Lincoln, Nebraska
Working Capitol
After watching Omaha achieve Well City USA status in 1996, the City of Lincoln, Nebraska decided that it, too, needed to strive for the same lofty status. A few short months later, Lincoln was well on its way to becoming the fifth community in the nation to achieve a Well City USA designation. And in the fall of 2000, Lincoln’s hard work and dedication paid off as it received the Well City USA Award from the Wellness Councils of America.
“We saw how Well City could help with recruiting new businesses to our community and in improving the overall health and well-being of our city,” says Lisa Henning, Coordinator of the Lincoln Well City USA Project. “We set our goals, we made our plan, and we made it a priority.”
Coalition Building
To get a grasp on the project, Lincoln started with a pilot program involving only four of its companies—the City of Lincoln, Bryan LGH Hospital, Lincoln Plating, and Lower Platte South NRD, a company employing 18 people. “It’s a huge undertaking,” says Henning. “But the pilot program allowed us to fully understand how the process worked—it helped us in preparing the whole community for the depth of the project.”
To introduce Well City USA to the community, Lincoln’s coalition engaged in an aggressive public relations campaign headed by then mayor and current governor, Mike Johanns. Henning recalls, “The Mayor was in front of the project, speaking about its importance and even making personal phone calls to encourage other companies to get involved. That was a big help.”
In addition to the Mayor’s personal involvement, two Lincoln CEO’s would play instrumental roles in pushing the project forward. Marc LeBaron, CEO of Lincoln Plating, and James Dean, CEO of State Farm Insurance, hosted several CEO breakfasts over the course of the project to introduce other business leaders to Well City USA and to secure their participation in the project. As a result of the campaign, the Mayor’s involvement, and the CEO breakfasts, Lincoln’s coalition of Well Workplaces grew from four companies, employing nearly 5,800 employees to 27 companies, employing more than 20,000, in a matter of only three years.
Amassing Interest
As the project progressed, and individual companies continued to gather more and more data, some trends emerged revealing the major health concerns Lincoln’s companies would need to address. Obesity and physical inactivity topped the list of organizational health concerns. These were closely followed by cardiovascular disease, tobacco usage, and diabetes. Armed with the health concerns impacting Lincoln’s employees, one by one, these companies developed their programs and set the wheels in motion towards establishing a healthier community.
Today, only a few years after achieving Well City USA status, Lincoln is beginning to see the fruits of its labor. “Our preliminary data demonstrates that we’ve had a reduction in tobacco use and that, in spite of recent layoffs and cutbacks, we’ve also had a reduction in stress levels,” says Henning. “And even though we have seen a decrease in the percentage of people who are exercising three or more days a week, we’ve had an increase in the total number of people who are exercising.”
Not only have Lincoln businesses been able to improve the health and well-being of their employees, but a number have also experienced a return on their investment. Take for example, Lincoln Plating, an electro finishing plant employing over 200 people. Since beginning its employee wellness initiative, Lincoln Plating estimates that they have made an $800,000 return on an $85,000 investment in employee wellness. Lincoln Plating believes that most of the savings have come from a combination of lower health insurance premiums and a 50 percent reduction in injuries, reducing workers’ compensation costs.
Cashing In
Henning explains that today, after achieving its Well City USA designation, the City of Lincoln remains true to the commitment it made six years ago. “We are just as committed to impacting health in our community today as we were when we originally took on the Well City USA project.” Lincoln’s coalition has continued its steady growth and is working towards becoming the first city to achieve a Silver Well City designation. Currently, 35,000 Lincoln employees go to work each day in a Well Workplace, and Henning expects that number to jump as high as 45,000 in the next year as 20 additional companies are in the hunt for their own Well Workplace designations.
“Well City has truly taken us on a journey,” Henning explains. “But it’s about so much more than just achieving an award. We have seen countless stories where this project has improved the lives, and in some cases, saved the lives, of people in our community. That’s what the project is really about.” Added Henning, “we are excited about what our continued journey has in store for us.”
Well City USA Award Stat Sheet
1. City/Project: Lincoln Well City
2. Month & Year Designated: November, 2000
3. Population:
Current: 250,000
4. Top 5 Industries within Community:
1. Manufacturing
2. Insurance
3. Services
4. Medical
5. Government
5. Number of Well Workplaces Participating: Total: 27
6. Number of Employees within Well City Project: 32,000
Working Capitol
After watching Omaha achieve Well City USA status in 1996, the City of Lincoln, Nebraska decided that it, too, needed to strive for the same lofty status. A few short months later, Lincoln was well on its way to becoming the fifth community in the nation to achieve a Well City USA designation. And in the fall of 2000, Lincoln’s hard work and dedication paid off as it received the Well City USA Award from the Wellness Councils of America.
“We saw how Well City could help with recruiting new businesses to our community and in improving the overall health and well-being of our city,” says Lisa Henning, Coordinator of the Lincoln Well City USA Project. “We set our goals, we made our plan, and we made it a priority.”
Coalition Building
To get a grasp on the project, Lincoln started with a pilot program involving only four of its companies—the City of Lincoln, Bryan LGH Hospital, Lincoln Plating, and Lower Platte South NRD, a company employing 18 people. “It’s a huge undertaking,” says Henning. “But the pilot program allowed us to fully understand how the process worked—it helped us in preparing the whole community for the depth of the project.”
To introduce Well City USA to the community, Lincoln’s coalition engaged in an aggressive public relations campaign headed by then mayor and current governor, Mike Johanns. Henning recalls, “The Mayor was in front of the project, speaking about its importance and even making personal phone calls to encourage other companies to get involved. That was a big help.”
In addition to the Mayor’s personal involvement, two Lincoln CEO’s would play instrumental roles in pushing the project forward. Marc LeBaron, CEO of Lincoln Plating, and James Dean, CEO of State Farm Insurance, hosted several CEO breakfasts over the course of the project to introduce other business leaders to Well City USA and to secure their participation in the project. As a result of the campaign, the Mayor’s involvement, and the CEO breakfasts, Lincoln’s coalition of Well Workplaces grew from four companies, employing nearly 5,800 employees to 27 companies, employing more than 20,000, in a matter of only three years.
Amassing Interest
As the project progressed, and individual companies continued to gather more and more data, some trends emerged revealing the major health concerns Lincoln’s companies would need to address. Obesity and physical inactivity topped the list of organizational health concerns. These were closely followed by cardiovascular disease, tobacco usage, and diabetes. Armed with the health concerns impacting Lincoln’s employees, one by one, these companies developed their programs and set the wheels in motion towards establishing a healthier community.
Today, only a few years after achieving Well City USA status, Lincoln is beginning to see the fruits of its labor. “Our preliminary data demonstrates that we’ve had a reduction in tobacco use and that, in spite of recent layoffs and cutbacks, we’ve also had a reduction in stress levels,” says Henning. “And even though we have seen a decrease in the percentage of people who are exercising three or more days a week, we’ve had an increase in the total number of people who are exercising.”
Not only have Lincoln businesses been able to improve the health and well-being of their employees, but a number have also experienced a return on their investment. Take for example, Lincoln Plating, an electro finishing plant employing over 200 people. Since beginning its employee wellness initiative, Lincoln Plating estimates that they have made an $800,000 return on an $85,000 investment in employee wellness. Lincoln Plating believes that most of the savings have come from a combination of lower health insurance premiums and a 50 percent reduction in injuries, reducing workers’ compensation costs.
Cashing In
Henning explains that today, after achieving its Well City USA designation, the City of Lincoln remains true to the commitment it made six years ago. “We are just as committed to impacting health in our community today as we were when we originally took on the Well City USA project.” Lincoln’s coalition has continued its steady growth and is working towards becoming the first city to achieve a Silver Well City designation. Currently, 35,000 Lincoln employees go to work each day in a Well Workplace, and Henning expects that number to jump as high as 45,000 in the next year as 20 additional companies are in the hunt for their own Well Workplace designations.
“Well City has truly taken us on a journey,” Henning explains. “But it’s about so much more than just achieving an award. We have seen countless stories where this project has improved the lives, and in some cases, saved the lives, of people in our community. That’s what the project is really about.” Added Henning, “we are excited about what our continued journey has in store for us.”
Well City USA Award Stat Sheet
1. City/Project: Lincoln Well City
2. Month & Year Designated: November, 2000
3. Population:
4. Top 5 Industries within Community:
1. Manufacturing
2. Insurance
3. Services
4. Medical
5. Government
5. Number of Well Workplaces Participating: Total: 27
6. Number of Employees within Well City Project: 32,000
