Overview
Worksite Health Promotion programs have achieved widespread acceptance in recent years. The League and RMS began a review and conducted a Pilot Study to confirm the approach and content for North Carolina municipal agencies. Implementation of these programs has been prompted by many factors; including an interest in improving the health of employees, reduced medical costs, reduced workers comp claims and additional employee benefits. It has also been proven that worksite health programs can yield positive changes in employee health behavior and health status.

The Challenge
Make a commitment to improving each employee’s health status by providing the opportunity and resources to become personally involved in the promotion of his/her health.

Program Goals and Objectives
• To increase the employee’s knowledge and self-awareness of reducible health risks.
• Achieve and maintain individual life-style changes that will promote maximum wellness.
• Achieve and maintain voluntary program participation for high-risk employees.
• Provide opportunities for an environment that will support practicing healthy behaviors.

What is the RMS Wellness Initiative?
Our Public Employee Wellness Initiative is a multifaceted program designed to improve the quality of life by evaluating present health status and making realistic suggestions and recommendations for future improvement. This program can be offered as a benefit to employees at the worksite. Major components are the following:

Health Screenings and Hands-On Assessments
Each agency will select a site coordinator that will be trained by experts in Human Performance Laboratory from East Carolina University. Project experts with background in law enforcement and trained exercise physiologists will work as a team with your trained coordinator. Screenings include lipids (cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) glucose, blood pressure, body composition, flexibility, endurance and overall fitness testing.

A Personal Wellness Profile
Each employee will receive a confidential and comprehensive Individual Health Prescription (IHP) prepared immediately after screening and delivered the following day. It will be based on the individual’s health habits, blood chemistry and fitness level. Personal one-on-one counseling will be provided by the trained exercise physiologists and coordinators when the IHP is hand delivered.

Classes and Information
Topics and length of courses can be tailored to your needs. A few examples our consultants can offer include: Stress Management, Nutrition and Fitness, Back Safety, Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, Smoking Cessation and Personal Motivation.

Promotional and Informational Materials
Posters, brochures and various other informational materials have been developed by the NCLM professional staff and are available for distribution. In addition, other promotional materials such as pens, flying disks, shirts and stickers have been developed and all promotional materials carry the logo adopted for the statewide campaign.

Incentive Programs
In our “pilot program” various approaches were used to include plaques and certificates for individuals, trophies for most fit and most improved agencies and cash awards up to $1,000.00 for achievement. As the program advances we will be soliciting your input to determine the most practical and cost effective methods for incentives. Some agencies have already adopted a cash awards approach for individual officers meeting established annual expectations.

Policy Development and Consultation
The project manager, David D. Cashwell and Associates, has over 35 years experience within criminal justice and other public regulatory agencies and specializes in public policy and law enforcement issues. The GROUP he has assembled, along with others that include retired chiefs of police, IS available to craft and develop policy that would be tailored to your agency.