River Spirit Casino Adopts Incentive and Technology Driven Wellness Program

The Center for Disease Control states that 25 percent of Americans cite no leisure time physical activity and 50 percent don’t even bank 30 minutes of moderate activity on a regular basis. These statistics are part of the reason business leaders are adopting employee wellness programs.

Striving to combat the unhealthy lifestyles of its workforce, River Spirit Casino reported the initiation of a corporate health and wellness program. Located in Tulsa’s Muscogee Creek Nation, Oklahoma, the casino’s health initiative is geared toward curtailing workplace obesity, along with fostering healthy lifestyles for the staff and their families.

Combining scientific expertise and new technology, incentaHEALTH is providing the wellness program for the casino. Utilizing proven health strategies, the program will decrease worker obesity, which will help the employer cut healthcare costs. In an effort to broaden its reach, the program is also being offered to the employees’ families, and as additional motivation, it offers an incentive program for participants who meet lifestyle and weight loss objectives.

Health and wellness coach Eric Moon explained, “As most national studies indicate, the state of Oklahoma is near the bottom of most health indicator lists-including obesity and consumption of a healthy diet and we, with the support of incentaHEALTH, are committed to changing that.” Moon also works for The Holmes Organization as a corporate programming consultant.

Moon went on to add that a number of their employer clients “are looking for innovative wellness programs that get measurable results and incentaHEALTH is one such program.”

Along with offering entertainment, dining, and gaming, River Spirit Casino also fosters a positive economic impact on the Tulsa community. A percentage of the gaming revenue is provided to fund a number of service initiatives for the Muscogee Nation, including elderly care, housing, and education. In addition, the casino is a Tulsa tourist attraction and has a staff of around 1,300 employees.

The strategy behind incentaHEALTH’s employee health and wellness program combines a number of elements that provide participant motivation to maintain a lifelong healthy weight. The elements utilized to make the program effective include: participant access to a fitness guide and practical coaching through emails and the internet, and quarterly incentive rewards for participants who achieve their goals.

Praising the effectiveness of the program, incentaHEALTH’s co-founder and chief technology officer Todd McGuire said, “Our technology-focused approach gives employees access to a large network of health care practitioners, fitness professionals, dieticians and more-all right at their fingertips-with the added bonus of keeping costs down.”

Reinforcing this claim, the incentaHEALTH website states that the primary benefits to corporations that adopt a corporate wellness program, such as the one River Spirit Casino is using, include:

• Employee incentives
• Improved workforce health

• Improved workplace environment
• Increased employee morale
• Reduced absenteeism
• Increased workplace productivity
• Reduced healthcare costs
• Reduced prescription drug costs

All these program elements help lead to a healthier workforce, which leads to a healthier business.