Judy Ward has spent most of her career helping people regain their health after they have suffered heart-related setbacks.
Now, she uses her training and 18 years' experience as a cardiac rehabilitation nurse to help Ward Transport and Logistics employees increase their quality of life while she attempts to control the company's skyrocketing medical costs.
"I've spent much of my career talking to people with cardiac issues about the importance of exercise and diet and living healthy," said Ward, wife of Ward Trucking and Logistics President Bill Ward. She was hired two months ago to focus on the cost of medical claims in the company and assist its newly formed wellness committee expand programs for employee health. "Now that I'm on the other end and trying to help people prevent any kind of illness, I can pass those tips along to others before they begin to have problems."
Since the company is self-insured, healthier lifestyles could have a significant effect on medical, workers' compensation and accident claims that would directly affect profitability, Ward said.
In 2009, Ward Trucking and Logistics spent nearly $11 million in claims costs, which made it the largest company expense behind payroll, equipment and fuel, according to Ward. As a self-insured company, those claim costs come "right off the top" of operating money for the year, she said.
"If we could save even half a million from those claims, that amount goes back into the company, which translates to better equipment and nicer facilities and upgrades," she said. "That money [for claims] comes out of our profits, and you can't move forward if you're paying all those claims."
Ward Transport and Logistics is only one of the employers in the area - and across the nation - taking measures to improve employee wellness through preventive programs, a trend Dr. Zane Gates said could be important for companies and individuals to adopt.
The nation needs to begin looking at wellness through a "health care model" instead of a "sick care model," Gates said, which means more funds and efforts dedicated to preventive measures to maintain health as opposed to spending on medicine and treatments once a sickness develops.
"If we continue with the sick care model, premiums will go through the roof," Gates, the founder of Partnering for Health Services in Altoona, said. "Prevention and living a healthy lifestyle is better than any pill I can give to anybody."
According to Gates, most people can improve their health and decrease their dependence on medications for afflictions like high cholesterol and blood pressure with weight loss, exercise and a healthy diet.
"Most of the pills I have people on aren't necessary," he said. "If they would just make the proper changes, many of them wouldn't need to be on anything."
Helping people with rehabilitation after a cardiovascular event has helped Ward come up with ideas to help the company's workers take steps - literally - to prevent health problems caused by lifestyle choices, she said. One of the wellness committee's first ideas was a monthlong walking program the company began June 1 at its central office. Employees were challenged to take a 10-minute or longer walk during lunch and breaks each workday, Ward said.
Those who reached the goal were put into a drawing to win a $100 gift card and other prizes. The incentive combined with a desire to get into better shape had a lot of workers, including the winner of the drawing, Jim Miller, "really getting into it," Ward said.
The walking challenge gave Miller, the company telecommunications manager who already walked regularly on work breaks, the impetus to make a habit of doing it every day, he said.
"[The challenge] gave us more incentive to go out on days when maybe we would think about skipping it," he said. "Even on days when it was storming or really hot out, we'd walk the stairways to get our 10 minutes in, or go early in the morning before it got too warm," Miller said. "It's a great way to get out of the office for a little while during the day."
The walking program was only the beginning of what Ward and the wellness committee have planned. Over the next three months, she plans to visit each of the company's 22 terminals in six states, including the corporate office in Altoona where she is based, to talk to the employees about "some pretty basic things."
"I'll obviously speak to them about the importance of diet and exercise, along with sleep and some other prevention things," Ward said. "I'll also talk about the importance of keeping up with regular maintenance appointments covered under our insurance, like dental care and vision check-ups."
Smoking cessation methods will also be a focus of Ward's visits, and she plans to stress that nicotine replacement therapy is included in the company's prescription benefit program for employees and their family members.
"A spouse who's trying to quit smoking could really benefit from knowing they can get nicotine replacement therapy, and that's information that may not get communicated to them otherwise," she said.
To spread this information to the families, the company recently began circulating a quarterly newsletter, "Health ForWard," to employees' homes. Ward said she hopes it will spread news about healthy living and benefits family members may be able to use in conjunction with the company's insurance plan.
The newsletter includes information on "applicable health-related issues," like briefings on smoking cessation and discounted gym memberships - a perk the company offers in many areas - as well as a monthly healthy meal recipe, Ward said.
The wellness committee has tried to get creative with some of its ideas to inspire employee participation in the wellness campaign, and Ward said she's "very excited" for an upcoming weight loss competition based on the popular television show "The Biggest Loser."
On Sept. 8, teams of five employees each - so individuals won't be called out on their weight - will weigh in together on the docks at the company's service centers. On Oct. 28, they will have their final weigh-in, and each member of the team that has dropped the most weight will win a $100 gift card.
"We've decided to call our version 'The Biggest Winner,' and I think the competitive aspect of it will really get our employees excited," Judy Ward said. "I think people are really starting to get on board with what we're trying to do here."
Miller, who will be participating in the weight-loss contest, said he thinks it's "nice" the company does things to help employees with their health.
"I really enjoy it," he said. "It's motivation."
Mirror Staff Writer Scott Muska is at 946-7435.
