Q: Over the past couple of months we have been working on a wellness plan to present to companies showing improved health, and overall well-being with wellness, non-therapeutic chiropractic care. We are mostly using the data from the Network Study and some others. We had some contacts in town and other companies we just made cold calls to the Human Resources Department. Just this week a company offered to "try it out" on 2 conditions, first that it be free, and second that it be "medical research". This is a company of ~600 people. We have proposed on site care for the employees. I have serious concerns about giving our care away. I would love to do a research project, any ideas for funding? The HR person mentioned they already have a "wellness plan" with the local health club and their HMO covers chiropractic, he was not open to our idea of adjusting the employees for wellness. I know this is mostly because most people do not think of chiropractic for staying well or improving health even though one currently is without symptoms. Our only way to "get in the door" is to give our care away. I see a great opportunity to share the message with many, many people who all live in this town, and have kids whom they would like to see express their full potential, etc. We were prepared to give a discount for companies for a trail period for them to see improvements in absenteeism, morale, productivity, and costs. Once the company can see the improvements we would expect a greater fee. Would you offer free care, if so for how long? Any suggestions? We would appreciate your advice. A: Thanks for the e-mail and question. First of all .. life is full of experinces and this will be one .. hopefully fruitful and full of potential. I applaud you for getting your feet wet and sending out vibes for workshops and calling your corporate neighbors. If you got a bite .. look less at the wealth of it and concentrate on the health of it .. both their employees and your office. In other words .. work up a program and hone it down so you can package it everywhere. Once you write up a proposal and deliver the program and receive (most important) a letter of endorsement and thanks from the company .. you can take this program on the road. When I was doing tons of these workshops .. I was more than pleased to do them for free as they offered me their employee base and it was up to me to gather the crowd into my office. At times it was difficult to be up front and invite them in at other times the administrator would encourage them to visit and be cared for by me. So .. chalk this one up as experince and as an experiment. As far as their demands .. okay .. but place a limit to it. Make it a research project with these provisions: Proposal: This proposal is for Employees of ____________________. This program will consist of a specific number of employees who acknowledge their desire for conservative chiropractic care and offered within their work environment. (since you state care is desired at their location or it could be at your office). The company will provide our Chiropractic office availability of their employee workstation and employee base to introduce ergonomics via specific conservative and objective advice and classes to introduce the ergonomic concept to the employees. These workshops will outline safety and wellness concepts to increase the employee¼s level of productivity and reduce their level of downtime at work. Data will be kept for those participating employees including their lifestyle .. i.e.. diet, level of exercise, stress factors, physical concerns while at work, etc. This data will be gathered and sent to an outside chiropractic source (if no one else .. send it to me or Don Epstein) for compilation and possible publication. Data will be gathered and processed within the parameters of like research within the chiropractic profession (this has been done by the ICA Review .. Foot Levelers .. and other publications). Employees accepting this program will be asked to complete an extensive survey of lifestyle issues mentioned above (I can help you with this) as well as participate in a program of conservative chiropractic care and allied health oriented concepts, such as exercise, stress control and nutrition. Chiropractic care will consist of multiple visits per week for an extended period not to exceed three or four weeks with no more than 6-10 visits. As a courtesy to these employees we ask that they make a donation of $5 per visit to a charity of your choice or the local food bank. Employees requiring and desiring additional care beyond this program¼s parameter will be charged the usual and customary fees as preset within our office. If an employee desires another chiropractor or medical specialist we will be more than happy to assist with this referral. Note: This program is not an endorsement by your company nor do we offer any health claims or results. Care rendered by our office is covered by professional liability insurance which is not the responsibility of your company. Furthermore, if there is an employee with a work related condition, this employee will not qualify for this program unless it is under the umbrella of worker¼s compensation and charged accordingly. Now to further edplore this concept and reach other companies: First .. let them understand that you have Community Outreach Programs of which the Ergonomic workshops are in demand and a great asset to any corporation .. you know .. increase employee productivity and decrease their downtime. Below is a menu of services offered. I would approach this company like this: (by the way .. send this information to many companies within your farm .. 5-10 miles around your office) Proposal: Pro-Active corporations are looking towards conservative ergonomic solutions to enhance employee productivity and decrease the level of unproductive downtime. One avenue of approach is via education. Below are a number of workshops offered to our community as part of our Corporate Neighbor Outreach Program. We are setting up our late fall and early Spring dates and hope your company can participate. There is no charge for the first workshop with a modest fee for additional dates. Someone from our office will be calling you soon. Thank You For Your Interest In One Of Our Community Outreach Programs Here are but a few of the programs we provide, at no charge, to corporate and civic organizations. If you have an interest in one or more of our programs, please call for further information and/or scheduling dates. We recommend madatory attendance for groups of 25-35 at a time. Two workshops back to back can be arranged per day. Often a corporation or building management will supply a room for „Lunch and Learn or Brown Bag¾ workshops during the lunch hour where employees can attend during their lunch period. Staying Fit While You Sit This program is for individuals who spend most of their working day in front of a computer terminal, on the phones or over a desk. This is in lecture and slide format. A must for prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, headaches, upper and lower back pain. We have seen an increase in employee productivity and a reduction of downtime from information provided at this class. Safety at the Workplace -- Material Handlers This program is for individuals who spend most of their working day lifting, reaching, stocking, in a warehouse setting or on the floor on their feet. This is in lecture and slide format. A must for prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, headaches, upper and lower back pain. This is a proactive approach to employee work enhancement Stress Management Workshop This program attempts to explain and illustrate the conservative and alternative methods of stress reduction and management. We discuss the four aspects of stress and how they affect your health: Chemical, Physical, Emotional and Neurological. A great workshop for general knowledge of a chronic and debilitating problem that affects millions. Wellness and Nutrition Workshop This program reaches all aspects of our society: children, teens adults, and those well within their golden years. We discuss nutrition, exercise, health care alternatives, as well as conservative and preventive programs for regaining and maintaining health. Health Screenings: Invite us to be a part of your church or civic function and/or outing. We can maintain a booth or table with Health and Wellness material, and provide structural and stress screenings for those interested. The screenings provides your staff with a clearer picture of conservative advice concerning exercise, nutrition, as well as answer questions an individual may have concerning their health. Blood Pressure and Postural Stress Screening are included