Health Fairs

Corporation processes are structured activities that achieve a specific result. By way of example, scheduling appointments is a organization process that results in an orderly work flow and timely patient care.

Worksite Health and Wellness Program implementation frequently requires changes to established organization processes. These changes may be simple, such as adding prescreening appointments to the scheduling process, or more complicated, like determining how time devoted to a particular Worksite Health and Wellness Program will be coded.

Not all change can be affected painlessly. However, developing a plan for achieving change will overcome barriers like:

“But we’ve always done it that way” or “But we’ve never done it that way.”

Each change situation will be different. The path to achieving change may not always be straightforward.

Lesson learned: Making small, incremental changes will be easier than trying to make one big change. It is also easier to modify a current process than to introduce a brand new one.

Develop a road map for change.

Describe the current organization process.
• By way of example: what is the current registration process for the weight management program? Include steps for both participants and staff.

Identify where the new or modified organization process could fit into the current process.

• By way of example, prescreening appointments for the weight management program could be scheduled when participants sign up OR the prescreening could be done at the first class.

Collaborate.
• Look at the change process to be a team effort. Determine everyone who will be affected by the change and get their input.
o By way of example, be sure to ask the personnel that set up the prescreening appointments AND the personnel that would do the prescreening for their ideas.
• Recruit one or more champions for the change. It helps if the champion has some clout.
• Get buy-in from as many people as you can – including those that might be most resistant to the change.

Communicate.
• Don’t keep the change a secret. The more people know, the more likely they will support a change.
• Anticipate barriers ahead of time. Be ready to articulate concrete benefits that will result from the change – especially advantages such as costs avoided or training time conserved.

Worksite Health and Wellness Program evaluation is critical for effective Wellness and will help you get Senior Management support.

Why evaluate your Worksite Health and Wellness Program?

Worksite Health and Wellness Program evaluation answers these questions:

• What change(s) occurred in the target population?
• ‘What’s in it’ for Senior Management?
• Are the resources that are being used worth the outcomes that are achieved?
• Were Worksite Health and Wellness Program outcomes expected? (Unexpected outcomes may have occurred.)
• What Worksite Health and Wellness Program areas need improvement?

Worksite Health and Wellness Program Fact of Life:

Worksite Health and Wellness Program evaluation left to “chance” or until “there is time” will never happen.

• Worksite Health and Wellness Program evaluation should be considered as an essential part of the whole plan for Wellness and not as something extra.

Where do you start?

Keep it simple. Worksite Health and Wellness Program evaluation does not have to be complicated.
• Get baseline information.
• Baseline information is the health status of the target population at the beginning of the Worksite Health and Wellness Program.
• Start by collecting just 3 or 4 primary items as the baseline. You will have better success collecting follow-up information later if you only need to get a few pieces of information.
• Don’t rely only on health indicators that require lab evaluation. Also use self-report information and health indicators that are measurable without lab tests.

• Collect information that relates to readiness.

• You should always be ready to communicate to leadership the ways that your Worksite Health and Wellness Program impacts readiness. Plan ahead to collect information that will demonstrate this connection.
• Think like Senior Management: what Worksite Health and Wellness Program outcomes will be important from Senior Management point of view?

• It’s never too late to incorporate Worksite Health and Wellness Program evaluation into Worksite Health and Wellness Programs.
• If your Worksite Health and Wellness Program is already up and running and you didn’t plan for information collection ahead of time, start collecting information NOW.
• If you don’t have baseline information, then collect interim information and compare that to end-of-program information.
• Or, you can compare final Worksite Health and Wellness Program outcomes to similar programs elsewhere.

If you can’t make any comparisons to other information, use resources like The Community Guide (http://www.thecommunityguide.org/ ) that have already evaluated the effectiveness of Worksite Health and Wellness Program components. Compare the components of your Worksite Health and Wellness Program to those that have been proven effective elsewhere.

Think ahead: what unexpected challenges might come up as you implement your Worksite Health and Wellness Program? How could you adapt and change the Worksite Health and Wellness Program to meet those challenges?

• Look at the “what if’s?”

• What if your classroom space is suddenly no longer available?
• What if you can’t hold the Health and Wellness in the usual place?
• Have a ‘Plan B’ (or even Plan C or Plan D) in mind for when the “what if’s” happen.

• Build a team that can help with the Worksite Health and Wellness Program
• Who else could teach the health education class if the regular instructor cancels at the last minute?
• Know what areas of expertise your staff has besides their ‘main’ job. By way of example, find out who has fitness instructor credentials besides just the physical therapist.
• Don’t wait for a crisis before you build a network of people that you can call on.

• Be ready to roll your sleeves up

• Jump in to fill a gap if you need to.
• YOU may have to help restock the milk case in the dining facility when the Dairy Month ‘Milk Mustache’ contest results in increased sales during lunch.

• Be willing (and ready) to respond to feedback about the Worksite Health and Wellness Program

• Get participant feedback while the Worksite Health and Wellness Program is ongoing. Then be ready to adapt to those suggestions.
• By way of example, if kids in a pediatric obesity Worksite Health and Wellness Program fight the idea of completing exercise logs, then get a verbal summary of their activity for the week instead.

• Simplify Worksite Health and Wellness Program

• If part of your Worksite Health and Wellness Program is not working, try making that part less complicated.
• By way of example, if getting follow-up information is not going the way you planned, then make the process to get information easier OR decrease the number of pieces of information that you collect.

• Use lemons to make lemonade

• What do you do when the Worksite Health and Wellness Program doesn’t turn out exactly as you planned? Look for what did turn out. Often, the ‘unexpected outcomes’ produce positive results.
• By way of example, one installation’s database to collect sick call data was made obsolete by a regional system. However, the installation database was able to be used in a different way to track vaccination information that improved delivery of care to Employees.
• At another installation, world events halted a new physical training program. Instead, Worksite Health and Wellness Program materials were made into a fitness guide.

Thank you for the invitation to participate in your group’s event. Please fill out the form entirely so that we may obtain all of the required information that is needed to participate in a Health Fair/Event. Please fax the completed form to _________________, or mail to the address below. You will be contacted at least a week prior to the event if we are able to attend. If we are unable to attend, you will be contacted as soon as possible.

Name of Group: ___________________________________________

Address of Group: _________________________________________

Contact Person: ___________________________________________

Contact’s Phone Number: __________________________________

Name of Event: ___________________________________________

Event Location: ___________________________________________

Circle County where Event will be held:      Site #1            Site #2

Date(s) of Event: __________________________________________

Time of Event: ____________________________________________

Services Being Requested: __________________________________

Type of Audience: _________________________________________

(i.e. families, seniors, youth)

Number of Attendees expected: ____________________________

Circle Items Provided:   Tables              Chairs               Tablecloth                     Tents

Please attach any specific directions pertaining to check-in, set-up, parking, or driving directions along with this sheet and send to the address or fax to the number below:

Any questions may be directed to:

Name

Address

Telephone Number

Fax Number

Email Address

Take the time to plan Worksite Health and Wellness Programs before they are started.

Strategic planning enables better use of all your resources. Include all the steps below when you plan a Wellness activity.
• Do your homework - Identify the science and research that support your interventions. Look for similar Worksite Health and Wellness Programs that already exist.
• Determine the specific health need(s) - Use these needs to target interventions to problems that are an issue for your population.
• Organize a team - A team is a resource multiplier. Network and build as many partnerships as you can.
• Make a plan, but don’t start completely from scratch. Make a written plan for your Worksite Health and Wellness Program. Look for every opportunity to take advantage of resources that already exist. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
• Select a focus - Choose one or two main target areas for Worksite Health and Wellness Programs. Address all five stages of change in the target areas rather than trying to hit every possible Wellness topic.
• Determine your resources - What assets do you have? What assets will you need? How can you fill the gaps?
• Get Senior Management support - Think like Senior Management. Communicate the value of Wellness from Senior Management’s perspective.
• Start the activity- Be flexible. Be prepared for unexpected challenges.
• Market the activity - Keep your Worksite Health and Wellness Program visible for Senior Management, line and medical personnel, Worksite Health and Wellness Program participants, and potential partners and volunteers.
• Collect and analyze outcomes - Outcomes indicate Worksite Health and Wellness Program impact. Start with just a few outcomes – you don’t have to collect everything. Remember that it’s never too late to start measuring Worksite Health and Wellness Program impact.
• Evaluate, improve and re-evaluate - Use participant feedback and Worksite Health and Wellness Program outcomes to determine Worksite Health and Wellness Program impact. Identify areas in need of improvement. Use outcomes to determine if expended resources were worth the results.

Employee Health Interest Survey - Please help us learn more about your health interests by taking a few minutes to fill out this survey. Your responses are very important and will be kept confidential. The information will be compiled to help us plan for future wellness activities. We appreciate your input and look forward to a successful wellness program! Please return completed surveys to ______________________________________________.

What is the best way for you to hear about various wellness activities?
___ Flyers/posters
___ Company intranet
___ Bulletin board
___ Paycheck attachment
___ Company newsletter
___ Email

When is the best time for you to participate in wellness activities?
___ Before work
___ After work
___ Lunch hour
___ Would not participate (if checked please indicate why?)
___ Lack of time
___ Lack of motivation
___ Lack of interest

Would you be interested in serving on a wellness committee?
___ Yes         ___ No

Would you be interested in volunteering for a wellness program, health fair?
___ Yes         ___ No

Name:__________________________________________
Phone Number:____________________________________
Email:______________________________________________

Which of the following topics would you be interested in learning more about (check all that apply):
___ Nutrition information/nutrition counseling
___ Weight Watchers at Work program
___ Smoking cessation
___ Gym discounts/memberships
___ Cancer prevention
___ Stress management
___ Ergonomics
___ Heart health
___ Asthma & allergy awareness
___ Diabetes awareness
___ First aid
___ Better sleep
___ Brain health
___ Fitness/exercise
___ Walking program
___ Healthcare consumerism
___ Corporate sports teams. Please check sports of interest:
___ Baseball
___ Basketball
___ Softball
___ Volleyball
___ Other_________________________
___ Screenings. Please check those of interest:
___ Blood pressure
___ Body composition analysis
___ Cholesterol
___ DermaScan
___ Bone density
___ Other_____________________
___ Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
___ Other_______________________________________

Name Our Wellness Program
Here is a chance to use your creativity and brand our wellness program. If we pick your entry you could win ________________
Complete and return this survey by_______________________
We will enter your name into a drawing for a _______________ .
Your Suggestion:
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Why use small steps toward health behavior change?

Small steps give participants immediate feedback on the changes they make towards better health. Measuring these small steps is also an excellent way to collect interim Worksite Health and Wellness Program effectiveness information.

Worksite Health and Wellness Program small steps make a big difference

Small steps for Worksite Health and Wellness Program participants
• Walk to work.
• Use fat free milk instead of whole milk.
• Each day think of two things you are grateful for.
• Do sit-ups while you watch TV.
• Drink water before a meal.
• Take 10 deep breaths to relieve tension.
• Eat half your dessert.
• Skip second helpings and buffets.

Measuring small Worksite Health and Wellness Program steps
• Use short pre- and mid-point surveys to ask:
• How many glasses of water do you drink a day?
• How frequently you do eat fast food?
• How frequently do you skip a meal?
• How frequently do you engage in physical activity?
• How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you eat each day?

Use the results to show participants how their health behaviors are changing for the better.

• Ask participants to rate their health status and/or stress levels before and after an intervention.
• Add up individual (or team) steps and mark the progress on a map towards a far away destination.
• Be creative! Do not rely only on weight loss, BMI, or cholesterol tests as health status progress indicators or health behavior change feedback.

Wise words for taking small Worksite Health and Wellness Program steps

• The first wealth is health. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
• We are what we repeatedly do. (Aristotle)
• The victory is not always to the swift, but to those who keep moving. (CDC)
• There are 1440 minutes in every day…schedule 30 of them for physical activity. (CDC)

6 to 12 months before the health fair

___ Obtain approval from senior management

___ Recruit planning committee members

___ Select month/date/time

___ Select theme

___ Select a room that comfortably accommodates the largest possible number of employees and one that they can get to at a convenient time of day

___ Identify possible services, information, exhibits activities

___ Prepare a budget

3 to 6 months before the health fair

___ Establish health fair time lines

___ Secure commitments from vendors

___ Solicit donated items for the health fair

___ Secure health fair volunteers (e.g., photographer, greeters, etc.)

___ Reserve the correct number of tables and chairs per health fair vendor

___ Locate electrical outlets

___ Create vendor name displays to be placed at each vendor’s table location

___ Create a health fair vendor needs-assessment form. The form should include event date, setup time, directions, and parking information (included)

3 months before the health fair

___ Order supplies/materials

___ Plan and begin securing health fair prizes, decorations, goodie bags, giveaways, etc.

___ Reserve trash cans

___ Secure parking for health fair vendors

___ Coordinate design and printing of health fair posters, flyers, etc.

___ Consider traffic flow and the potential for waiting lines for health fair screenings

___ Plan layout and flow

___ Distribute health fair needs-assessment form to vendors.

45 days before the health fair

___ Confirm health fair providers

___ Send personal invitations to management

___ Assign health fair vendor display areas based on electrical needs

30 days before the health fair

___ Begin promoting the health fair to employees

___ Distribute “Save the date” health fair flyers/paycheck stuffers

___ Arrange for health fair posters to go up

___ Hold a pre-event meeting for the health fair committee and volunteers

___ Double-check all supplies ordered

One week before the health fair

___ Confirm health fair attendance with all vendors

___ Make health fair vendor, volunteer, chairman, etc. nametags

___ Purchase perishable items

___ Make list of where health fair volunteers will be assigned the day of the health fair

___ Finalize plan for the registration table and registration process

___ Continue to promote the health fair to employees

Day before the health fair

___ Set up health fair tables, booths, exhibits, chairs, rooms

___ Set up the health fair registration table, including sign-in/registration sheets, pens/pencils, name tags

___ Set up health fair food area

___ Make sure there are enough electrical cords, outlets, audiovisual equipment, etc.

___ Begin final promotion of the health fair to employees

Day of the health fair

___ Conduct final promotion of fair to employees

___ Set up as needed

___ Be ready one hour before health fair opening

___ Direct and instruct volunteers

___ Greet health fair vendors at the entrance and familiarize them with important areas

___ Make arrangements for break time and/or lunch for vendors

___ Be sure someone periodically walks through the health fair to assess employee/vendor needs

___ Clean up health fair area when necessary

___ Maintain registration and refreshment tables throughout the health fair

___ Make sure to thank health fair vendors, donors of prizes, and employees who volunteered

___ Estimate health fair attendance

Health Fair Follow-up

___ Collect evaluations to determine how to improve the next health fair

___ Send thank-you letter to health fair exhibitors, volunteers, etc.

___ Determine and document possible improvements for next health fai

___ Send a follow-up report and results of the employee evaluation to management

Why Worksite Health and Wellness Program follow up?

Getting feedback from Worksite Health and Wellness Program participants serves two purposes: to obtain information that quantifies a Wellness Program’s impact, and to find ways to improve a Worksite Health and Wellness Program.

Building follow up into your Worksite Health and Wellness Program

Keep it simple
• Keep follow up to information you absolutely require. A three-question survey is more likely to get a response than one with 20 questions.
• Use email or phone for follow-up. Use personal, AKO, and installation email addresses; use cell phone and unit phone numbers.
• Go to the Employees: go to the unit or somewhere else they will all be gathered (like the APFT test location), and get follow up information there.
• Give participants a stamped envelope addressed to you, with a printed form listing the information you will need.

Keep it structured
• Tell participants right from the beginning that you will be doing follow up after the Worksite Health and Wellness Program is finished. Be specific about the information you will collect.
• If you need to do hands-on measurements, find out if participants will be coming back to your location for another reason (like another clinic appointment). Ask them to stop by while they are in the building – or, better yet, go to where they will be.
• Ask participants where they will be the next time you will be collecting information. They may already know their next duty station if they will be PCSing soon.
• Plan ahead for follow up and put it on the schedule. Planning to do follow up “when you have time” usually means follow up will never get done.

Keep it catchy
• Give participants something to go along with the request for information. By way of example, if you send an email to ask for information, send along a yummy recipe or a timely fitness tip.
• Schedule a ‘reunion’ day to collect follow up information. Invite participants to come back and share successes and challenges. Have some (healthy) munchies available.
• Have a silly contest – the team with the most follow up information wins something, like having their photos posted on a prominently-placed bulletin board or an eggplant trophy, or some other fun thing.

Health Fairs Employee Interest Survey

Please help us learn more about your health needs and interests by taking a few minutes to fill out this survey.  Your responses are important and will help us to plan future wellness activities for employees at________________________. We appreciate your input and look forward to a successful wellness program!

1. Which of the following topics would you be interested in learning more about?  (Check all that apply)

_____Nutrition                                 _____Weight management

_____Stress management                _____Smoking cessation

_____Heart disease                         _____Summer safety

_____Physical activity/exercise      _____Allergy awareness

_____Cancer prevention                  _____Children’s health issues

_____Ergonomics                           _____Disease prevention

_____Women’s health issues (breast health, osteoporosis, menopause)

2. What is the best way for you to hear about various wellness activities?  (Check all that apply)

_____Flyers/posters                         ______Newsletters

_____Bulletin boards                        ______Reminders in paycheck

_____E-mail

3. When is the best time for you to participate in wellness activities?

_____Before work                                        ______After work

_____Lunch hour                                         ______Would not participate (if checked, please answer question below)

Why wouldn’t you participate in a wellness activity?

_____lack of time                       ______lack of interest

_____lack of motivation              ______not a believer in wellness

4. What shift do you primarily work? or What hours best describe your work schedule?

______1^st shift or 6-2

______2^nd shift or 9-5

______3^rd shift or 10-8

5. How much time would you be willing to devote to a wellness activity?

______less than 30 minutes                         _______30-45 minutes

______45-60 minutes                                  Other __________________

6. Would you be interested in being a volunteer for upcoming wellness events or serving on an employee wellness committee?

_______Yes                                                _______No

If Yes, please complete the following information:

Name_____________________

Dept.__________

Phone Ext.________