Health and wellness programs can not only improve the lives of individuals, but can also positively affect healthcare costs. The Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) offers a Group Health Benefits Program through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia as a membership service to counties for their employees. For the last eight years, ACCG has offered wellness grants to encourage counties participating in the ACCG Group Health Benefits Program to further health and wellness initiatives. This year ACCG has awarded $100,000 in grants to 40 jurisdictions:
- Atkinson
- Bartow
- Ben Hill
- Bibb
- Bryan
- Burke
- Chatham
- Cherokee
- Coffee
- Dade
- Dooly
- Douglas
- Floyd
- Habersham
- Harris
- Henry
- Houston
- Jackson
- Johnson
- Jones
- Lee
- Liberty
- Lumpkin
- Madison
- Miller
- Monroe
- Polk
- Putnam
- Rockdale
- Solid Waste Management Authority of Atkinson County
- Stephens
- Sumter
- Talbot
- Telfair
Twiggs - Ware
- Washington
- Wilkes
- Wilkinson
- Worth
Jurisdictions selected to receive a grant agree to designate a health promotion leader within the jurisdiction, attend one educational class relating to wellness, distribute a memo to all employees announcing the program, offer a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) to employees and implement additional health promotional activities. The grant money may be used to implement a number of wellness activities including health fairs, incentives for weight loss or smoking cessation, health program participation or the purchase of exercise equipment.
“By providing health fairs and other screenings in the workplace, counties can help employees identify health concerns,” said ACCG Insurance Programs Director David Paulk. “This can lead to an improved quality of life for the individual and also reduce future healthcare costs.”
Counties that participate in the ACCG Group Health Benefits Program also are eligible to receive risk management, safety and wellness training at no additional cost from the Local Government Risk Management Services (LGRMS). This organization is funded by ACCG and the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) to provide programs to help counties reduce liability costs to jurisdictions participating in either association’s insurance programs. In the area of health and wellness, LGRMS Health Promotion Services staff assists counties by developing health communications campaign, coordinating or assisting with prevention and health education screenings, encouraging the development of health policy guidelines and other areas.
LGRMS Health Promotion Services Field Representative Candace Amos was recently recognized by the Housing Authority of Columbus for her assistance in conducting body mass index and blood pressure screenings for employees. During these screenings, several employees learned that their levels were dangerously high and were consulted about behaviors that could be changed to help moderate these conditions and possibly prevent an event such as a stroke or heart attack.
“We have learned that employees that may not be willing to visit a doctor are willing to participate in health screenings offered in the workplace,” said Cherie Johnson, Chief Human Resources and Risk Management Officer for the Housing Authority of Columbus. “With the help of Candace and other LGRMS Health Promotions Services staff, we are empowering our employees to adopt healthly lifestyles.”
For additional information on the wellness grants, please contact ACCG Insurance Programs Manager David Uhlman at (404) 522-5022 or LGRMS Health Promotion Services Coordinator Sherea Robinson at (678) 686-6281.
