Prevention Matters

A new report card allows you to compare the health status of any county in the country with that of another. "County Health Rankings: Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health," a health report card for almost every one of the nation's more than 3,000 counties, is being released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin's Population Health Institute.

A column in BizTimes.com says worksite wellness programs "are showing a significant return on investment among companies across the U.S." Well City Milwaukee's Janet McMahon specifically cites the following programs:

• Johnson & Johnson's Healthy People program, which saves an estimated $9 to $10 million per year from reduced medical utilization and lower administrative expenses.
• Citibank's comprehensive health management program, which demonstrates for every dollar invested in programming activities, $4.56 to $4.73 was saved in reduced health care costs.
• Union Pacific Railroad's medical self-care program, which shows a cost savings of $2.78 for every dollar invested by reducing inappropriate emergency room and outpatient visits.
• Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. in Millwauke, which launched its wellness program in 2006. In the past three years, Baird's health care cost trend has decreased from 13 percent per year to 7 percent per year, and it is expected to be lower in 2010 as well. In addition, preventable health risks, which are closely associated with health care costs, have decreased for Baird employees.

Kudos to Wisconsin and North Carolina for becoming the latest states to act to protect their citizens from the dangers of secondhand smoke. On May 13, both state legislatures gave final approval to bills calling for smoke-free workplaces, restaurants and bars.

As one might expect, Wisconsin’s law is much stronger – calls for 100 percent smoke free workplaces, restaurants, bars and hotel rooms. As with most state laws, certain exemptions are provided – in this case, for cigar bars and tobacco retail shops. And, as often is the case, some preemption language “slipped in.” The state allows certain businesses to designate outdoor smoking areas on privately-owned property – local municipalities are preempted from passing stronger laws affecting private property, like bar or restaurant patios. However, local communities CAN pass stronger indoor and outdoor restrictions on publicly-owned property. The governor is expected to sign the bill early next week.

Now for North Carolina – a big applause for bucking the odds and passing a statewide law. Remember, this is the state that gave us Winston and Salem cigarette brands and still feels significant pressure from “big tobacco.” While all workers won’t be protected from dangerous secondhand smoke, an important group – restaurant and bar employees, as well as their patrons, will be able to breathe easier. Governor Beverly Perdue is expected to sign the bill, which would go into effect January 2, 2010. We appreciate the efforts of the North Carolina Alliance for Health and NC Prevention Partners who pressed for stronger protections and who will continue to fight for the health of all North Carolinians.


Diane M. Canova
Managing Senior Fellow
& Senior Program Officer