen our backs, tone our abs and arms, and increase our flexibility. We’ll quiet our “monkey minds” (sometimes, the biggest challenge of all) and soothe our souls in the process.

Logistics/Need-to-Know’s: Please wear loose, comfortable clothing. Yoga is done without shoes (and, preferably, without socks). Please bring a yoga mat if you have one. Other props (highly recommended but not mandatory) include two yoga blocks, a yoga strap, and a firm blanket.

TRX (Grant)
Level – All
Thursday 5:00 pm

Hang from the durable TRX ropes to push, pull, lift and lower your body through Spiderman moves for a total body suspension workout that also super-strengthens your core. You’ll rotate circuit training style between the TRX and other boot camp style drills. This class is on level B1 in parking coverage – outside, but under cover.


Fridays
Pilates – Class 2 (Carol)
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Fridays 7:30 am

Sculpt and strengthen your core without all those boring crunches and sit-ups. This mat-based workout is designed to help participants develop leaner, longer-looking muscles, establish core strength and stability, and heighten mind-body awareness. Props may be incorporated to add variety. This class will leave you standing tall and feeling refreshed and in touch with your breath. Please bring a mat.

Women & Weights – Class 3 (Christina)
Level -- All
Fridays 4:00 pm

Get your heart pumping and muscles moving in this whole body strength and conditioning class combining weights, bands, balls and floor work to challenge the entire body.



If you are interested, you can learn about the cost of the classes in this post

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Taking a Journey to Wellness -- Guest Post by Loretta Nunez

Some of you enjoyed Carol Williams' post so much, that you suggested I ask Loretta Nunez, the winner of our trip to St. Thomas, to share her story. Loretta kindly oblidged. (She's promised me a picture from St. Thomas that I look forward to sharing with you.)

jour-ney n. 1. The act of traveling from one place to another. 2. A process or course likened to traveling; a passage. The latest ASHA wellness program became a personal journey toward improved health and wellness for me and for my husband.

My wellness goal focused on integrating physical, spiritual and mindfulness practices to improve my physical fitness and lose 15 lbs. over the course of the three month program. My motivation for making this journey was an intention to be more proactive about preventing a family history of cardiovascular disease from becoming a reality for me.

Incorporating spiritual and mindfulness practices along with physical activity was a critical part of my journey for change. I sought to shift my focus from what I call the “mechanics of diet and exercise” to one of greater self-awareness and presence in the moment. Achieving greater awareness led to being more open to actions that brought about change in small steps. My “spiritual” activities included setting my intentions each day, practicing relaxation breathing, and meditating. To increase my physical fitness, I planned 30 minutes of physical activity 3-5x per week (e.g., yoga, bike riding, walking on the treadmill, workouts with weights) starting with activity that I already enjoyed (yoga) and expanding to other activities (bike riding) as my endurance and strength improved. To change my eating habits, I chose more lean protein and vegetables in place of higher carbohydrate meals and practiced being mindful of my food choices and portions at each meal.

I used a variety of informational resources to achieve my goals including what I learned from previous ASHA wellness programs. One resource that was particularly helpful for changing my thinking and attitude was a yoga book written by Baron Baptiste titled 40 Days to a Personal Revolution. In the book the author describes 12 laws of transformation. I focused on one principle per week for 12 weeks through meditation and journaling. Another key resource was maintaining a journal of my goals, action plan, meditations and physical fitness activities. The journal helped me stay focused on the big picture (my goal for wellness of my whole being) and also helped me see small changes that added up over time.

By the end of the 12 week program I had achieved my goal which in reality is merely a milestone in my health and wellness journey. My husband supported my efforts and joined me in making changes as well. We both benefitted by losing weight and eliminating the need for previously prescribed medications. Based on the medications that we eliminated, we saved ourselves about $800 and our health plan about $2,700 a year in annual prescription costs. These savings were an eye opener! We benefitted from ASHA’s commitment to wellness and prevention and experienced firsthand the personal and economic impact of making behavioral changes that are within our control.

While this journey in reality is endless, it now includes a planned stop on the island of St. Thomas thanks to the generosity of ASHA and others who sponsored this wellness program. My husband and I are grateful for the changes we made and all that resulted from this program. I must also give kudos to ASHA for its ongoing commitment to offering health and wellness programs in the workplace.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

How well does your health plan cover treatment for communication disorders?

Nearly 50 million Americans have a speech, language or hearing disorder. The ability to communicate is essential to learning, working, social well being and living independently. When communication is impaired, it affects every aspect of a person's life, including interactions in the workplace. You can positively impact workplace communication by making sure that you provide adequate speech, language and hearing benefits under your health insurance. We always negotiate with health insurance carriers to implement ASHA's model speech, language and hearing benefits as part of our contract. It's an inexpensive benefit to offer -- less than 35 cents per covered employee per month. Yet, it's critical when an employee needs it. 


Can you imagine struggling through a meeting unable to hear most of the conversation? Approximately 30 million Americans have a hearing loss and half of them are under age 50, so many of them are in the workplace. Today's digital hearing aid prices range from approximately $1,000 to $3,500 per hearing aid according to this post. The $2,000 benefit provided in our model language puts hearing aids within reach of those that need them. 


Take a few minutes to watch this video and imagine what it might be like to be a parent of a child who stutters. Two out of every 10 children have some type of speech, language or hearing disorder. Although educational systems provide speech, language, and hearing services, they are available only to children who qualify under a very rigid set of federal regulations and state education laws. In addition, caseloads in the schools are high, so many children benefit from supplemental services. This can be a big worry and expense for parents if their health insurance provides inadequate coverage. 


Make sure you know what your policy currently covers. Or better yet, do what we do and negotiate with your carrier to cover speech, language and hearing benefits as described in the ASHA's model language below.


ASHA Model Benefits (Aug 2011)