Baptist Memorial introduces employee wellness program with potential to save companies millions of dollars

MEMPHIS, Tenn., – Baptist Memorial Health Care recently launched BestHealth by Baptist, an employer-based well-being program aimed at giving large and small organizations an effective, engaging and cost-saving way to prevent and manage chronic illness.

Through multiple data sources, such as claims data, health risk assessments and biometric screenings, BestHealth helps companies understand what is driving costs for health plans and the health issues, factors and trends affecting their employees.

“BestHealth by Baptist is committed to improving and sustaining the health of employees because healthier individuals result in healthier businesses, communities and economies,” said Lia Lansky, system director of wellbeing for Baptist Memorial Health Care. “BestHealth services are designed to engage employees in a one-of-a-kind way that results in improving their own well-being. Not only does our program help improve productivity in the workplace, it also gives employees a sense of accomplishment, pride and gratitude for a happier, healthier lifestyle.”

BestHealth also has demonstrated an effective record of accomplishment yielding enhanced participation and engagement rates of eligible participants in excess of 90%. By combining incentive-based well-being services with population health expertise, BestHealth by Baptist engages employees with individualized lifestyle and behavior-change coaching in such areas as diabetes management, weight loss, physical activity, nutritional improvement, resilience, stress management and tobacco cessation. BestHealth’s goal is to promote primary care, implement proven interventions to reduce risk of chronic illness, and reduce emergency department visits that can spike the cost of healthcare. This comprehensive strategy has been proven to improve the health of a company’s workforce while helping contain the rising costs of employee health benefits.

Private employers spent about 8% of their annual budgets on health care costs in 2022, paying an average of $7,911 per employee and $22,463 per family in premiums. Those costs are expected to rise by more than 7% in 2023. With a return of $6.50 for every $1 spent, this well-being program has saved Baptist millions—including $2.2 million in one year by providing customized care management for 276 high-risk plan members.

Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Baptist offers a full continuum of care to communities throughout the Mid-South and consistently ranks among the top integrated health care networks in the country. The health care system comprises 22 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, Mississippi and East Arkansas; more than 5,400 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 800 providers; home, hospice and psychiatric care; minor medical centers and clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system highlighted by Baptist Health Sciences University (formerly Baptist College of Health Sciences). Baptist employs more than 19,000 people, and in fiscal year 2020 contributed more than $352 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, visit baptistonline.org/besthealth.