healthy at work
Your Corporate Wellness Partner  April 2009
LOW COST
INTERVENTION
 
Now more than ever, organizations are looking for ways to save money and remain competitive and productive.
 
Onsite influenza (flu) vaccination clinics are one of the most cost effective ways to keep your workforce healthy, since the flu is responsible for 17 million workdays lost among adults 18 to 64 years of age.
 
Healthy working adults who received influenza shots experienced significantly fewer days of influenza -like illness, made fewer doctor visits, and took fewer days off from work compared with workers who were not vaccinated*.
 
Let VNA show you how easy and convenient it is to conduct an onsite flu clinic for the 2009 flu season by calling (248) 967-8755.
 
*Source: Journal of  the American Medical Association 2000; 284 (13) 1655-63. 

WALKING WEATHER
   
The State of Michigan offers  residents wonderful, natural landscapes designed for outdoor adventures.
 
The outdoors are not just limited to camping and hiking but also to walking and bike riding. Michigan's Department of Natural Resources provides a list of statewide trails and pathways that offer ways to be more physically active while enjoying the landscape the state has to offer.
 
Walking can also become part of your daily life, especially in your neighborhood or surrounding areas. Malls, parks and school yards are all great locations for you to get started.
 
See the links below for additional walking resources in your area:
 
MapMyRun
http://www.mapmyrun.com
 
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
 
WalkingInfo.org 
 
AT WORK CHAIR MASSAGE
 
Many massage therapists are specially trained for chair massage. You can expect benefits that are practically identical to traditional massage. The only exception is that chair massage focuses on the upper body, including the arms and hands.
 
Workplace chair massage is an ideal method for helping to relieve and prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that effects many office workers or other benefits like the temporary relief of tension headaches, neck pain and back pain.
 
Introducing a chair massage program at your worksite can have beneficial outcomes to the health and productivity of your workforce.  Many times employees are willing to pay for the service if it is available during their work hours. 
 
To schedule a massage clinic at your worksite, give us a call at: (248) 967-8755.

 
QUICK VNA LINKS

workTHE  WELLNESS VALUE

 
Rising healthcare benefit costs are significant concerns for employers. Poor health habits and unnecessary medical care costs not only consume portions of corporate resources but also part of an employee's paycheck.
 
Since employees can spend 50 or more hours per week on the job, the worksite is an ideal setting for health promotion and disease prevention programs.
 
Please join Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan for a Corporate Wellness Roundtable where you and other human resources professionals can discuss ideas on how to implement a wellness program at your worksite. Guests will have an opportunity to hear about Oakland County's Worksite Wellness Program and its success, along with discussing obstacles and challenges of program development.
 
As a guest, you will also have an opportunity to participate in wellness screening demonstrations like those used at worksite events.  Bring your questions and ideas, we look forward to seeing you here.
 
This event will be held on May 20, 2009, from 9.-11.am. at the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan's headquarters located at 25900 Greenfield Road, 5th floor, Oak Park, MI 48237.
 
Please contact Karine Pawlicki at kpawlicki@vna.org
or at (248) 967-8355 to RSVP by May 15th.
 
   


STRESS AND YOUR BOTTOM LINE 
 
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines job stress as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury.
 
Studies have looked at the relationship between job stress and a variety of ailments and suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems-especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders and psychological disorders -making health care expenditures approximately 50 percent greater for workers who report high levels of stress.
 
A healthy organization is defined as one that has low rates of illness, injury and disability in its workforce and is also competitive in the marketplace. NIOSH research has identified organizational characteristics associated with both healthy, low-stress work and high levels of productivity.
 
Examples of these characteristics include:
  • Recognition of employees for good work performance
  • Opportunities for career development
  • An organizational culture that values the individual worker
  • Management actions that are consistent with organizational values

If your employees are experiencing work-related stress, contact your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for information about services offered to reduce stress at the worksite.

For more information and resources on mental health,  visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at: 

 
airplane 
TRAVEL WISELY
 
Travel offers an opportunity for adventure and new experiences, whether for business, leisure or volunteerism. Staying healthy during and after your trip is top priority.

Many travelers are unaware of the vaccines recommended or required when traveling abroad or within their own country and the risks associated with contaminated food, water and poor sanitation that can lead to diseases like:
  • Hepatitis A or B
  • Polio
  • Yellow Fever
  • Typhoid
Travel Clinics staffed by health care professionals with expertise in travel medicine that include counseling, immunizations and travel advice are there to assist you with all of your travel needs.
 
Some countries require proof of specific immunizations before they will admit a traveler.  
 
For an example of the types of questions asked by a travel medicine provider to future travelers, access a screening questionnaire by clicking on the link below. Note: the screening questionnaire requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

http://www.vna.org//Travel_Wise_Screening.pdf

VNA offers all travel-related immunizations at our Oak Park clinic or at your worksite for your convenience.
 
Healthy at Work is published by Visiting Nurse Association, Inc., to provide general health information. It is not intended to provide medical advice, which should be obtained directly from a physician. � 2009.