state of wellness: nc

NC Healthy Worksites:Our past, present and future

Meg van Staveren, MPH, RDWorksite Wellness Unit Manager

Physical Activity and Nutrition BranchNC Division of Public Health, DHHS

North Carolina by the numbers

9.3

East/Coastal

53,865sq. miles

Central/Piedmont

West/Mountains

million

10thmost populated state

40% live in rural areas

North Carolina rankings

17th

10thin adult obesity

in adult inactivity

11thin child obesity

8th lowest in adultfruit/vegetable intake

Physical Activity & Nutrition Branch

• Housed within the Chronic Disease and Injury Section, NC Division of Public Health, NC Department of Health and Human Services

• Mission: Reverse the rising tide of obesity and chronic disease among North Carolinians by helping them to eat smart, move more and achieve a healthy weight.

• Supported by federal, state and private grants/funds

• Worksite Wellness is one of seven Branch Units

NC Worksites: Our Past

17 public universities36 state agencies

58communitycolleges

115local schoolsystems


Annual contract with the NC State Health Plan– 2004/05: Developed NC HealthSmart Worksite

Wellness Toolkit

– 2005/06: Toolkit dissemination and training

– 2006/07: Technical assistance program launched

– 2007/09: Continued Toolkit training and technical assistance; developed and launched pilot program for school worksites


Worksite Tools: http://EatSmartMoveMoreNC.com/Worksites.html


• Distributed 1200 printed toolkits• Online toolkits available• Trained 600+ individuals• Technical activities included:

– Bi-monthly newsletters– Site visits– Webinars/conference calls– Distributing sample policies and liability waivers– Creating additional resources such as turnkey programs

• Conducted annual survey to identify successes/barriers and technical assistance needs

NC Worksites: Our Past• Changing scenery in early 2009

– NC State Health Plan and State budget shortfalls

– New legislation April 2009 (Session Law 2009-16)• Health benefits for Plan members will be based upon their

current tobacco use (July 1, 2010) and weight status (July 1, 2011)

• New priorities– Statewide Wellness Coordinator within NC Office of

State Personnel

– Our scope of work shifted to focus on healthy weight

NC Worksites: Our Present

Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less• Weight loss/maintenance curriculum based upon

the theory of planned behavior, integrated with evidence-based strategies and social support

• Developed for use in the worksite/community setting

• Launched statewide in 2008 with 200+ trained instructors from local health departments and cooperative extension agents

• Also piloted in state worksiteswww.ESMMWeighLess.com


Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less for State Employees• Contract between NC State Health Plan and NC

Agricultural Foundation, NC State University• Implemented by PAN Branch & NC Cooperative

Extension• Addresses Session Law 2009-16• Current delivery method provides dedicated instructors in

five counties with greatest number of state employees, cost and class size are controlled, evaluation is emphasized

• 141 classes provided since August 2009• Testimonials are available


Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less for State Employees

• Contract amended in August 2010 to also include:– Developing and testing an online, real-time

delivery method– Developing a self-directed weight maintenance

curriculum


CPPW funding, February 2010 – January 2012

• Utilized NC Institute of Medicine’s Prevention Action Plan to guide our application

• Prevention Action Plan Recommendation 12.3:1. Creation of a statewide collaborative that would offer

technical assistance and certification for implementing comprehensive worksite wellness programs

2. Incentives in the absence of federal level policies


Three main elements in the funded application: 1. Formalizing the Worksite Wellness Collaborative

which will develop recommendations, engage state-level decision makers and recommend an assessment tool to measure the impact of worksite wellness policy on employee health

2. Developing a mechanism to provide businesses with tools, resources and technical assistance to implement comprehensive worksite wellness programs

3. Provide local business and community leaders with educational opportunities, a media campaign and advocacy training


Where we are to date:• Technical staff:

1. Dr. Laura Linnan, Professor, UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health

2. Dr. Joyce Young, Well Being Director, IBM

3. Dr. David Chenoweth, Director, Chenoweth & Associates

• CDC expertise: Jason Lang, Team Lead for Worksite Health Promotion


Where we are to date:• Initial Collaborative buy in:

Office of the Governor, NC Department of Commerce, NC Chamber of Commerce, NC Office of State Personnel, NC Division of Public Health, NC State Health Plan, NC League of Municipalities, NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund, Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, NC Prevention Partners and others

• Completed a policy inventory and policy brief of existing state legislation


Where we are to date:

• Launched a statewide survey of NC businesses1. Gage awareness and perception of worksite wellness

terminology and concepts

2. Reveal current practices

3. Identify early adopters

4. Identify trusted resources for business information

5. Inform the development of media messages to support the Worksite Wellness Collaborative efforts

NC Worksites: Our Future

Where we are heading:• Developing a branding campaign, WorkWell NC, and

associated logo, graphics, and web landing pages• Develop a long-term sustainability plan forWorkWell NC

to addresses marketing needs, fiscal planning, monitoring and evaluation, and selection of tools, resources, and service vendors

• Develop a media messaging campaign to support WorkWell NC

• Preparing for a statewide summit and six business education trainings

Contact:

Meg van Staveren, MPH, RDWorksite Wellness ManagerWorksite Wellness UnitPhysical Activity and Nutrition BranchNC Division of Public Health, DHHS1915 Mail Service CenterRaleigh, NC 27699-1915Email: [email protected]: 919.707.5219Fax: 919.870.4804www.NCPANBranch.com

state of wellness: nc

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