Berkshire Health President Touts Case For Wellness Programs
 BHS President David Phelps encouraged business leaders to make the investment in wellness programs. |
Phelps was the keynote speaker at the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce's Good News Business Salute breakfast at the Crowne Plaza and talked about how he went from a skeptic to a believer in wellness.
Phelps was first approached in 2006 to create a wellness program for employees.
"I wasn't convinced that we could reduce health-care costs at all," Phelps said.
But he saw the opportunity for healthier employees and that was enough to convince him to at least start the program. In the first few years, costs kept rising as employees joined and received screenings. But now, he said, they have stabilized.
"For the last three years, our health insurance has been flat," Phelps said, thus avoiding the increases other businesses have been battling. "I've gone from a skeptic to a believer."
It wasn't just the money that turned Phelps' opinion — it was his own health. When implementing the plan, he was asked to join; despite his resistance, he scheduled a screening. Phelps joked that his plan was to "stage" a photo of himself getting screened, delay the appointment with the wellness coach and still see the $700 in premium savings that came with enrollment.
But it didn't happen that way, he said, because he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
"It was time to take control of my health as it is for all of you," Phelps said. "I made the recommended changes to my diet. I developed an active lifestyle. I lost almost 40 pounds. That was my year. It hasn't been the easiest year but it has resulted in some significant improvements for me."
Now, Phelps' doctor told him he has reduced the risk of complications with diabetes and is generally better health — and he's saved money for both himself and the company.
The award-winning Wellness at Work program makes available screenings, fitness and nutritional consultants, and healthy lifestyle coaching to the health system's some 3,500 employees; BHS also offers worksite wellness programs for local businesses.
Cost savings are particularly important now with the political battles over health care. But with increasing disease rates adding to costs, the only way to avoid skyrocketing expenses is to lead employees to become healthier with increased early prevention, he said, which cannot be done from the White House or Congress.
"It just isn't capable for [U.S. Rep.] Richie Neal or whoever gets elected president to legislate health. It's up to us to take charge," Phelps said.
Also at the breakfast, the chamber "saluted" Bartlett's Orchard, Berkshire Southern Regional Community Center, Frontline Consulting and the Pittsfield Promise. The event was emceed by Tom Bernard, executive assistant to the president of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, who talked about the importance of education.
Tags: Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, BHS, health insurance, health & wellness,
