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MEMORANDUM FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
| FROM: |
Kay Coles James |
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Director |
SUBJECT: 2004 HealthierFeds Campaign
I am pleased to announce that we have launched a new OPM website to support
our 2004 HealthierFeds campaign. The HealthierFeds initiative
places emphasis on educating Federal employees and retirees on healthy
living and best-treatment strategies. It is well established that physical
activity, nutrition, preventive screenings and healthy lifestyle choices
all reduce demand on the health care system. HealthierFeds brings
attention to the healthcare industry's "demand" side, incorporating personal
responsibility and the consumer's role in driving both quality and affordability.
It is aimed at educating the Federal workforce on how they can take greater
responsibility for their personal health.
We intend HealthierFeds to be a model for agencies as well as
for private employers. And, we envision it as a collaborative effort.
We have been partnering with Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
(FEHB) carriers this past year and, with the introduction of the new website,
are expanding the scope of the HealthierFeds campaign to include
all Federal agencies. We plan to include HealthierFeds on the agenda
for the Chief Human Capital Officers Council. It is a win-win situation
for everyone.
HealthierFeds fully supports President Bush's HealthierUS initiative
for a healthier America: Be physically active every day, eat a nutritious
diet, get preventive screenings and make healthy choices. HealthierFeds
also supports the Steps to a HealthierUS, led by Secretary Tommy
G. Thompson of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that
advances the HealthierUS goal of helping Americans live longer,
better, and healthier lives. The Steps includes both personal responsibility
for the choices Americans make and social responsibility to ensure that
policy makers support programs that foster healthy behaviors and prevent
disease. The Steps initiative envisions a healthy, strong U.S. population
supported by a health care system in which diseases are prevented when
possible, controlled when necessary, and treated when appropriate. This
initiative is a shift in the traditional approach to the health of our
citizens, moving us from a disease care system to a health care system.
HealthierUS
President Bush's HealthierUS Initiative is based on the premise
that increasing personal fitness and becoming healthier is critical to
achieving a better and longer life. Extensive research, much of it conducted
or funded by the Federal Government, has shown that improving overall
health and thus preventing disease and premature death, is as easy as
making small adjustments and improvements in the activities of daily life.
The President's HealthierUS Initiative uses the resources of the Federal
Government to alert Americans to the vital health benefits of simple and
modest improvements in physical activity, nutrition, and behavior.
The guiding principles for HealthierFeds are based on my perspective
for good health-care policy. The first principle is that there are smart
consumers who are capable of making wise health-care decisions. Second,
the relationship between the physician and patient should drive health-care
decisions. Third, it is competition in the health-care market that promotes
innovation and produces better health-care options and higher quality
care. And fourth, it is up to patients to be involved and responsible.
The 2004 HealthierFeds campaign will be comprised of three major
components: 1) education and awareness, 2) personal progress and responsibility,
and 3) benchmarking/best practices. OPM will serve as a central source
for healthy lifestyle communications to both agencies and individual employees,
primarily through the HealthierFeds website at www.HealthierFeds.opm.gov.
The website will include health information for both employees and agencies,
FEHB carriers' information, and downloadable posters and other materials.
OPM will also sponsor a series of internal and external events and "challenges"
encouraging both agencies and employees to become more aware of healthy
lifestyles and to take personal responsibility for their own health. Finally,
OPM along with other HealthierFeds partners will identify and recognize
outstanding HealthierFeds initiatives and best practices.
We will continue our work with FEHB carriers to help promote healthy
lifestyles. We believe that Federal employees and their families are intelligent
health care consumers, and it is to everyone's benefit to provide them
with sound information. We also believe educating the Federal population
holds great potential for more patient involvement in health care decision-making
and, consequently, more consumer responsibility. We will also look for
ways in which the HealthierFeds campaign can help agencies in their
health promotion activities for Federal employees.
We are very excited about the 2004 HealthierFeds campaign and
invite all agencies to become involved with this initiative to build a
healthier Federal workforce. Through these activities, the Federal community
can demonstrate ways by which we can improve health care and lifestyle
choices.
We ask that your agency designate a point of contact for future communications
and information on the HealthierFeds campaign. (Some agency human
resources and/or work/life coordinators may already be involved in health
promotion activities which could tie into this campaign). Please contact
us at HealthierFeds@OPM.gov
with this information.
Questions and Information
For additional information, agency Chief Human Capital Officers and/or
Human Resources (HR) Directors may contact their assigned OPM Human Capital
Officers. Employees should contact their agency human resources offices
for assistance.
| cc: Chief Human Capital Officers |
| Human Resources Directors |
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