Friday, 20 May 2011
Written by: Dr. Kenneth Cheng
One of the growth strategies we have implemented in 2011 is to partner with local businesses in an effort to help keep their executives and employees healthier. As a part of this engagement, we are fortunate to have several of our clients helping us along the way. The article below came from a long time client, and we thought we would share it with our business leaders as we believe it nicely introduces some ideas for implementing organizational wellness programs.
From the Cypress Strategy Group
Wellness programs, group health insurance, cost containment, productivity and employee engagement are hot topics inside companies. All of these terms are intertwined in the new frontier of the employer-employee relationship. The emergence of the employer playing a more active role in the employee total health equation is viewed by some as an infringement on employee privacy. Is it too much? Regardless of how you may feel about the issue, it’s already happening, or as we like to say, “The train has left the station.” The issue is not if, but exactly how, companies are attempting to combine health insurance cost management objectives with improved employee productivity and engagement initiatives. Read more…
At Cypress Strategy Group we know how employers are taking action and some of the alternative strategies to adopt. Done well, wellness programs have been shown to increase employee engagement, by demonstrating that the employer cares about the employee’s health, while at the same time driving down insurance costs and productivity lost due to illness. On the other hand, many programs fail to achieve these objectives and, if done wrong, can have the opposite effect.
Whatever approach you take, improving the health of your workforce is of greater importance today. As a result, employers are taking a more active role in establishing a participative relationship with their employees as it relates to their total health, which in turn raises the question of whether you should take a carrots or sticks approach. Here are the top tactics being implemented by companies according to Towerswatson 2011 health survey:
1. Require employees to complete a health risk appraisal and/or biometric screening to be eligible for financial incentives for healthy activities
2. Use of high performance networks or centers of excellence
3. Reward (or penalize) based on biometric outcomes other than tobacco use status
4. Reward (or penalize) based on tobacco use
5. Reward (or penalize) only those who complete requirements of healthy lifestyle living
6. Use hard dollar return on investment calculations to support future decisions
7. Educate employees on provider and hospital quality
8. Changing plan options
9. Increased auditing of medical claim payments
What You May Want to Consider:
• This is a good time to completely review your total rewards approach (base pay, incentives, and benefits).
• Muscle up your hr expertise or in-house or partner with a third party expert like Cypress! The stakes are high and effectively managing your human capital has never been more important.
• Consider employee benefit options at renewal that have the biggest impact on premiums. (i.e. – Narrower networks, Health Savings Accounts, and Generic Drug only medical programs).
• Measure wellness investments and expected results more specifically.
This evolution of the employer-employee relationship is going to pose a much greater burden on the hr function. Clearly, a successful strategy will consist of a combination of tactics. Improving employee productivity, controlling healthcare costs, and addressing the potentially invasive effects of actively participating in employee health are a high stakes balancing act. It appears the benefits are worth it as high performing firms are dedicating considerable time and money to achieve this elusive equilibrium.
Cypress Strategy Group, LLC, is focused on partnering with clients to help businesses rethink their approach to total rewards. Give us a call at 888.498.7770 to learn more.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Written by: Dr. David Bloom
Following up on my March 2011 blog, Kids and Exercise, What’s the Risk, I was asked to talk a bit more on the topic of preventing injury in specific sports, including football. As youth football season is about to kickoff, it is important for us to better understand the types of injuries that can occur and what you can do as a parent, coach, or supporter to help prevent them.
Although the majority of young athletes do well, there are many circumstances that can lead to injury. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year there are over 3.5 million sports-related injuries in kids under 15 which require hospital or outpatient treatment. And of those, nearly 1 million are due to football or basketball participation.
The key to preventing problems is reducing the risk of something going wrong. With youth sports there are many hazards to avoid beginning with having a pre-participation plan and a screening sports physical.
In addition to a thorough sports physical prior to starting the sport, it is vital that you ensure that particular sport is an appropriate choice for your child. Although it may be common sense to estimate a potential aptitude for a sport, it is wisest to discuss items such as the athlete’s age, skill, maturation, and interest with the coach or leader. A poor fit can be a setup for disaster, both physically and emotionally.
Proper equipment is essential (such as mouth guards to prevent dental injuries, helmets for head protection, pads), as well as a satisfactory setting (open field without obstructions, well-marked boundaries, padded goal posts). Plus, correct playing technique is needed to avoid trauma. Technique needs to be improved by knowledgeable coaches, and rules need to be in place (usually by the league) to promote safety (illegal spearing, age limits).
There also needs to be some attention to overall physical fitness “balance.” In most sports, youth athletes should be well trained in the key components of fitness. These include flexibility, balance, strength, range of motion, cardiovascular conditioning, and emotional stability. One’s physician, coach, and parent should provide some expertise and support here; however a personal trainer can also be very helpful as a resource.
It is often surprising for parents or athletes to find out that many of the “sports medicine injuries” are not orthopedic (bone & joint injuries). These involve nearly every organ system, such as the eyes, skin lacerations, nerve damage, overtraining, spleen ruptures, heatstroke, asthma (especially exercise induced asthma), concussions, stress/emotional problems. Even the flu or other infections can be devastating to a player, or at times half of the team.
The more expected orthopedic problems are often single trauma accidents (fractures, acute sprains, ligament ruptures, contusions). But also there are many orthopedic diagnoses which may creep up gradually as “overuse injuries.” These may be more difficult to identify, but may be just as devastating (stress fractures, chronic sprains, degenerative tears).
With each of these injuries, one will need adequate time to heal plus further time to get back into proper shape and conditioning. Your doctor should review the expected time frame for the return to practice and then to competition. And during the healing phase, most knowledgeable sports physicians will recommend cross-training or modified participation to encourage better healing of the injury as well as maintenance of overall fitness.
Ultimately, some type of exercise or sports participation is extremely important for children and young adults as they develop healthy habits. By making educated and appropriate choices, you may reduce the chance of sports injuries.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Written by: Dr. Marcia Whalen
From EatingWell.com
Ingredients
- 2 bunches asparagus, tough ends trimmed
- 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
- 6 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Put asparagus in a steamer basket, cover and steam until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, tarragon, lemon juice, water, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle the sauce over the asparagus. Serve warm or cold.
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Per serving: 114 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 8 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 350 mg sodium; 336 mg potassium.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Written by: Dr. Marcia Whalen
From EatingWell.com
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup loose hibiscus tea, or 12 herbal tea bags that contain hibiscus
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1 cup pomegranate juice or nectar
- 4 cups cold water
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
Preparation
1. Steep loose tea (or tea bags) in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Strain the tea (or remove tea bags) and pour into a large pitcher. Stir in pomegranate juice (or nectar) and cold water. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Serve over ice with lemon wedges, if desired.
Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Per serving: 19 calories; 0 g fat ( 0 g sat , 0 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 8 mg sodium; 25 mg potassium.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Written by: Dr. Marcia Whalen
Salsa Ingredients
- 3 – cups fresh strawberries, chopped
- 1/2 – cup minced yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 – cup mined green bell pepper
- 1/2 – cup minced red bell pepper
- 1/2 – cup minced green onion
- 2 – jalapenos seeded and minced
- 2 – tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1 – Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 – Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/4 – cup Raspberry Vinaigrette
- 1/2 – tsp Sugar
- 1/2 – tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 – tsp Salt
- Homemade Pita Chips (recipe below)
In a large bowl, combine strawberries, peppers, green onions and jalapenos. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil lime juice raspberry vinaigrette, sugar, garlic powder and salt. Add to strawberry mixture tossing gently to combine. Cover and chill. Serve with Pita Chips.
Homemade Pita Chips
- 1 – 12oz Package Pita Bread, Split (we love whole wheat pitas)
- Cooking spray
- Cinnamon-sugar seasoning
Preheat oven to 400. Cut Pita rounds in half crosswise. Cut each half into 3 triangles. Place pita triangles on prepared baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and then sprinkle on cinnamon – sugar seasoning. Bake for 8 minutes until golden brown. Cool Completely.
Friday, 20 May 2011
Written by: Dr. Marcia Whalen
from Cooking Light, May 2011
Ingredients
- 4 slices center-cut bacon (can use turkey bacon)
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Cooking spray
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 1 (10-ounce) package romaine salad
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)
- 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
- 1 ripe peeled avocado, cut into 8 wedges
- Optional: add or substitute other veggies for bell pepper and cucumber
Preparation
1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; cut in half crosswise. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Increase heat to medium-high. Sprinkle shrimp with paprika and pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt; toss to coat.
2. While the shrimp cooks, combine remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, juice, oil, and mustard in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add lettuce; toss to coat.
3. Arrange about 1 1/2 cups lettuce mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with about 6 shrimp, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/4 cup carrot, 1/4 cup corn, 2 avocado
Calories: 332; Fat 15.2g (less for turkey bacon);Protein 30g;Carb 21.8g
Friday, 20 May 2011
Written by: Dr. Jeffrey Barke
Yes, the dreaded summer sunscreen warning. We wouldn’t be a true medical partner if we didn’t remind you of the dangers of the sun. Did you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer? That melanoma is the fastest growing cancer in the US? Or, that the year-round average UV index for Orange County, California, is a Level 9? According to the EPA, a Level 9 index is categorized as “very high” and means “Protection against sun damage is needed. If you need to be outside during midday hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., take steps to reduce sun exposure. A shirt, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are a must, and be sure you seek shade. Beachgoers should know that white sand and other bright surfaces reflect UV and can double UV exposure.”
We all know how wonderful it is to be outside. Whether you love to play golf, take the family on a bike ride, enjoy fun at the beach, or skiing in Mammoth (in June, no less), outdoor fun is truly nature’s gift for all of us. But, the dangers of sun exposure are a very serious matter and we want to remind you of the few small things you need to know to protect yourself and your loved ones. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) can cause long term damage to the skin and eyes. To best protect yourself and your family, please consider wearing the following each time you head outside…
1. “Broad spectrum” sunscreen that will filter both UVA (wrinkles, sun spots) and UVB (DNA damage, skin cancer). If you are going to spend extended time outdoors an SPF of at least 30 is recommended.
2. Protective clothing. Covering the arms, legs, back of neck, ears when possible.
3. A hat. Wide brimmed is best. Visors still expose the top of your skull which is a commonly hidden spot for skin cancer.
4. Sunglasses or goggles that provide 100% UV protection
Other great safeguards to invest in are umbrellas for all occasions and window tint for windows where you might have extended exposure during the day.
In addition to protecting your skin 100% of the time, commit to frequently checking your skin for changes. We know that changes in large freckles or moles can be signs of a skin cancer starting to develop, but even small changes in the skin such as small scaly patches or red lesions that don’t seem to heal can be signs of cancer as well. Additionally, make sure that a skin check is done yearly as part of your routine medical physical.
Just to put an exclamation point on the topic, according to the Skin Care Foundation and the American Cancer Society, each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon . One out of every 5 people will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. If this isn’t enough, please visit the Skin Care Foundation website for more facts on this tremendously serious topic.
It is our mission to help our clients and community to be healthier and sun protection is an easy commitment that will change your life forever.
