Health resources at the ready for workers

FITNESS PAYS: Sea Corp employees Kim McCarthy, left, and Mark Seyster take advantage of the company’s exercise facility, an activity supported by the company’s wellness program. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
FITNESS PAYS: Sea Corp employees Kim McCarthy, left, and Mark Seyster take advantage of the company’s exercise facility, an activity supported by the company’s wellness program. / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

At this year’s summer cookout, Sea Corp employees noticed how the company’s wellness program prompted many to make healthy food choices.
“More people were eating salad,” said Nancy Roderick, the company’s human resource officer. “And more were choosing chicken rather than sausages.”
Sea Corp, a Middletown company that provides engineering and software services to the U.S. Navy, adopted a new wellness program two years ago to reel in health care costs and help its employees stay fit.
The program, developed and administered by Provant Health Solutions, allows employees to earn discounts on their share of their health care premium. Those who choose not to participate in the program pay 25 percent of their premium, while those who take part can see their share reduced to as little as 10 percent.
The gains have been significant. Since the program began, there has been an 8.9 percent improvement in employees’ blood pressure readings, a 7.9 percent improvement in employees’ cholesterol readings and a 1.4 percent improvement in body composition.
An employee has an online personal-wellness page, where they can track their fitness progress, look up healthy dinner recipes and educate themselves about health issues. To begin earning points, they complete a health-assessment sheet; present proof that they see their doctor at least once a year; and take part in an annual biometric screening, which includes a blood-pressure exam and cholesterol testing.
“Our focus now is helping our people become more educated,” Roderick said. •

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