By a majority vote of 4-1 Tuesday night, the Callaway County Ambulance Board approved funding for a wellness program in the hopes of improving health of Callaway County Ambulance District employees.
Paramedics, emergency medical technicians and administrative staff members will each be given an allowance of $250 to be spent on fitness needs - gym membership, exercise equipment, etc. - and $75 toward a fitness tracking device. Heather Lierheimer, patient accounts representative and advocate for a wellness program, said 21 employees have stated their desire to participate. The ambulance district has about 45 full-time and part-time employees and the program will be offered to both. Although about half of the employees wish to participate, the board decided to budget funds for all employees to take part.
"(An employee) is just going to be a healthier person individually," Lierheimer said.
Callaway County Ambulance District Director Charles Anderson said funding will come out of the operating budget, which generates money from a half-cent sales tax, a small amount of property taxes and payments from individuals or insurance providers from transporting patients to hospitals. The total in the operating budget for 2015 is $3.5 million, Anderson said. Spending $325 on an estimated 45 employees will cost the district $14,625.
Because paramedics and emergency medical technicians have physical jobs, Anderson said the program will encourage them to be more fit and eventually reduce the number of worker's compensation claims and sick leave time. Anderson said less claims and sick leave will decrease the amount of money spent in those ways.
"I do believe that if we get people healthier we will see a return," Anderson said.
Clay Chism, board member and lieutenant with the Callaway County Sheriff's Office, was the only no vote. While he stated his support for promoting employee health, Chism said the board wasn't presented with enough evidence on the cost benefit of a wellness program. As a board member, Chism said he's trusted with being a "good steward" of tax payer dollars and wasn't convinced that the wellness program would cause the district to break even with other costs.
"It all goes back to being able to prove taxpayer money is spent decreasing workers' compensation and health insurance," he said.
Board member Jeff Stone said it will take time to see this financial benefit, adding the board will probably need to wait three years before seeing results. He said he went through a similar process at the Fulton State Hospital.
District employees are interested in using Garmin Connect and Fit Bit, popular fitness tracking devices, to monitor goals, Lierheimer said. She added that the wellness committee could sponsor 5K events, fitness and nutrition classes for ambulance district staff and incentives to reach weight loss and fitness goals.
Anderson said the wellness committee could come up with fitness expectations in order to ensure the money is being used effectively.