Wellness Program Ideas – Heath Information Strategies.

Develop and offer “free” health information resources as part of the overall corporate wellness strategy. Reliable information is available free, or at very low cost, through many resource areas.

Ideas and resources will be suggested here. Also review the Resource and Website listings after this guide for more ideas and resources.

Wellness Bulletin Board Ideas

Most workplaces have at least one staff member bulletin board located in a central area. Obtain permission to use part of that bulletin board as the “Wellness Corner”, or obtain management approval to create a bulletin board dedicated to wellness. Wellness bulletin board suggestions include –

• White 8 1/2″ x 11″ flyers will be ignored. Use color or nonstandard size and shape when possible.

• Change your bulletin boards often. When they remain the same too long, they become “white noise.”

• Play “Dialing for Dollars” to raise bulletin board attention. Make a random phone call and ask an employee to name the health fact of the day as listed on the health bulletin board. Award nominal prizes to winners.

Use an “activities calendar” with targeted advertisements, football schedules, recipes, etc. that will encourage keeping the calendar updated and utilized.

• Post or email quick tips on health. Get tips from the Hope Health website at – http – //www.hithope.com/main.php?dir=content&file=health_tips.txt.

Wellness Library

Create an employee library in a central area that has easy employee access. Resources and ideas for the library could include –

• A local medical resources guide with referral lists to help staff members hook up with resources when on-site resources can’t be provided. Keep referral lists in a 3-ring binder and update monthly.

• A brief, periodic wellness newsletter or update flyer distributed to staff members via their paycheck or department meetings. It’s easy to make use of the monthly CIS Healthy Benefits worker update for this purpose.

• A variety of consumer books, magazines, videos, and articles related to good health. Solicit worker donations of current titles and recyclable items.

Make certain to encourage employees to checkout materials for loan. Update resources regularly. Consider using some of the CIS Healthy Benefits corporate wellness grant funds for good library resources.

• Healthy resources are available at local libraries. Publicize those resources within your on-site wellness library.

• Health magazines could be kept in the staff member break area.

• Download additional copies of the CareWise quarterly newsletter from the CIS website at http – //www.cciservices.com, Healthy Benefits, and circulate these in worker break room areas.

• Develop a consumer health information bin that is updated with articles and pertinent information regarding consumerism and healthcare. Check the resource listings after this guide for more ideas.

• Free  pamphlet materials may be acquired from local non-profit agencies (American Red Cross, Heart Association, Cancer Society, Lung Association), and made available in employee areas.

See website listings and other resources in the back of this guide for more ideas regarding free medical resources.

New Year’s Resolution Bulletin Board

• Have workers voluntarily write down their health-related New Year’s resolutions on 3″ x 5″ index cards with their names on the back.

• Post the cards in the form of a collage on the wellness bulletin board.

• Leave the cards up for about two weeks, and then store them in a secure wellness file.

• Post the cards near the end of February to remind employees of their goals and self-commitments.

• Take the cards down again after another week and again store in a secure file.

• Mail the cards back to the individuals along with wellness program promotions or other information announcements after March.

• Throughout the year, continue to offer wellness opportunities, support groups, or related activities.