President, Rosen Hotels & Resorts
Mandating Healthy Living: How Rosen Hotels & Resorts Became a Smoke-Free Workforce: In 1991, Harris Rosen created a revolutionary healthcare program in which he self-insured his 1,500 employees and provided them with on-site medical care, long before the idea took root nationally. With this plan still in place and an on-site doctors and nurses servicing the now 4,500 employees and their dependents, his health care initiative has gained national recognition. In 2008 Rosen raised the bar on his wellness initiative declaring that they would have a smoke-free workplace, in which employees may not smoke any tobacco products on or off duty. All employees received access to free smoking programs which included acupuncture, pharmaceutical products and psychological counseling.
As individuals and industry struggle to get people to change their health behaviors, are employee mandates the simple answer? If we accept the idea of anti-smoking mandates, what might be the next health & wellness requirement...alcohol, exercise or BMI? Come hear "Healthcare Hero" Harris Rosen describe his passion for wellness and the lessons learned along the path to becoming a 100% smoke free workforce.
On site health program was started because they weren't happy with the traditional program. They felt the insurance company didn't care. The option was to try another health insurer or do it themselves. They had the opportunity to build their own Primary Care Facility.
This has grown to covering 4,500 people and have expanded to cover USF School of Hospitality Management - that is on land he donated nearby. Now 3 full-time physicians and a staff of 28.
Cost per covered life runs about $8,000. A family of 4 or 5 pays about $45/week. Cost to the company runs at about a third of the national average.
Hospitalization costs $500 for the first two hospitalizations in a year.
Rosen has a no-nicotine policy (on and off duty). Complete with drug testing. It was controversial. The company spends $14m/year on health care. They want Health care and not sick care.
Harris Rosen is not a supporter of Affordable Care. He believes everyone should have universal care but that it shouldn't be done by the Government.
The employer has an obligation to care for their employees.
Chris Schroeder asked Harris if his health care approach can be replicated. Yes!
1,000 covered lives is the minimum practical group size.
The flaw in the plan that I see is that people change jobs. How can we apply this to give individuals the power to engage in this type of health care when they are moving jobs.
Chris Schroeder pointed to the importance of understanding the human aspects. Referring to his grandmother who flushed 5 of the emergency fall buttons down the toilet.
I say we need to integrate "Gamification" in to the mix. Imagine if those sensors for your parents/grandparents where used to provide data into the grandkids games.
