Employer Healthcare Congress (3). Day two – some keynote notes

My apologies to regular readers and my new friends from the congress for the delay in this next thrilling instalment from Chicago.  I had some IT issues, resolved now I’m back in the UK so normal service is resumed.

There was a wide selection of sessions on the second day and I was drawn by three keynote presentations. I’ve never been sure of the meaning of ‘keynote  speaker’ and some quick research uncovered that the term originates from barber shop singers practicing a ‘key note’ before starting a performance. A good keynote singer sets the tone for the song as a professional speaker sets the tone for a conference session.

Another, and perhaps a little cynical, definition is that keynote speakers get paid..

Bill Rancic, Winner of the Apprentice. ‘Ability to achieve success in today’s healthcare and economic climate.’

I learnt a salutary lesson from the first keynote of the day. I have a pathological loathing for reality TV (Snob? Moi?) and found my brief viewings of the UK version of The Apprentice to be full of self-opinionated egotists. (Judgemental? Moi?). So I didn’t rush to attend Bill’s opening session of the day and missed the first half hour. Big mistake. I quickly discovered that Bill Rancic is a very cool guy. Softly spoken and yet successfully projects intelligence, charisma and humility.

Bill’s presentation was very well received and attendees afterwards told me of how he related the story of his first successful business launch – selling cigars online. His innovative, but simple sales techniques (‘stand out from the crowd’) and way he has seized opportunities throughout his life provided plenty of inspiration. He also had some interesting views on qualifications and felt that if you were already a proven ‘entrepreneur’ additional gongs such as an MBA were unnecessary but he did agree that good qualifications can provide ‘get you in but once you’re in it’s down to you’

A special mention is deserved for another entrepreneur, Liam Ryan from gethealth  (www.gethealth.ee)  who managed to find his way to the front of the queue for the microphone to pose questions to Bill. Liam demonstrated admirable ‘seize the opportunity’ and ‘stand out from the crowd’ skills, asking a question in his soft lilting Irish accent. What was his question? I’m not sure what he actually asked – but he did manage to mention that his company is launching an exciting interactive health proposition! It was the gentlest of business pitches to a large,  influential and benevolent audience. This young man and his business partner will go far methinks.

John Casey, Director of International benefits, Google. ‘Creating the healthiest employee in the world’.

John provided a fascinating insight into life within planet Google and the technology giant really does seem to provide an exceptional working environment. He was honest about the pressures of an ‘always on’ culture of a workforce with an average age of mid 30’s – employed by a company that receives 2 million (yes 2 million) job applications a year.

I was interested at the emphasis John placed on life stages within the Google population, recognising that many ‘Googlers’ (love it) are now entering a challenging phase in their lives – new marriages, commitment to long term relationships and young families, all happy events which can place pressures on a previously uninterrupted work focus. The organisation nurtures it’s ‘Nooglers’ (love that too) who join the organisation and a mouth watering suite of wellness options are available.

John admitted that a transparent culture and an obsession to listen can create its own problems in potentially delaying benefits decisions but these open channels also encourage creativity and innovation regarding all aspects of the business. He made a strong case for branding wellness initiatives with the Google choice of ‘Optimize your life’ providing a clear message of intent. The wellness programme adopts a global approach to health and wellbeing, covering the physical, emotional and financial health of employees. This may sound like Nirvana, but John also stressed that this frugal (his word) company questions every cent so each wellness initiative must provide a decent ROI.

The company is not afraid to experiment with new health initiatives and like so many speakers at this conference, John stressed the importance of robust benchmarking and regular monitoring of wellness programmes and health data.

I have no doubt that Google is well on its way to achieving its vision of ‘The healthiest employee on the planet’ - and good luck to them.

Mitch Joel, Author ‘How marketing connects in a connected world’

Key note speakers are like buses – you don’t see one for ages then three come along all at once!

There was something of the Halloween about this presentation – not intentionally I suspect. Dressed in black, Mitch also used monotone for many of his slides and even reduced Michelangelo’s beautifully coloured The Touch’ to stark black and white. A black background and white text in capitals used for much of the content came across as a bit aggressive which is a shame from an apparently charming man.

Mitch was keen to emphasise the speed with which our digital interactions are changing – and he succeeded. The tale of his 2 year old son trying to scan pages on the TV screen with his finger provided powerful imagery of the future. As Mitch said – keyboards will (not maybe – will -) become a thing of the past very, very soon.

Allowing customers to post comments, good or bad, on your company website is a compelling way to demonstrate transparency and YouTube was highly recommended as a dynamic interaction. I took on board Mitch’s advice that you should concentrate on liking your customers and not just focus on getting them to like you.

His summary of how to use digital marketing was, I think, excellent:

·         Accept it

·         Apply it with other marketing methods, not instead of

·         Be open and transparent with all your marketing transactions and communications

·         Your techniques must be shareable and findable

·         Treat written digital marketing as publishing – a blog is ‘published’

·         Let ‘why’ not ‘what’ define your tactics

Mitch also advised us to avoid ‘digital tumbleweed’ so for fear of my words being blown across an overcrowded digital landscape - I shall finish for now.

Employer Healthcare Congress (2). Day one - A mixed bag

Day one of the congress provided a good selection of speakers and thankfully the logistics of finding the right educational seminar room and streamlining our individual schedules was much easier this year. Here is an overview of some of the sessions I attended.

Dr Cecil Wilson: ‘The future of healthcare and healthcare reform in America’.

The keynote speaker, past president of the American Medical Association launched the event with a fairly lack lustre presentation which didn’t really live up to the hopeful title but did include some interesting facts and figures. We were subjected to a list of the rules and regulations of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which will be no doubt be included in the certification workshops later in the event. What I really wanted to hear was Dr Wilson’s view of the political implications of the reforms, which are, according to surveys, understood by less than half the US population. (Unlike the UK where, according to my straw polls, 100% of the population do not understand the NHS reforms).

One interesting slide demonstrated the estimated cost of the governmental delay in clarifying the situations regarding SRG (sustainable growth rate payment formula for physicians). The dispute regarding the fixing of this rate could cost up to $600 billion by 2016. Andrew Lansley (UK Secretary of State for health who is still unclear on how best to proceed with the NHS reforms) – please note – dithering costs money!

The figures facing the healthcare system in the US are eye-watering for a Brit – we are used to talking in £ billions for our healthcare provision. But in the US, the estimated annual health care spend will increase from $2.2 trillion (16% GDP) in 2010 to $4.4 trillion (20% GDP) in 2018. Like the UK, the major issues are obesity and chronic disease. One additional burden for the US which has less impact than the UK is the cost of medical liability which contributes $70 – 126 billion annually.

All very depressing.

Steve Cyboran and Linda Spurlock: Investing in a health culture – achieving results via a healthy enterprise.

This was a fascinating presentation by a consulting actuary and a director of human health. In a nutshell – a healthy enterprise is defined as ‘creating an environment where employees can engage and thrive’. Personal and professional development of individuals should incorporate all aspects of ‘health’ – intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual and physical.

Steve Cyboran provided a scientific approach to this potentially woolly subject, including a workable framework for ‘vision driven solutions’.  The Sibson maturity model seems logical and practical, focussing on maturity from focus on treatment to focus on preventional management and finally focus on optimal behaviour. He stressed the need for robust metrics, so often the weakest link in any wellness initiative. I particularly liked his comment that ‘health is not just the absence of illness or issues’

Linda Spurlock spoke of the value of honouring businesses that take a leadership role in health and wellbeing. Wellness programmes that encourage employees to engage in community work were especially useful and this emphasises the importance of linking corporate social responsibility with individual input.

Denise J Holland: An introduction to Corporate Health and Wellness

I consider myself an ‘old hand’ at this particular game, but felt it would be useful to hear the views of the Director of Employee Healthcare at a major food production organisation

Denise was a lively and entertaining presenter and I agreed with most of her advice on how to set up a wellness programme. I felt that more emphasis could be put  on consultation in the process and the need to engage employees at a very early stage in the development of a programme.

I was impressed by her success in engaging not just employees but their families and thought the idea of sending postcards to female spouses encouraging male employees to have health checks was inspired. Another excellent tip was to remind employers not only of the value of benchmarking (as Denise said – this was a ‘duh’ point’) but to remember that vendors can provide valuable information and HR systems in a company will have already amassed some vital demographic data.

I liked her observation that a wellness programme is not just a collection of perks and her realistic approach to incentives. As she said – offering money doesn’t always work adding ‘I’ve done some crazy things just for a T shirt’.

Now that would be an interesting subject….

As with all conferences – the networking and socialising is a key part of the whole experience and yes, I am taking full advantage of this opportunity (it would be rude not to as my grandmother used to say)

The wine glasses are still oversized (I’m not complaining), the chatter thought -provoking and the company varied and entertaining. Like a little patch of healthcare heaven…

Employer Healthcare Congress (1) - the morning after the night before

The congress in Chicago kicked off last night with a cocktail reception and the networking, socialising and general healthcare chit-chat started in earnest. As I reflect on the evening’s activity and discussions I can summarise my conclusions so far..

Healthcare cost containment remains a hot topic for attendees at this conference: No surprise there. Providers, wellbeing strategists and employers are all seeking this Holy Grail. I am encouraged that it is recognised that just cutting budgets or cover levels is not the way forward – prevention and quality care are the most effective way to manage costs.

US Healthcare reforms are as emotive to American citizens as the NHS reforms are to us in the UK. Everyone seems, like last year, pretty much in agreement that the motives behind the reforms are good, but the practicalities of drastic change are creating logistical and economic mayhem.

Employee engagement has galloped it’s way to the top of businesses’ health and wellbeing agenda: This was a lively topic of conversation last night. Employers now recognise that ‘positive and measurable engagement’ is the way forward. Simply ticking the box with staff surveys and newsletters is no longer good enough to ensure that wellbeing programmes are on track.

There is something I still don’t quite get about the Medical Tourism Industry: I understand the theory but am not yet comfortable with many of the practices. And as if to validate my prejudices – I note again this year that representatives from this branch of the health industry have bigger exhibition stands, suspiciously more expensive giveaways and flashier suits than the health providers and wellness groups!

And finally – two undeniable truths..

I definitely have a penchant for charming men: And was fortunate to spend quality time with some fine examples yesterday!

Large wine glasses lead to overindulgence: Healthy eating/drinking initiative number one. Number two – portion control in general – even my glass of orange juice at breakfast held at least 500ml – with as many calories.

More tales of an Englishwoman abroad later..

The nutrition battle - time to get tough

As I waited for the Employer Healthcare Conference to start in Chicago this evening, I scanned the local news for health related stories and was immediately rewarded with the information that the first lady visited the city today with a healthcare agenda. The headline reads ‘Michelle Obama is bringing the nutrition battle to Chicago’ and the report went on ‘with a view to eliminating health deserts’.

The VIP guest opened a local Walgreen store, recently expanded to sell produce and grocery staples and took in a tour of an urban farm – 7 acres of inner city land producing health foods. These are both worthy examples of healthy eating initiatives so badly needed in a country with an estimated obesity rate of 40%  (and an ‘overweight’ rate of a jaw dropping 75%) within the next 4 years.

In the UK, we are, of course, facing the same side effect of our ‘civilised society’ and the government has been trying various approaches to not only educate, but also ‘nudge’ the population into healthy eating habits.

But what struck me about today’s story is the language - the ‘nutrition battle’. We are used to hearing about patients ‘battling cancer’ and we read stories about the ‘battling infection’ but this is the first time I have noted the nutrition battle. I think this is spot on. It is a battle. A battle to educate, advise, warn, coach, encourage, bribe, incentivise – do whatever is needed to reduce obesity rates and the dire personal and economic consequences of unhealthy living.

‘Health desert’ is such a new phrase that Google kept giving me results for ‘healthy desserts’ and struggled to come up with a decent selection of links. Part of the first lady’s ‘Let’s move’ campaign – retailers and communities are encouraged to provide healthy food choices within walking distance for all. Another interpretation of ‘health desert’ is the education gap across some sectors of the population regarding vital nutritional understanding.

So – let the war against obesity continue. Tough talking should lead to tough actions. I have no doubt that this battle will be extensively discussed during several sessions at the conference over the next few days and I shall be interested to see just how much, if at all, things have changed from  a corporate wellness perspective since I attended this event last year.