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24 <br />SECTION 1. DESCRIPTION OF ONGOING WELLNESS PROGRAM <br />Number of employees eligible to participate: 844 <br />1. Describe the mission and goals of your ongoing wellness program and <br />how they were developed. (Please see attached goals and objectives) <br />The mission of our Orange County Employee Wellness Program (OCEWP): <br />`To offer a wellness program to all employees which will improve health and <br />productivity, reduce absenteeism and health care costs and establish an overall <br />work environment that promotes good health and a positive work attitude" <br />A committee that included representatives from the County Health Department, <br />Personnel Department and Blue Cross Employer Health Partnership Blue Program <br />developed this mission, along with the attached goals and objectives. <br />Over the past 12 months this group has been working, along with a student from the <br />UNC-CFi School of Public Health, to assess the current employee wellness status in <br />Orange County. As part of this process, two surveys were conducted, one on <br />vending machine use and preference and a second on wellness program interest, <br />Seventeen department heads were interviewed about their attitudes and perceptions <br />related to employee health and wellness. An environmental scan to assess things <br />such as areas for exercise, break rooms, bulletin boards and access to healthy <br />vending options was conducted at 6 of the major worksites in the county, We also <br />reviewed the Blue Cross claims analysis of employees from 2003, Finally, a listing <br />of all the existing health and wellness programs being offered through the County <br />was also compiled, <br />The group also sought assistance and feedback from the County's Employee <br />Relations Consortium (ERC), a group made up cf representatives from all 30 County <br />departments. From this group a wellness subcommittee has been formed. <br />Based on ail of the data collected and feedback from employees, a set of goals and <br />objectives has been established with strategies for the first year. <br />2. Describe the involvement of both employees and management in ongoing <br />program planning and implementation. <br />As mentioned above, the Health Director and Personnel Director were both part of <br />the program planning committee during the first year and department heads were <br />interviewed for input. An Employee Relations Consortium wellness subcommittee <br />has been formed. A presentation of the plan was made to all department heads and <br />the County Manager on April 14, 2005. At that time they were asked for their <br />support and agreed to give it. The County Manager is very supportive and has <br />