Buddying Up for Health
Nevada – Through research, early detection, prevention and quality patient care, Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI) provides hope to communities across the Southwest United States and beyond. This nonprofit organization’s mission to create a future without cancer includes taking good care of its own employees, with wellness benefits that help them lead a healthy lifestyle.
As part of NVCI’s comprehensive health and wellness offerings, “Buddy Up” is a 10-week nutrition and physical activity program available to help employees reduce their risk for cancer and chronic diseases. After a successful pilot run, “Buddy Up” officially began in 2006 as a means to help employees set and achieve S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and Time-stamped) goals in a fun and manageable way. Available in both English and Spanish, the program pairs each participant with a co-worker to support and motivate one another while setting goals such as weight loss or eating more vegetables.
To help employees achieve their objectives, each participant receives a meal plan and customized shopping list based on specific caloric needs with a variety of well-balanced meals that are easy to prepare. Every week participants receive nutritional information and a short quiz by email. If both buddies complete the quizzes, their names are entered into a drawing to win gift cards. Other incentives that keep participants active include an NVCI gym bag and polo shirt.
Weekly weigh-ins at the office are quick and convenient, and on the first, fifth and tenth week of the program the NVCI wellness department conducts fitness assessments that take less than 15 minutes. The wellness department also aggregates outcome data to share with managers and employees. Continued participation is encouraged with email tips and reminders are sent to managers when their department’s participation level dips.
“Buddy Up” participants have achieved positive results through the program. The 2007 biometric outcomes show an average 3.4 pound loss per person, as well as reductions in BMI, body fat, waistlines and blood pressure. Employees tout the quality of the program’s on-site instructors, the convenience of weekly weigh-ins, the usefulness of available print and electronic information and the fun and camaraderie they experience through participation. NVCI has also experienced positive organizational outcomes as a result of the wellness program. Between 2006 and 2007, the organization witnessed an 11 percent reduction in short and long-term disability costs. By supporting employee health, NVCI has built a culture where employees look out for each other and work together to advance the organization’s mission.