Population health is a recently added driver of change to ASAE’s ForesightWorks research initiative. Population health, while driving healthcare providers to adopt a more systemic approach to identifying and influencing the determinants of community health, is also defined as the distribution of health outcomes within a population. Such health outcomes include those related to personal, social, economic and environmental factors.

Regardless of an association’s mission, population health is applicable for its staff. Population health focuses on how a group or organization can work toward improving health outcomes for a community they serve, and an important group that an association should serve is its staff.

According to Capital One’s 2019 Work Environment Survey, there are a few aspects that can be considered when examining population health efforts for an organization’s staff:

Supporting a healthy work environment. This concept involves workspace and other accessible features. Office design; having windows and natural light; using bold colors and natural materials; and having access to adaptable, collaborative, and even outdoor workspaces that allow for movement and change of scenery are important. While some of these features can be brought into an existing office space, they are necessary considerations when an association is thinking about relocating to a new space. To help with this, involve several staff members in the selection and relocation efforts to ensure that diverse perspectives and concerns can be voiced and addressed.

Supporting a healthy workforce. This concept encompasses everything from formal benefit offerings (e.g., healthcare benefits, flexible spending account, gym membership reimbursement) to flexibility as to where and when staff work. The results of Microsoft Japan’s “Work Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019,” which included moving to a four-day workweek, resulted in an employee productivity boost of 40 percent. It also benefited Microsoft since electricity use was reduced by 23 percent and 59 percent less paper used. In addition, a June 2019 report from the Society for Human Resource Management said that 15 percent of more than 2,700 American companies and organizations surveyed now offer a four-day workweek option. While the report shows that four-day weeks are still relatively uncommon, organizations that have implemented them report no decreases to productivity or revenue as a result.

Regardless of an association’s mission, population health is applicable for its staff.

Other ideas to consider in supporting a healthy workforce include providing healthy snack and drink options for employees, launching an informal staff group to focus on healthy activities (e.g., walking challenges, walking club, partners for exercise/weight loss), and creating opportunities to celebrate something fun (e.g., staff Fantasy Football league, monthly birthday celebrations, holiday celebrations).

The Association of American Medical Colleges promotes a healthy workforce by providing flu shots, a Weight Watchers group, run club, yoga classes, and soccer club. In addition, AAMC hosts “Community Engagement Conversations,” which give staff the opportunity to engage with leaders from local government and community organizations in meaningful dialogue about social determinants of health in Washington, DC. This assists staff to gain a better understanding of the intersection between academic medicine, population health and community engagement. Topics that have been discussed include homelessness and housing insecurity, K-12 education, and opportunities to diversify the pipeline of the health workforce.

Meanwhile, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy has recently instituted a Culture and Community Committee composed of staff members from various levels in the organization. Following an office move, the departure of several long-tenured staff members, and the execution of one-on-one interviews between human resources and each staff member, the club was developed to work on enhancing the association’s already positive culture. This group will work on several initiatives, including providing group activities germane to population health. In 2020, for example, the group is having a quarterly lunch-and-learn speaker series on topics related to personal and professional development, as well as an all-staff offsite activity that will provide various levels of physical activity for participants.

All associations, regardless of size or mission, can and should examine the elements that can enhance the health outcomes of its staff. And just as each association is diverse and unique, its population health efforts should be too.