Building a Culture of Health

Health & Wellness

The American workforce is in crisis. Seventy-four percent of adults qualify as overweight or obese. Fifty-two percent are at risk for prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. And the healthcare workforce itself is suffering from the highest burnout rates ever reported.

"The health of the American workforce is waning," said Dr Hope Karnes, Medical Director of Clinical Solutions at Quest Diagnostics, during a recent American College of Healthcare Executives webinar. "And the folks who do engage in care often do so via more costly channels, which circle back to impacting the business."

But there's a path forward—one that shifts from treating disease to preventing it, and from checking boxes to building authentic culture by focusing on six keys to success:

• Understand the needs of your unique workforce through questions, listening, and engaging champions
• Align wellness efforts with business goals and operational objectives
• Engage leaders at every level to model healthy behaviors
• Measure and adapt by evaluating outcomes and participation
• Be authentic in your commitment
• Lead from the top with consistent messaging throughout the organization

When work gets in the way of wellness

Eighty-three percent of employees say that despite wanting to be well, they're challenged to achieve their wellness goals because of work demands. What's striking? Seventy-four percent of executives share the same concern.

"If we have these concerns at the top, it's not a wonder that our workforce likewise is suffering," Dr Karnes noted.

Consider this telling statistic: 6 out of 10 workers today don't leave their desks at lunch. Average wait times for physician appointments now hover around a month. Even employees who recognize health risks struggle to address them, often resorting to costly emergency or urgent care visits.

The Gen Z factor

The urgency for change extends beyond current employees. Generation Z now outnumbers baby boomers in the workforce, bringing dramatically different expectations.

"Gen Z prioritizes social and environmental responsibility, sustainability, culture and inclusion, wellness and mental health," Dr Karnes explained. "And they will change jobs or decline a job offer if they feel or perceive that the company culture does not support their holistic wellness or their priorities."

Research from Deloitte confirms this isn't just talk. About half of both employees and executives report having quit a job because it negatively affected their well-being. A strong majority say they're far more likely to stay if they feel more supported.

Building a culture takes commitment

How can leaders actually build a culture of health? Dr Karnes emphasizes that it requires more than a benefits brochure.

"Building a culture takes perseverance, takes trial and error, takes a team," she said. "Similar to trust, it's not something that can be built overnight. It has to be built over time, reinforced, and slowly integrated into really almost all facets of the organization."

The foundation must be employee-centric. This means genuinely engaging employees, incorporating relationship-building into team meetings, and asking how people are doing.

"But do it in an authentic, meaningful way. Pause. Listen," Dr Karnes advises. "Individuals can tell if it's authentic or if it's just an agenda item."

The power of data-driven wellness

While holistic wellness encompasses mental, emotional, and social health, physical health offers objective, measurable data that can inform broader strategies. Simple measurements—blood pressure, fasting glucose, cancer screening markers—can identify risks early and track progress over time.

The ROI can be substantial. The University of Rochester estimated annual savings of $1,200 per person over 5 years, with a $35 return for each dollar spent on high-risk cardiovascular prevention. Other research found a 19 percent decline in call-outs with wellness programs.

Dr Karnes suggests looking beyond pure financial metrics. "I would argue that return on investment or dollars may not necessarily be the most meaningful key performance indicator measure." Instead, focus on employee job satisfaction, retention rates, and productivity.

Walk the walk

Perhaps the most powerful tool leaders have is their own behavior. Dr Karnes shares how her husband's CEO and COO visibly used the office gym at lunch, creating a culture where employees felt comfortable taking breaks.

"Walk the walk," she said. "You have to talk the talk and message accordingly. But then you also have to walk the walk and do the things that you're suggesting your workforce do to remain healthy."

At Quest Diagnostics, Dr Karnes participates in the company's wellness program alongside 70 percent of the employee base. "What I've seen is that I will come back from a noon workout and have a meeting and it's acceptable to my teammates to be sweaty," she said. "They see that I truly do value taking time for oneself to invest in my health."

Start small, think long-term

Building a culture of health doesn't require massive initiatives. It starts with small, authentic actions.

"At your next team meeting, just ask how the team's doing," Dr Karnes suggests. "Ask if anyone has plans for the weekend. These don't have to be enormous commitments, but just small authentic engagements can have real lasting impacts."

The key is recognizing this is a long-term commitment, not a sprint. "Health is not a static entity. It shifts. It ebbs and flows. Conditions evolve. The same is true for a wellness program," she said.

For healthcare leaders, investing in workforce wellness isn't just good ethics—it's good business. Dr Karnes explains that "if the messaging comes from the top and is integrated throughout the business, you're far more likely to be successful."

In an era where talent is precious and employee expectations are evolving, the question isn't whether leaders can afford to invest in workforce wellness. It's whether they can afford not to.