Trinity seminar gives area employers free tools to improve employee health

Trinity Regional Health System invites area employers to a free seminar and luncheon “Healthier Workforce. Healthier Bottom Line: Free Tools to Improve Employee Health,” on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at the i wireless center in Moline.  Registration and networking begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch and the presentation from noon to 1 p.m.

The seminar includes an overview of Trinity’s HealthAware program, a series of online health questionnaires that assess one’s risk for heart disease, stroke, vascular, diabetes and sleep disorders.  At-risk participants are invited in for a free consultation and cholesterol screening with a Trinity HealthAware nurse.  Trinity has begun working with area employers to implement the program to help companies contain health care costs while extending a free benefit to their employees.

“Monitoring your risk factors on an annual basis is a good first stop toward prevention,” Trinity HealthAware Program Administrator Dan Saskowski, M.A. said.  “It’s a lot easier, as well as less expensive, to do something about them if you catch them early.”

According to a national survey by risk management firm Towers Perrin, employers have seen a 29 percent increase in health care costs over the past five years, with employees paying 40 percent more during that same timeframe.

Although death rates from heart disease and stroke continue to fall, risk factors and the financial and societal burdens of the diseases remain high, according to a recent report by the American Heart Association.  The estimated total cost, including heath expenditures and lost productivity, from heart disease and stroke in the United States is higher than that for any other health condition.

“Many of these diseases are controllable or preventable,” Saskowski added.  “Simple changes in lifestyle, including eating, exercise and smoking habits, can have an impact on one’s overall risk for these conditions later on in life.”

Presenters will include Trinity President/CEO Rick Seidler, Trinity heart surgeon Dr. Alyas Chaudhry and Dan Saskowski.  Discussion will center on the changing health care environment with a focus on cost containment and disease prevention, the risks of heart disease and benefits of preventive screenings.  Attendees will also receive an overview of how to implement the free HealthAware program within their own business as well as an optional on-line demonstration. 

The event is free and open to companies of any size.  Employers do not need to offer health insurance to benefit from the HealthAware program.

To register, e-mail devriesj@trinityqc.com or call (309) 779-2809 by Thursday, Feb. 10.