AHA reports on hospital efforts to promote employee health and wellness

The share of hospitals offering health and wellness programs or initiatives to employees was unchanged between 2010 and 2015, at about 87%, but the programs are changing, more employees are participating and more hospitals are extending them to people in their community, according to a report released today by the AHA’s Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence initiative. For example, more hospitals are offering biometric screenings, personal health coaching, or a 24-hour nursing “help line.” More hospitals are offering incentives for completing or participating in the programs, and the value of incentives increased over the period, based on surveys of hospital leaders. Three in 10 hospitals reported an employee participation rate of 70% or more in 2015, up from two in 10 in 2010. And nearly seven in 10 hospitals offered their wellness programs to others in the community, up from two in 10 in 2010.