BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - June 7, 2010) - Virgin HealthMiles, a leading provider of employee health and productivity programs that reward individuals for getting healthy, today announced that OhioHealth, a hospital system with five hospitals in central Ohio, is enjoying tangible success with the Virgin HealthMiles Pay-for-Prevention™ approach to employee wellness.
OhioHealth rolled out the Virgin HealthMiles program to its associates one year ago. The company offers associates up to $500 per year in incentives for increased levels of physical activity, which it believes will have a demonstrable impact in not only lowering the incidence of lifestyle-related chronic conditions like obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes, but will help the organization lower its overall healthcare costs and benefit from a more productive workforce. Science has shown that physical activity significantly reduces the prevalence of chronic disease, including reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by 55 percent and coronary artery disease (CAD) by 30 percent.
OhioHealth reports that over half of its nearly 10,000 eligible associates are participating in the Virgin HealthMiles program, well above the industry average of single-digit participation in wellness programs, with more than $377,000 in incentives earned to date for associates improving their health. Additionally, the company has seen its absenteeism rates fall since implementing the Virgin HealthMiles program. After one year with the Virgin HealthMiles program, 50% percent of OhioHealth's participating employees are now physically active, a 61% increase from initial levels. OhioHealth has held its medical plan premiums costs flat for three years while focusing on wellness and prevention.
"The four pillars we wanted to address through our wellness program were activity, obesity, smoking and stress," said Lisa Meddock, manager, benefits at OhioHealth. "With the Virgin HealthMiles program, our associates have improved their health and lowered their costs. And the cool thing is, it's lowered our costs, too. If an organization invests in prevention, invests in wellness, we believe they'll see the results to the bottom line."
About Virgin HealthMiles Pay-for-Prevention™ Approach
Pioneered by Virgin HealthMiles, the Pay-for-Prevention model creates a culture of prevention that rewards healthy behaviors and aligns an organization's interests with those of its employees to drive down lifestyle-related healthcare and productivity costs. Employers benefit from validated activity and health data, which ensures rewards are earned for actual performance, and real-time reporting, which details measurable improvements in the health of their workforce and the impact of their overall wellness strategy. Such significant engagement has led to high member satisfaction and physical activity levels: 98 percent of Virgin HealthMiles members are satisfied with the program, while 95 percent would recommend it to a friend or colleague.
About Virgin HealthMiles, Inc.
Virgin HealthMiles provides employee health programs that pay people to get active. The company's Pay-for-Prevention™ approach, based on physical activity and healthy lifestyle change, attracts an average of 40 percent of employees who participate, which helps organizations reduce medical costs and improve employee productivity and satisfaction. The program is offered by employers, government entities, and insurers. Over 120 industry leaders representing more than 500,000 employees across the U.S., including American Diabetes Association, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Hospital Corporation of America-Shared Services, Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, and SunGard, have selected Virgin HealthMiles' award-winning program for their employees. The company is a member of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. For more information, visit www.virginhealthmiles.com.
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Contact:
Kathy Wilson
Tier One Partners
(781) 652-0499