Q: What programs or aspects of your healthcare benefits are you finding to be the most important to your employees?
Brian Allery
VP of Employee Success and Administration
WebPT
Sector: Healthcare
At WebPT, our Employee Success and Culture teams approach each year’s strategic planning with our Live Better team commitment in mind. In 2017, we initiated more than a dozen programs to address everything from physical health to financial health, and we continually work to improve these based on employee feedback.
Traditionally, one of our most popular (and longest-standing) initiatives is the Alive Transformation Challenge (ATC), which is similar to television’s “Biggest Loser” competition but focuses more on committing to sustainable, positive lifestyle changes. Last year, we also began providing WebPT employees with memberships to the Headspace meditation app, which has been an important addition to our healthcare benefits program.
Brian Allery, an Organization Development Certified Professional who has held executive positions in several companies, has more than 20 years of progressive and comprehensive experience in the areas of operations, shared services, finance and budgeting, information systems, human resources, benefits administration, and supply chain and facilities management. He graduated from Ashford University with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management, and is also a certified fitness trainer and injury specialist.
Kishlay Anand, M.D.
Founder and CEO
Akos MD
Sector: Healthcare
Our employees unanimously say that easy access to the healthcare provider via telemedicine is what they find most helpful. This is consistent with what we hear from our customers as well. They value the prompt access to healthcare more than almost anything else because finding a timely and convenient appointment has been the biggest challenge for most employees.
Traditional medicine will always be there, but telemedicine will complement traditional medicine by bringing the healthcare provider to you, the patient, through the convenience of a smart device. Of course, telemedicine cannot be used for serious or life-threatening conditions; however, most people seek healthcare for relatively minor and stable conditions, many of which can be treated safely through telemedicine as an alternative way of consulting with a healthcare professional.
Most of our employees are tech savvy and they understand that it’s inevitable that technology will be an integral part of everything in our lives, including healthcare. Healthcare will be more accessible and promptly available to those in need, and the ultimate result will be a healthier society.
Akos founder and CEO, Dr. Kishlay Anand is a board-certified cardiologist and electrophysiologist. He is president of Arizona Cardiovascular Institute, a cardiovascular outpatient surgery center, and serves on the board at Cardiovascular Consultants, the largest integrated cardiovascular group in the Phoenix area. Dr. Anand’s charitable work includes being the chairman and founding partner for Prayatna, a voluntary organization that promotes health awareness and patient welfare.
Angela Fair
Senior Vice President, People & Performance
Redflex
Sector: Technology
At Redflex, traditional healthcare plans are only part of the picture. We proactively encourage healthy behaviors on numerous fronts to improve employee wellbeing, satisfaction and productivity. Not only do our team members reap health and financial benefits, but our efforts have helped foster a greater sense of community.
For instance, WellSteps is a Web-based incentive program that encourages healthy habits year-round. Employees log activities, such as exercise and healthy eating, to earn points that can be redeemed for rewards and even health plan savings. We find it creates camaraderie among employees, as well as opportunities for employees to motivate one another. Similarly, “Walking Wednesdays” is highly popular and directly impacts a positive workplace culture. In this program, employees pledge to walk a mile or more during lunch. They are entered into a drawing for free days off.
In addition to encouraging healthy physical behaviors, we use Freshbenies to help the company and employees save money through their health benefits. This program identifies the best prices for healthcare procedures and prescriptions, and it provides data to negotiate costs with providers and insurers.
Angela Fair leads Redflex’s worldwide talent team on three continents. She has more than 20 years of experience in human resources, benefits and compensation, health, HRIS and safety fields, among other industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, as well as certification in Human Resources and Workplace Safety.
