Anthem Blue Cross 2007 Annual Report Download - page 18

16 Customer First : : www.wellpoint.com/annualreport/2007
THE SCOTTS COMPANY :: Anthem National Accounts customer
Marysville, Ohio
Carol and Jim’s experience is just one example of the larger
culture of wellness at the Scotts Company.
In January 2006, Scotts named Anthem its sole national carrier
and embarked upon a comprehensive companywide wellness
strategy. The program is based on a simple, three-pronged approach
that is called ACT, to remind users of its three points: awareness
of health risk, creation of a plan to improve health, and taking
action toward change with available resources.
Employees at Scotts begin by taking a Health Risk Assessment.
Employees with certain high risk factors, such as tobacco use, are
encouraged to work with a coach, as Carol and Jim did, to set goals
and create a plan of action to improve their health.
“As a company, Scotts believes that improving the total health
of our employees is the right thing to do,” said Melanie Hoffman, the
company’s director of bene ts. “Physical health is such an important
factor in one’s quality of living and the company’s productivity.
“Health coaching is the centerpiece of our wellness
strategy, because it supports employees who want to work on
certain health and lifestyle issues to improve their health.
“Participation in the programs has been very high. Employees
are taking more and more responsibility for their total health, and
they appreciate that the company is providing a wide array of
resources and tools to help them reach their goals.”
Coaching our members to better health
CAROL HADDIX :: Anthem member
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Carol Haddix knew it was time to make a change. The then
53-year-old Anthem member in Colorado Springs, Colorado, had
been feeling unhealthy and frustrated about her weight. Then one
night in January 2007, Carol came home to  nd a message on her
answering machine from her health coach, Linda Jones, who was
calling as part of the wellness program offered by Carol’s employer,
the Scotts Company.
Carol returned the call. “Linda really listened,” said Carol.
“She let me go on and on, and at the end of the conversation she
told me about a dietitian at Anthem, Byron Butter eld, and asked
if I’d like to talk to him.”
Byron soon called Carol. After asking some basic questions
about her eating habits and diet, he prepared a weight-loss
program for her. When Carol mentioned that her husband, Jim,
was also overweight, Byron prepared a second program for him.
Carol and Jim began tracking their regular eating and exercise
habits; they sent weekly logs to Byron via e-mail. They also began
reading food labels, counting calories, and watching portion sizes
and fat content. “They really did this the right way,” Byron said.
“They sent their logs in like clockwork, and they followed the
recommendations I gave them.”
The MyHealth Coach program is just one component of
Anthem’s 360° Health,® the  rst program in the health care
industry to integrate all care management programs and tools into
a single resource. The object is to furnish members the right help
at the right time. To date, Carol has lost 30 pounds. Jim has lost
more than 25. They are still in touch with both Byron and Linda.
“We couldn’t be happier,” said Carol. “We’re realizing that
making smart choices, reading labels and looking at what we
put into our bodies can really make a difference.”
LEFT :: Anthem member Carol Haddix and her
husband, Jim, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
MIDDLE :: (From left to right) Anthem
members Debby, Tyler, and Darin Brinsey
of Leavittsburg, Ohio.
RIGHT :: Mark Fisher, Big Lots director of
bene ts and human resources information
systems, in Columbus, Ohio.