Engaging Employers to Create Healthy Organizations in Kentucky

Background Chronic disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and costs employers billions of dollars in health care and lost productivity. Organizations increasingly employ worksite wellness programs as a strategy to reduce costs and employee chronic disease risk, yet many are not integrated into organizational culture despite evidence suggesting the effectiveness of such an approach. To address this disconnect between research and practice our study aimed to: 1) create a business-oriented healthy organization model based on scientific literature and employer practices, 2) develop case-study examples of integrated wellness initiatives. Methods In-depth interviews (n=23) were conducted with Kentucky employer representatives to gather information about health-related initiatives and associated cost savings. A systematic review of the business and scientific literature related to healthy organizations was also conducted. Interviews were transcribed, analyzed and coded by a 5-member multidisciplinary research team based on the content of interviews and literature. These codes became model dimensions. An employer panel and NIOSH's Work-life team offered feedback on the model.

Results Our study yielded: 1) the HealthIntegrated Organization Model, consisting of five dimensions—Risk Recognition; Education, Activities, and Resources; Supportive Environment; Linkages; and Alignment—and four essential business processes—Communicate, Demonstrate, Evaluate, and Incent; 2) twenty-two case studies illustrating integrated worksite wellness initiatives and associated benefits.

Conclusions There has long been a gap between the research and practice of holistic organizational health initiatives. This employer-engaged research project helps bridge this gap by translating research into a business-oriented framework and facilitating peer-learning by sharing promising practices.