Vought's wellness program keeps workers, company in shape

MILLEDGEVILLE — The wellness program at Vought Aircraft could not have come along at a better time for Benny Watson.

A longtime employee and an avid bicyclist, Watson, 54, was diagnosed with throat cancer in June 2008. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments left him unable to eat, and his weight plummeted from 200 to 150 pounds. Then doctors told him to eat all he could, and by Christmas his weight had shot back up to 185.

“As I started regaining my health a little bit, that was about the same time the gym here opened up,” Watson recalled. “That being wintertime, it was good. I could go in that gym and get on the recumbent bikes, do a little weightlifting. It helped me regain some of my fitness, tone up a little bit. Got me back on the bike a lot faster.”

The free, on-site gym is just part of Vought’s comprehensive wellness program, LiveWell@Vought, which places equal importance on healthy eating habits as on fitness. Employees get free annual health screenings and can earn cash incentives for participating in companywide challenges. Workers in every department are offered five-minute stretching and exercise routines — designed specifically for their jobs to prevent injury — before beginning their shifts.

The thinking is that healthy employees make for a healthy company.

“When people participate and get healthy, it helps several things, from attendance to stamina to safety,” said Tena Wheeler, Vought’s human resources coordinator. “People who are fit tend to focus.”

In 2005, Vought had 1,270 workers’ compensation claims companywide, at a cost of $10.5 million. For 2009, the company expects to almost cut those costs in half — with about 600 claims at about $6 million. And that’s despite having 15 percent more employees.

In Milledgeville, 76 percent of the plant’s 500 employees are active participants in the wellness program, and wellness coordinator Alan Johnson said he expects that number to jump to 82 to 85 percent soon.

The majority of workers, many of whom at first stared curiously at co-workers as they warmed up to music before each shift, now join in the stretching program.

“There’s been a major culture shift at this site,” said Johnson.

Living well at Vought

The average age of Vought’s Milledgeville employees is 47. The average length of service is 17 years.

“It was much higher,” Wheeler said, “but we had a lot of new hires in 2007 and recently.”

When Vought CEO Elmer Doty launched the company’s wellness program three years ago, worker age was a consideration, Johnson said. At that time, 70 percent of Vought workers were between the ages of 40 and 60.

“At that age group, they have quite a few more risk factors — high cholesterol, high blood pressure — so it goes hand in hand,” said Johnson. “The program is here to help the people get healthier, and it’s to help the company be more productive. And it’s also to help with health-care costs and savings.”

According to a company news release from 2007, a Vought executive team found that employees had more instances of diabetes, hypertension, asthma and coronary heart disease when compared to national averages.

To run its program, Vought contracted with Cooper Corporate Solutions, founded by aerobics pioneer Dr. Kenneth Cooper. A wellness coordinator was located at each Vought site to work directly with employees and to coach those fighting chronic illnesses and conditions. At the Milledgeville site, Johnson provides health consulting, disease management, fitness assessments, exercise testing and exercise prescriptions tailored to the employees.

The program also includes a 24-hour support phone line and a Web site for employees and their families.

Vought employee Michelle Salvador, 45, has been involved in the program since its inception. Two years ago, she was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. Through the Web site, advice from Johnson and participation in companywide challenges, she’s adjusted her diet so she feels “better than ever” — and she’s knocked 54 points off her bad cholesterol level.

“I learn something every day,” she said. “Everyone seems to be a little more health conscious. That helps me improve my diet.”

Watson, the throat cancer surivor, said the program has helped him reach his targeted weight of 170 pounds, which he calls his “college fighting weight.”

“I had to retrain myself to eat right instead of eating everything I could. Now, I’m probably eating healthier food than I ever have at any time in my life because I’m using those tips and really learning about what the body needs and what it doesn’t need.”

Vought officials now say the company has cut almost in half the number of employees suffering from multiple risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

‘Icing on the cake’

The Milledgeville Vought plant has a 1,900-square-foot gym with free weights and state-of-the-art treadmills, bikes and resistance machines. In one corner, employees can limber up on a Tru Stretch, a cage-like contraption than resembles playground climbing equipment.

On a recent lunch break, every treadmill was in use. Gwen Foster, 53, pumped iron, performing sets of side shoulder raises with dumbbells.

Foster’s doctor wanted her to try medication to control her cholesterol. She instead opted for exercise and changes in her diet, and she’s seen her cholesterol drop “tremendously.”

“I just went forward, not feet first but head first,” she said.

Foster uses the gym every day at lunch. Weather permitting, she walks five miles in the afternoons.

“I recently married,” she said. “My husband’s cholesterol and blood pressure are excellent because what I eat, he eats.”

Watson agreed the program’s benefits “carry out to the family.”

“I get accused of preaching sometimes, talking about this stuff,” he said. “I only thought I knew about food before.”

Watson, Foster and Salvador all are participating in the latest company challenge, “Read It Before You Eat It,” which promotes reading food labels and paying attention to portions, calories and fat content. Completing the four-week challenge will earn points toward cash incentives. Employees can earn up to $220 in incentives each year.

“Money’s a good motivator,” Watson said.

The cash incentives helped get employees interested, said Wheeler, the plant’s human resources coordinator.

“Now,” she said, “it’s icing on the cake.”

Some challenges are companywide, while others are catered to regional demographics. Johnson developed a “Hunting for Health” challenge for Milledgeville after reading of a high incidence of heart attacks among hunters at the beginning of deer season.

“They learned what not to do and did physical activities to prepare them for when they went out. We even covered gun safety and tree-stand safety issues,” he said.

The wellness program also includes job-specific activities. In addition to the five-minute morning routines, Johnson has developed training to prevent cumulative trauma disorders, or repetitive injuries. Because so much of the work there is repetitive, there’s a focus on ergonomics and some departments provide job rotations to allow workers to perform different duties.

The plant’s annual wellness fair and open house is planned for June 5. Employees, their spouses and dependents over age 18 can get a comprehensive health screening that includes checks of cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose and BMI — or body mass index. The event also features tours of the facility and activities for kids.

Employees who get screened receive a $25 gift card.

“If you make it fun and you add incentives,” Wheeler said of the wellness program, “you usually get good participation.”

To contact writer Rodney Manley, call 744-4623.