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Reduce Employee Sick Days With Regular HVAC Maintenance

Employees calling in sick impacts the overall productivity and performance of a business. If your business has a persistent rate of sick days no matter the weather, maybe it’s time to ask why. Here’s an overview of how maintaining your HVAC system regularly will help keep your employees at work.

Office Air Quality

Air quality at work is something most people may not even think about., but the air in the office actually carries allergens like dust and pollen, along with other pollutants. An HVAC system filters and ventilates air. Without proper maintenance, however, the HVAC system will not filter and ventilate the air as it should. Without proper ventilation and circulation, levels of carbon dioxide increase and can lead to symptoms like sweating, an elevated heart rate, tingling in the hands and feet, and headaches.

The office HVAC system should ventilate around 20 cubic feet per minute of outside air per person to decrease allergens and regulate carbon dioxide.

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How to Create Company Wellness Programs Your Employees Will Actually Use

Companies around the world recognize the importance of having a healthy workplace. Gone are the days where employees spent their entire career working for the same company. To create a stable workforce, employers must address the personal needs of their employees.

One way they do this is by putting into place company wellness programs.

When people hear this term, they immediately think of initiatives to engage employees in weight loss programs. Or programs designed to help the employer cut down on insurance costs. This is not always the case.

The best corporate wellness programs go further. They are about total wellness for a healthier work environment. Employers understand that if their employees are mentally and physically well it improves their overall work-life experience.

Are you looking to start a wellness program? Keep reading for wellness program ideas employees will use.

What are Company Wellness Programs?

These are programs designed to produce healthy outcomes for employees and employers. It is a partnership that extends outside the walls of the business. They create a better work environment while reducing healthcare costs. 

When a company places its attention on wellness, they should be looking into multiple areas. They can include:

  • Office Design
  • Healthcare Benefits
  • Paid Time Off
  • Fitness Motivation
  • Team Building
  • Alternative Work Locations

As life becomes more demanding, it becomes a team effort to keep employees motivated and happy in their current position. If someone feels good about themselves they are more likely to perform at a higher level.

Consider these company wellness programs for your business.

Develop a Monthly Newsletter

Wellness communication is a key factor in a successful employee health program. Companies that provide consistent and ongoing communications see an improvement in participation. 

The communication can be provided in a monthly newsletter that is distributed in-house, via email or mailed to the employee. It is also a good idea to have an online message board employees can visit and share ideas or provide feedback.

The monthly newsletter includes healthy eating tips, exercise challenges, and inspirational messages. The employer can also invite employees to do guest blogs.

Offer Discounts to Local Fitness Centers

Some companies in newer facilities have onsite fitness centers. If this is something you cannot incorporate, consider offering a discount to local fitness centers.

It can be a set amount off of the monthly fee, paying the registration fee, or both. 

To encourage active participation offer incentives for proof they are using the service regularly. Work with the fitness center to create wellness activities, they can verify through a stamp card.

Make it fun and not stressful. Employees earn points that can be redeemed for company gear, gift cards, and more.

Start a Sports League

Not only is it enjoyable, but it is also mentally and physically healthy for employees to interact outside of work. Starting a bowling or softball league is a great way to bring employees together. Whether playing on a team or supporting their coworkers, team sports produce camaraderie between departments.

At the end of the season, the company can host an employee picnic to get everyone together to celebrate.

Create a Walking Program

Walking programs are popular among corporations with large campuses. Employees can create groups that walk before or after their scheduled shifts. Some walk during their lunch hour. 

The goal of this wellness idea for work is accountability. People are more likely to continue an activity if they work together as a group holding each other accountable for their individual success.

Engage Employees in Health Talks

If the budget allows, the best corporate wellness programs are the ones that have an education component. Consider having professional coaches come in and do health talks for your employees.

These are conversations employees can take part in during their lunch hour. Offer a free meal as an incentive to attend. Or make attendance a requirement by hosting the event during work hours.

Speakers can cover topics ranging from healthy eating, mental health activities, parenting, or caring for an aging parent. 

Do Exercise Demonstrations

Some people don’t exercise because they don’t know what exercises are best for them. Bringing in a fitness coach to lead exercise demonstrations is a good way to motivate employees to get moving.

The demonstrations can happen once a month, at special events, or at the company fitness center. One month it could be yoga the next Pilates, followed by Zoomba. Fitness equipment demonstrations are also a useful tool to get employees into your center.

Install Healthy Vending Machines

Healthy eating is as important as working out. Employee wellness program ideas should also focus on what employees are putting into their bodies. 

Most companies have vending machines on their premises. With a push towards healthy eating, vendors are providing healthy choices. It is a great opportunity to introduce healthy snack alternatives.

Not only can employers install vending machines with health-conscious foods they can also serve healthier meals in their lunchrooms. Placing salads, fruits, and more vegetables on the menu is a start. They can also include calorie counts next to items on the menu.

Provide Remote Work Opportunities

Your employee health program can include incentives for employees to work from home. This is a wonderful work-life reward. 

Remote opportunities are becoming more popular as technology advances. It makes it easier for employees working from home to log in to their employer’s systems remotely. Even if someone can’t work from home full time the ability to earn remote days is an incentive to do well in the office.

Having a remote day can relieve a lot of pressure that comes with being in the office. There are fewer distractions and the employee can focus on completing tasks in a timely manner.

Wellness Programs Work

Company wellness programs have proven to be beneficial. Employees that are both mentally and physically healthy are more efficient. It’s also a way to show your team you care about their wellbeing.

Effectively marketing your wellness programs is the key to success. For more insight read our articles on healthcare marketing.

3 Ways AI Can Improve Healthcare

By Colin Gelfer 

The healthcare industry is ever-evolving and striving to improve, especially in areas such as patient experiences and outcomes. But with so many moving parts and the complexity of the healthcare sector, it is hard to know where to begin. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), there is an opportunity for healthcare organizations to leverage data to improve patient outcomes. While there are numerous technologies aimed at improving both user and patient experiences, organizations need to truly understand the capabilities of AI and ML to utilize these technologies to the fullest. 

However, for AI and ML to work, there must be existing data to use. So much data is generated during the patient journey through a health system but many organizations struggle with the fundamentals of basic reporting and analytics. Knowing what sources to pull data from and how to pull it together in a meaningful way seems daunting. This is where AI and ML can help. With the right technology, organizations have the chance to use data to drive better patient outcomes while raising the standard of healthcare. 

Let’s look at three capabilities that AI and ML offer in the healthcare space. 

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The Role of BI in Precision Medicine

By Nicole Hitner

For many, precision medicine calls to mind cutting-edge technologies like genomic sequencing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence: ultra-high tech for ultra-keen diagnoses. These aspirational technologies are poised to play a crucial role in modern healthcare, but their impact is precluded by logistical problems around data generation, storage, and transmission. 

The Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) calls attention to such information roadblocks hampering the healthcare system. Its mission — “to enable a new era of medicine through research, technology, and policies that empower patients, researchers, and providers to work together toward development of individualized care” —  boils down to two things: better data and better data distribution. 

Take genomic data, for instance. Geisinger assistant professor of genomic medicine Nephi Walton, MD, told Healthcare IT News that there’s already lots of valuable genomic data available — just not where medical practitioners can access it. “You have tons of data that tells you how [patients are] going to react to medications, what things they’re going to have to look out for in the future,” he explains, “and it just doesn’t go anywhere right now.” 

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Playing Catch-Up: Healthcare’s Race to Match Consumerism and Regulatory Demands

By Cristin Gardner

Government scrutiny and changing expectations among patients have led to significant dialogue around patient rights to access and own their healthcare data. Demand from both parties, with support from technology innovators, is forcing change in healthcare. Every other industry has undergone a digital transformation that has made the consumer experience seamless, but healthcare has remained stagnant, dependent on outdated practices when sharing medical information. Modern technology is available, but institutional inflexibility has hindered advancement. Now with increasing pressure from these forces, healthcare is playing catch-up to meet a new level of patient demand for data access and portability.

Federal mandates are driving change 

In February, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released two eagerly anticipated rules focused on giving patients greater access and control over their own health information. That policy push was followed up in May with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) releasing expanded guidance for sharing data with patients under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The guidance included a pivotal clarification — when a patient shares protected health information with a third-party app or requests their healthcare provider share their health data with an app, the provider organization is not liable for any subsequent use or disclosure of the data and is obligated to comply. This guidance explicitly removes liability from the provider and, therefore, eliminates perceived legal, privacy and security barriers in complying with a patient data request. 

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4 Ways Regular HVAC Maintenance Improves Employee Health

Regular HVAC maintenance is an important aspect of keeping employees healthy and happy. The process of cooling hot air creates humid air that has to be expelled from the building. If an HVAC system can’t do this, then bacteria and fungi may grow in the system.

When employees have sick building syndrome — they only feel sick while they are in the office — it can be caused by a poor HVAC system. Symptoms of sick building syndrome include headaches, fatigue, nasal congestion, and breathing issues. These can be caused by dirty or contaminated air running through the HVAC system. Maintaining and keeping your HVAC system in good repair and upgrading to new technology will create a more productive and healthy environment.

Removing or Controlling Pollutants

Some methods to control or eliminate pollutants include regular cleaning or replacement of filters, replacing wet carpet or tile, and venting contaminant sources outside. A little effort goes a long way to ensure that your employees will have fewer sick days because the pollutants that cause allergies and flu-like symptoms will be greatly reduced with an up-to-date HVAC system.

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What Types of Healthcare Technology Do You Need for a Private Clinic?

Medicine doctor and stethoscope in hand touching icon medical network connection with modern virtual screen interface, medical technology network concept

Physicians dream of being the kind of doctor that patients depend on. The kind that’s earned each patient’s trust and knows their history.

These rewarding relationships between doctors and patients are often found in private clinics.

So, what do you need to start your own private practice?

The medical equipment you need will depend on the type of medicine you practice. But, there are a few types of healthcare technology that every clinic should have. Read on to learn what tech you need to start your own private practice.

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Paycheck Deductions: How Much Do Employees Pay for Health Insurance, On Average?

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56 percent of Americans got health insurance from their employers in 2017. If you have an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, you will have a certain amount deducted from your paycheck to cover your premiums. 

Understanding how much is taken out of your paycheck to cover health insurance is essential to figuring out how to best pay for your coverage. If your employer-provided plan is too expensive, it may make sense for you to change to a private plan. 

It’s important to ask how much do employees pay for health insurance also because you want to make sure that you’re not overpaying your employer. 

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