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It's been about a year since Miami Children's Hospital “shifted its wellness focus from participation to accountability,” according to Employee Benefit News.

The hospital engaged Interactive Health to run a biometrics screening program: “For the program’s first year of implementation, the hospital encouraged employees and spouses to receive a blood draw for metrics across six areas, including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and tobacco use. If an individual had high blood pressure, their goal for the year would be to lower it. For the inaugural year, the hospital incentivized participation but for the next and those following, only participants who improve their metrics will receive lower premium rates.”

EBN reports that the hospital “expected participation rates to hover at 70% but was impressed when 92% of workers participated, in addition to 60% of spouses.”

To engage employees, Miami Children's Hospital and Interactive Health had to focus on a number of areas. The first was helping employees understand their privacy wouldn't be violated. Other potential issues involved language barriers and a mistaken belief that “the screening could replace their annual doctor visit.”

Coaches from Interactive Health are supporting the hospital employees “to help employees and spouses achieve their wellness goals and also offers a free mid-year check-up for those who want to measure their progress so far.” To encourage engagement, the hospital has used flash contests and special programs like bringing in a weekly farmers' market and employing an in-house dietician.

What's next? The piece states: “Next year, the program rewards participants who achieve their health goal, which is always lifestyle-related and can be modified through diet and exercise.”