Every day, the city of Scottsdale, Arizona, which provides municipal services to more than 225,000 residents, is true to its motto of “simply better service for a world-class community.”

That motto also represents how the city supports its 2,600 employees. “Our longstanding culture of health and wellness is built on a foundation of whole-person health – which goes beyond just the physical,” said Lynna Soller, Scottsdale’s human resources manager. “Our strategy is built upon a few guiding principles, namely incentivizing preventive care, investing in unique and customized solutions, and incremental, continuous improvement – spanning the full spectrum of employee wellness, including physical, mental, financial, social, and emotional health.”

Investing in preventive care and healthy habits

As the first step in developing its award-winning employee health and wellness program, Scottsdale partnered with Cigna Healthcare on a data-driven approach to identifying gaps in care. The analysis uncovered delays in care and preventive screenings and found that a large number of employees and their covered dependents were at high risk for hypertension and obesity.

The Cigna Healthcare and city’s teams used that data to invest in areas with the highest impact. They launched an annual incentive program offering hundreds of dollars to employees and their families when they work to establish preventive health habits and build relationships with their primary care providers. For example, the city provides financial incentives for annual preventive health screenings, including physical exams, well-woman exams, dental exams, and cancer screenings. Specific health milestones are financially rewarded, including no longer using tobacco and reducing blood pressure to healthy levels.

Pictured above: Employees from the City of Scottsdale participate in a community wellness event.

The program also rewards those who take a proactive approach to wellness planning, including people who complete a personalized health assessment, talk to a health coach, or achieve a fitness, diet, or health goal. Employees can even get rewarded for using retirement planning tools to improve their financial health.

Importantly, the city worked to remove barriers to care, making it convenient and easy for employees to access the care or services they need. For example, the city introduced onsite preventive screenings and onsite mental health counseling through an employee assistance program (EAP).  

Supporting local heroes: Addressing the health risks of firefighters

Designing unique and custom solutions tailored to fit the workforce was an important consideration. To support firefighters – who have elevated risks of heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, hepatitis B and C, and stress – the city partnered with Cigna Healthcare to create the “Your Call” program. Extensive medical research drove the design of the Your Call program’s protocols and screenings specifically for the challenges firefighters face. Your Call offers a concierge-style phone line and a dedicated care team, including a care coordinator and physicians trained in firefighter health and culture, all at no cost to firefighters.

“We wanted to create a program that provides convenient, specialized care to meet the needs of firefighters,” said Darlene Ganger, senior human resources benefits analyst for Scottsdale. “It was vital to work directly with a physician community that has a deep understanding of firefighter culture and the unique occupational health hazards that firefighters face.”

Your Call supports firefighters along their health care journey with an individualized care plan tailored to those risk factors, which can include cancer screenings, cardiovascular wellness, pulmonary screenings, musculoskeletal fitness, behavioral health, and sleep disorders. The care plans also contain key intervention points, including preventive screenings and expanded annual physicals.

The program was developed in collaboration with Cigna Healthcare, the city of Scottsdale Fire Department and human resources department, and Honor Health – and has since been the foundation for similar programs offered to other municipalities across the U.S.

Listening to, and engaging with, employees is key to success

Patty Jacobs, a well-being coordinator at Cigna Healthcare who works with the city of Scottsdale, said the culture of health stems from a core incentive strategy that has been continuously improved, piece by piece, by listening to employees and adapting to their needs.

The results speak for themselves. Employees receiving incentives had 12.1% more annual physical exams and 62% fewer avoidable emergency room visits. In addition, people who need care for hypertension have a compliance rate of 88%, which is 4% higher than the benchmark rate for the entire public sector. The proportion of employees who complete health assessments is double the public sector norm.

Employees who earn incentives are also more likely to utilize onsite and virtual care. Remarkably, the city of Scottsdale saw a roughly 500% increase in the use of onsite EAP services – a testament to the power of engaging employees and providing accessible workplace care. These results reflect the city of Scottsdale’s commitment to listening to employee feedback, and tailoring programs based on what their employees want and need.

 “Reflecting on the past 10 years, it has been a true partnership between the city of Scottsdale and Cigna Healthcare,” Jacobs said. “Together, we’ve built customized programs based on employee feedback. We have mechanisms in place for feedback, but in all honesty, we are working with employees on the ground every day to understand their needs and we engage them in everything we do.”