Corporate Health and Fitness Assessments

A fit and healthy employee is an asset to your company through increased productivity and decreased absenteeism. Illness or premature death of valuable employees from disease is a costly liability. Cardiovascular disease is still the major killer in our society. However, in many cases it can be prevented by the early recognition and alteration of risk factors such as high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, physical inactivity and high body fat levels.

Why have Health and Fitness Assessments?

The provision of health assessments for staff will provide a natural starting point for many employees to undertake health improvements and will heighten their potential for change by identifying personal health needs and risks. The assessments will also facilitate the success of any other proposed corporate health initiatives such as recreation/exercise events and education seminars. These will be more readily accepted by staff as being pertinent to THEIR own personal health and well-being.

Assessments for all levels of employees

A 3 tiered health and fitness screening programme is offered to meet your company's specific needs. Conducted by university qualified health professionals, these assessments can also be utilised to determine the current health status across the entire company staffing structure. Screening programmes can also be tailored specifically to suit the particular needs of a corporation.

TIER 1: EXECUTIVE HEALTH EVALUATION (2-3 hours duration)

Conducted in conjunction with Health-Core by the Wesley Corporate Health Program based at the Wesley Hospital Medical Centre, this level of health assessment is recommended for executives and those high value company individuals especially those over 45 years. The comprehensive assessment includes:

1. Medical History, Diet/Nutrition and Exercise/Activity Profiles

2. Blood and Urine Pathology Lipid Profile - Total cholesterol, triglycerides & HDL/LDL-Cholesterol Biochemistry - General screen, kidney and liver function tests, full blood count, haemoglobin and other parameters, urinalysis, cancer marker (PSA) for males over 50 years

3. Medical Physical Examination

4. General Body Measurements - Height, weight - Visual & Hearing acuity - Body fat and weight goals - Lung function - Lower back flexibility - Abdominal strength - Grip, chest and upper back strength

5. Exercise Stress Test/Fitness Test - Treadmill or Bicycle Where indicated, a maximal exercise test with a 12-lead ECG (Stress Test) is employed to screen for heart disease and to establish aerobic fitness. Review by a cardiologist is conducted where required.

6. Stress Management and Counselling

7. Dietary Profiling with Advice and Planning

8. Summary with Lifestyle, Heart Disease and Cancer Risk Appraisal

9. Referral to Specialists for Follow-up Procedures where required

10. Typed Confidential Reports from Medical Officer and Exercise Physiologist

11. Follow-up visit 8-12 weeks after Assessment to Monitor Progress

TIER TWO - HEALTH AND FITNESS APPRAISAL (1.5 hours duration)

This Level Two screening provides an employee with a comprehensive appraisal of their overall health and fitness and includes:

1. Medical History and Profile

2. Physical Activity, Diet and Nutritional and Stress Profile

3. Specific Body Measurements - Height and Weight - Heart Rate and Blood Pressure - Postural Check - Body Fat - Abdominal Stability - an indicator of potential for lower back pain - Hip and Lower Back Flexibility - Lung Function and Capacity 3. Blood Pathology - a comprehensive analysis of blood pathology including: Lipid Profile - Total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL/LDL-Cholesterol Glucose levels - indicator of Diabetes

4. Sub-Maximal Cardio-Respiratory Fitness Test A sub-maximal bicycle test to establish an individuals aerobic fitness or endurance capacity.

5. Full Summary with Lifestyle, Fitness and Nutrition Recommendations

6. Follow-up visit 8-12 weeks after Assessment to Monitor Progress (NOTE: employees would be required to wear exercise apparel and have a shower after this assessment to return to work)

TIER THREE: Healthy Heart Check (30 minutes)

Each individual employee will receive a 30 minute counselling session on their heart health including an appraisal of:

1. Personal and family history of heart disease

2. Smoking and activity profiles

3. Stress levels

4. Blood pressure and blood pathology (as per the above health assessment)

5. Height, weight and waist and hip girths as measures of body composition

Each employee is then given a summary of their heart disease risk factors and personal counselling and advice on how to positively improve their cardiac profile.

(NOTE: employees can undertake this appraisal whilst remaining in work attire) Encouragement of Family Involvement Research has found that by involving spouses and other family members of company employees in a corporate health program, employee adherence and health improvement is enhanced. Thus HEALTH-CORE provides a discount for health and fitness evaluations for staff family members over age 17 years. However, follow-up consultations MUST be taken together (eg employee and spouse)