The Wellness Councils of America

Union Pacific... On The Right Track

In the year 1865, the first rail for Union Pacific Railroad was laid. In May of that same year, a band of rebels hopped aboard a train in a small Ohio town called North Bend and committed the first ever U.S. train robbery. Over 130 years later, Union Pacific doesn't much worry about masked bandits on horses-guys just don't rob trains anymore. Union Pacific does, however, worry about loss-loss of productivity, organizational growth, personal well-being, and individual health.

The following article highlights one of the largest companies in America. A company widely known, heavily relied upon, and affectionately referred to as UP. The company is immensely successful and expansive. However, that doesn't mean they don't take measures to safeguard what they've got-a dedicated workforce committed to building and maintaining a massive infrastructure of real capital, spanning 23 states and over 33,000 miles of track.

UP Wellness

One hundred twenty-two years after that first UP rail was laid, in 1987 to be exact, Union Pacific laid a second foundation. This time, instead of investing in transportation they began investing in the health and well-being of their most valuable asset-their employees.

Since that time, they have reached over 50,000 employees and their families with numerous health and wellness program offerings. The premiere component of UP wellness is known as Health Track and will be the focus of this article.

But just so the point isn't lost, let's look briefly at the vastness of programming at UP before we key in on Health Track.

Big Wheels Keep on Turnin'

The unique environment and industry at UP presents several challenges for delivery of wellness programs. And the programmers at UP have met the challenge with creativity. For example, they have converted boxcars into fitness centers-rolling railway gyms for employees repairing track in remote regions like Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The high use of these rolling gyms is a true testament to the "well culture" of the railroad-the employees who repair iron all day recognize the need to pump iron at night.

UP Wellness offerings are extensive. They range from alertness management and medical self-care to smoking cessation, mentor training, and a plethora of exercise programs. These offerings draw employees, change lives, and impact the bottom line.

But Health Track is the premiere program among these. This flagship program deserves a closer look.

Looking at Health Track

The success of UP's wellness program hinges on its Health Track program. In turn, Health Track is driven by four comprehensive steps. These steps include:

1) Employee assessment;
2) Analysis of the assessment results;
3) Targeted interventions;
4) Periodic follow-up.

These sequential phases are what make Health Track the most sophisticated approach available for supporting employee behavior change and affecting positive health and productivity outcomes.

Instead of shooting from the hip, blindly hoping to help their population, UP uses assessment to develop the specific goals for Health Track. After gathering and evaluating this information, they are poised to implement targeted interventions designed to effectively reduce risk factors.

After evaluating the data, the UP health promotion program seeks to raise awareness and eliminate 10 targeted risk factors. These risks include asthma, blood pressure, cholesterol, depression, diabetes, fatigue, inactivity, excess weight, smoking, and stress. All of these efforts are aimed at addressing dangerous issues and ultimately enhancing healthy behaviors among employees and their families.

Lofty goals? Yes, but companies like UP thrive on challenges. Even more, they revel in meeting those challenges. To do it, they use a broad approach, relying not on just one or two interventions, but six separate strategies. These include stage-based booklets, independent study guides, telephonic counseling, workshops, and periodic study materials.

UP constantly monitors their Health Track efforts. And they're not the only ones interested in the success of their program. In fact, they have been featured in Fortune magazine as one of the healthiest companies in America and have received the C. Everett Koop Award. In addition, they have received WELCOA's Gold Well Workplace Award and are currently an applicant for WELCOA's prestigious Platinum Well Workplace Award. While these accolades are appreciated, it's the bottom line impact that validates the wellness efforts of UP. This, too, deserve a closer look.

Numbers Speak Louder than Awards

For most, developing a program yielding numerical validation is a challenge often dreamed of and yet rarely accomplished. Not so with UP. In fact, the organization has performed multiple cost ratio/savings studies, many of which have been published in prestigious journals and reviewed by experts in the field.

UP realizes that they stand to take a hit if they don't invest in the health and well-being of their employee population. Here's what they know: they're population is expected to grow by 500 employees per year over the next 10 years; average age is expected to increase from 44.4 to 48.4 years of age; without intervention, 7 risk factors will worsen among employees; health care cost increases over the next 10 years are projected to range from $22.2 million to $99.6 million.

In 1999, many of the participating employees were able to make positive changes to their health status. In fact, 36% of Health Track participants were able to move toward the action stage of change, leaving less desirable stages such as contemplation and pre-contemplation behind.

Here's the kicker, UP programming affects organizational costs in multiple areas. Just check out these benefit to cost ratios.

• Blood Pressure interventions have yielded a ratio of $4.29 to $1
• Cholesterol interventions have yielded a ratio of $5.25 to $1
• Smoking cessation interventions have yielded a ratio of $2.24 to $1
• Weight reduction interventions have yielded a ratio of $.69 to $1

The net effect of these interventions has been a favorably forecasted benefit:cost ratio of $3.24 to every $1 invested. Highly significant when you consider that prior claims analyses have revealed that unhealthy behaviors cost approximately 40 million dollars per year during the 1990s.

Still Tracking

Of the 100 largest U.S. companies in 1900, only 16 are still in existence today. This should be the most important number you remember from this article. Rest assured that Union Pacific knows this number by heart. And with programs like Health Track riding in its coal cars, it's a safe bet that they'll be around for the next hundred as well.