programs can make an impact www.prairiebizmag.com
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Corporate wellness programs can make an impact Tammy Enright was noticing an alarming trend at her job. As office manager at Spectrum Aeromed in Fargo, she got the first look at the health insurance bill each year – and the amount due kept going up.
If
$49,022,441
5 percent of North Dakotans became more physically active, it could save an estimated
Source:www.ndwork sitewellness.org
e’re a small business and it was huge that employee claims were so high,” Enright says. With premiums continually on the rise, company management decided to implement a corporate wellness program. “We wanted to boost employee morale, lower the number of sick days, and wanted employees to know we care about them and their health,” Enright adds. “We’re hoping to make a difference in their lives and pass that on to their families as well.” Spectrum Aeromed turned to Worksite Wellness, a collaborative effort of the Dakota Medical Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota and the Healthy North Dakota Initiative, to guide them through the steps necessary to create a program that would make an impact. While the company is just beginning its journey toward a healthier workforce, they are already seeing improvements. “We’re a manufacturing company, so these guys work hard all day, but they were requesting that all the donuts and candy bars sitting around be replaced with more fruit and vegetables,” Enright states. “They’re the ones that are really concerned about it.” With just 24 employees, Spectrum Aeromed is considered average-sized for North Dakota. Healthy ND Worksite Wellness Director Pete Seljevold says one of the challenges of keeping a wellness program going in a smaller business setting is that someone isn’t dedicated to do the job full or part-time. “What we find is this is one more duty assigned to somebody in the office. So our purpose is to get that person trained, show them where the inexpensive and free
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resources are available and they become the champion. We equip them to flow out this program in their worksite,” Seljevold explains. Healthy ND sends a wellness consultant to the company to train them in their seven steps to success. Consultant Molly Soeby says the first step in the process is the most critical - getting the boss behind it. “If you don’t have management support, it won’t succeed. The employees will be frustrated and it won’t work,” she adds. But in her experience, when a company does have that support, employees tend to embrace the program and meet their goals. Soeby is currently working with Northern Plains Railroad, a company committed to wellness at their three locations in Fordville and Lansford, ND and Erskine, MN. “They look at everything from physical to financial health. They have a mission to be the healthiest company in the rail industry,” Soeby says. “They even allow them to bring their dogs to work, which is actually great for mental health.” She adds the staff energetically developed a wellness team and many quickly changed their lifestyles after receiving the results from health screenings and a health risk assessment. After reviewing the information, dieticians and nurses provided individual coaching for each employee. “This step really tells the company where to spend their wellness dollars,” Soeby continues. She says results at the railroad company showed workers were at greatest risk for muscular-skeletal injuries due to the physical labor. But even the office staff, with their repetitive motions, and tendencies to stand or sit too long put them at risk for injury too.
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Corporate wellness program can make an impact 2
PBRRV June 2011
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Collaboration agreements assist students, while meeting work force demands
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Black Gold is building in Grand Forks
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Fergus Falls launching destiny drivers
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Maintenance training center being established
“Now they’re focusing on what they need to change in their company and are putting together some goals,” she adds. For instance, employees recently told a dietician their favorite breakfasts, and then she altered the recipes to make them healthier. “They had them served at all three worksites, and though they were modified they still tasted good. It proved you don’t need a breakfast full of calories – even for guys who work hard,” Soeby says. The recipes were distributed with a portion control guide on the back of each card. Then the staff was given exercise bands with a demonstration on how to use them. “Employees are just loving it, and we’re looking at really positive changes,” Soeby adds. Fitness and health contests are common, and prizes make a big impact in participation. “Everyone’s busy, so making time for those things is difficult,” says Mike Carlson, BCBSND Corporate Wellness Director. “We think incentives are the way to engage our members to capture better behavior.” Much like their students, hard-working teachers at Grand Forks Public Schools (GFPS) definitely respond to rewards. Things like Scheels gift cards and massage certificates motivate them to meet the wellness challenges set before them. The program at GFPS began in 2006, and with 1,200
employees in 27 locations, consultant Machell Thompson says the most effective way to implement the program was to enlist one or two wellness coaches at each site. Thompson works directly with two wellness coordinators who then pass along the plans and information to the coaches. By 2009, Thompson said 65 percent of participants had maintained or improved their health. “We have had weight loss, revealed cancer and heart disease risks, and saw an increase in physical activity and nutritional health habits,” Thompson adds. Sometimes the health screenings are eye-openers for employees. “One of our teachers got screened, and though she’d been overweight she didn’t know she was that high at risk of coronary heart disease and on the verge of being diabetic. In a short period of time she went out and lost 40 pounds,” Thompson says. “Even if you get to help one person, it’s worth it. But I think we’ve done a great job and affected many teachers.” Soeby says she notices a specific population shocked to discover their poor health. “Particularly young men in their early thirties – their last physical was probably a sports physical in high school. Many of them are 30 to 40 pounds overweight, their sugar is creeping into pre-diabetes range, but they have no idea,” Soeby explains. “We see them making really dramatic changes afterwards.” So the question remains. Are these healthy changes
More than 80 percent of North Dakota employers believe in the benefits of a worksite wellness program but want more support and guidance. – ND Dept of Health
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The costs to North Dakota The Milken Foundation estimates a $2.1 billion loss annually in North Dakota due to lost workdays and decreased productivity. Modifiable lifestyle choices cost North Dakota more than $550 million annually in medical expenditures. More than 67 percent of our residents are overweight or obese. Physically active people in North Dakota can save up to $500 per year in medical costs. Nearly 75 percent do not get regular daily exercise. Source:www.ndworksitewellness.org
Collaboration agreements assist students, while meeting work force demands Minnesota State University Moorhead and Minnesota State Community and Technical College-Fergus Falls, MN, have set up articulation agreements that would allow accounting and business students to transfer credits from the two-year facility in Fergus Falls to the four-year facility in Moorhead, MN.
o me this is a very huge step in facilitating transfer from a twoyear to four-year school,” says Marsha Weber, Dean of Business and Industry at MSU-Moorhead. “It allows more students to transfer without taking more classes.” In addition, for a number of years the two institutions have had an agreement in place called Business 4.0, a four-year degree program presented by MSUM faculty to students on the Fergus Falls campus where students can complete a bachelor’s degree in business administration on the Fergus Falls campus. The classes are presented either by interactive television or online. The two institutions are not the only ones in the Red River Valley devising articulation agreements or even collaborating. For example, an agreement between Valley City State University in Valley City, ND and the North Dakota School of Science in Wahpeton, ND, have devised the first agreement in North Dakota that allows credits from a technical specialty in an Associate degree to be applied to a Bachelor’s degree, says Doug Anderson, Director of Marketing and Communications at VCSU. The collaboration is in the form of an articulation agreement that allows for transfer of credits from the Associate in Applied Science degree in Technical Studies – Journeyworker Track at NDSCS to the Bachelor of Science degree in Career and Technical Education from VCSU. As for the MSUM and M-State agreement, Weber says this is an important step because many students who couldn’t start at a two-year school wouldn’t go to college at all. “Some students aren’t ready for a four-year school,” she states. “This allows students to attain professional degrees.” A major reason for the agreement between the two schools is the demand for accounting employees. “There is more emphasis on transparency and good accounting practices,” Weber states. “This will help supply the region with well-trained and well-informed employees. The region has always had a large pool of qualified people. The smaller towns will benefit as well because they will be fortunate to keep these people at home.” As for the NDSCS-VCSU program, credits from the NDSCS program transfer through VCSU's Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) program, which allows adult learners to earn college credit for work experience. The credits can then be used to meet the technical specialty requirements of VCSU's B.S. CTE degree. These can include experiences gained in apprenticeship programs, which can involve years of experience working in technical fields. “Through this partnership, adult learners can substantially reduce the time and cost required to earn a Bachelor's degree by earning credit
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for their work experiences as well as their study at the Associate degree level,” Anderson explains. “This is important because, like many parts of the country, the North Dakota workforce is getting older, so providing educational opportunities specifically for adult learners are an effective way to increase the capability of the state’s workforce.” Anderson adds that collaborations like this are good for the state because they provide a convenient and cost-effective way for workers to meet the changing job requirements of employers. “This allows new sectors of the economy to grow while leveraging existing intellectual capital,” he says. PBRRV Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com
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Black Gold is building in Grand Forks Black Gold, a multi-state potato production and sales organization, is constructing a new facility that will house its engineering, agronomy, sales, transportation, and accounting department, as well as top management in Grand Forks, ND. e’re in a growth mode,� says Gregg Halverson, President and CEO of Black Gold in Grand Forks, ND. “Agriculture is a good space to be in today.� Over the last six to eight years, Black Gold has at least doubled its growth and will continue to do that through operation efficiency. Black Gold has operations on 11 farms in 11 states, but Halverson says North Dakota is home. Now, the company is expanding by adding infrastructure and support at headquarters to assist those 11 farms. Construction of a new facility has started and is expected to be completed next year. Today, there are 125 employees across the nation; at least 25 in the Grand Forks area. The expansion would provide another 15 jobs in Grand Forks. Black Gold produces half a billion pounds of potatoes. In a Black Gold press release, Halverson states that Grand Forks is the obvious place to grow. “This is where we need to be, there is a strong employee base here with an agricultural structure, and most importantly, it is home.�
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The decision to expand also dealt with efficiency. “We are more specialized in what we do,� he states. “We’re technologically savvy. This enables us to do things that make us different. Sustainability is important. The more organized we are the better we can be.� Halverson states it is also important to remain flexible and not remain in yesterday’s mode. “We are more efficient at what we do and it is what our customers are asking for,� Halverson states. Being headquartered in North Dakota has been a benefit for Black Gold. “There is a great supply of intellectual capacity and great employees who know the value of hard work,� Halverson states.
PBRRV Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com
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Black Gold is a global production, sales and service operation, specializing in potatoes. A leading supplier of chip potatoes, the company operates production farms in 11 states and is internationally known for its innovative technology in potato production and handling. In addition to supply chip, seed, table-stock, and sweet potatoes, Black Gold grows peanuts, corn, wheat, soybeans, and green beans.
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Fergus Falls launching series of destiny drivers ne year after launching a series of destiny drivers to promote growth in Fergus Falls, MN, citizens in the northwest Minnesota community have seen some progress. The community launched Forward Fergus Falls, entitled ‘Forward-thinking Citizens Making Positive Change,’ in June 2010. Forward Fergus Falls is broken down into broad areas of healthy community and economic prosperity, livable community, and everyone in (a social inclusion action step.) In all, there are 16 destiny drivers to accomplish the task. Recently, business leaders provided details of progress that has been attained over the past year. In the healthy economy driver, the newly-built Orthopedic Center has hired staff including surgeons. Despite the difficulty in recruiting physicians to smaller communities, Larry Schulz, CEO of Lake Region Healthcare, states they have been able to increase the physician numbers from 47 to 70. In addition, Harold Stanislawski, Executive Director of the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission, says that the community has reached 98 percent of its goal of 100 jobs in 2010. Forward Fergus Falls has set a standard of creating 100 jobs in each of the next five years in industries such as manufacturing, retail, health care, and service. Another driver involves the Regional Treatment Center (Kirbride Campus) property that was once a state hospital until 2004. The community is looking at long range plans to preserve, re-use, and recreate the facility to create as many as 600 jobs.
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FORWARD FERGUS FALLS: HEALTHY ECONOMY: Create and support 100 jobs or more for each of the next five years. Market Fergus Falls as a tele-commuting-ready community. Establish at least two bio-related businesses in the next five years. Establish access to both local and regional Angel venture funds. Establish an Orthopedic Center of Excellence. Preserve and repurpose the Regional Treatment Center by 2014
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LIVABLE COMMUNITY: Support and expand the River Walk revival efforts. Increase awareness among residents of opportunities for physical activity. Focus on organizing, promoting, and increasing participation for 10 annual weekend-long signature events. Promote ‘being green’ through a series of events. Foster relationships with youth. Fergus Falls will attain 92 percent of high school graduates moving on to post-secondary education. There will be a 10 percent increase or more in enrollments at the Minnesota Technology and Community College over the next five years.
EVERYBODY IN: Forward Fergus Falls is the organization to bring communityminded doers together. Send two additional groups of community leaders to the Blandin Leadership Training Program by 2014. Create and implement a community-wide diversity program.
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RRV News MAINTENANCE TRAINING CENTER BEING ESTABLISHED he Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Program at Northland Community & Technical College (Northland), Thief River Falls, MN, has been awarded a three-year, $4.99 million grant United States Department of Labor grant. This grant was given to establish the very first Unmanned Aerial Systems Maintenance Training Center in the United States. “The business applications are enormous,” states Scott Fletcher, Chief Operating Officer of aviation at Northland. “There is a paradigm shift in unmanned aviation.” For more than 50 years, Northland has operated a 20month Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 147, certified-AMT program. This program certifies aviation maintenance technician graduates to work on any aircraft in national airspace. Now, students can go an additional six months in the UAS maintenance program. Students will learn the latest technology in unmanned aircraft avionics, computer networking, and maintenance. The National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies (NCATT) is establishing the national certification for this course. Fletcher says this additional program will help UAS manufacturers find desired employees who are specifically trained for their needs. Industry leaders have already inquired about hiring graduates from Northland’s first UAS maintenance class. Many other employment opportunities await such graduates in a field that is growing immensely, Fletcher adds.
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SCOTT FLETCHER COO of Aviation, Northland Community & Technical College Thief River Falls, MN
UND INNOVATION CENTER PROFILED he UND Center of Innovation in Grand Forks, ND, is one of 10 programs profiled nationwide on the Regional Innovation Acceleration Network (RIAN) web site. Innovation-driven development programs from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Kansas, and California are also profiled RIAN profiles the best practical lessons learned, as well as key programs that are making a difference looking at venture development organizations across the United States. Bruce Gjovig, Director of the Center of Innovation, says that the Center has had a good track record of success. “They (RIAN) like the fact that we have a comprehensive program,” he states. “We believe that strong entrepreneur and investor ecosystem has been part of the success and the Center has become efficient through public and private partnership.” The Center of Innovation was one of the first entrepreneur outreach centers in the nation when formed in 1984. The Center provides assistance to innovators, entrepreneurs, students, and researchers to launch new ventures, commercialize new technologies, and secure access to capital from private and public sources throughout North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. RIAN is publishing a series of profiles looking at selected venture development organizations around the nation that exemplify how different approaches tailored specifically to their regional assets and entrepreneurial needs are all yielding the same results. PBRRV You can check out the link at www.regionalinnovation.org. Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com
Northland is working towards having a full complement of students in the first semester of the UAS maintenance course, which starts this August. Fletcher states we have great partnerships with Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, and other corporations, resulting in a solid understanding of the future needs of the industry. Northrop Grumman recently donated a full-scale model of their Global Hawk unmanned aircraft to Northland’s Foundation to compliment the program. Two years ago the aviation maintenance program was suffering low enrollment. Now, Fletcher says it is one of the three top performing programs at Northland. “We have worked diligently to structure our program for longterm success.” The grant will allow Northland to buy equipment, network with industry leaders, create maintenance curriculum, and enhance jobs. The intent is that by 2013 the program will be self-sustaining, Fletcher explains. “The biggest piece is to build an economic engine for the region to bring in companies and add depth and breadth to our economic area,” he adds. “For example, we are taking dislocated workers and preparing them for an entirely new career field; one that is heading in an upward direction – being involved is extremely fulfilling!” Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com
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PBRRV June 2011
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