* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: President Rawlings-Blake
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Informational Hearing - Public Wellness and Disease Prevention Program - City Employees
FOR the purpose of inviting representatives from Alternative Medicine Integration of Maryland, LLC (AMI), the Baltimore City Health Department, and the Department of Human Resources to discuss the wellness and disease prevention practices currently available to individuals in Baltimore City and throughout the country, and the benefits to Baltimore City of establishing wellness and disease prevention services to the Baltimore City employees and their dependents through a network of non-pharmaceutical and non-surgically oriented doctors of chiropractic.
Body
Recitals
The accelerating rate of Americans moving from healthy to unhealthy to chronically ill offers a compelling business case for the role workplace wellness programs can play in combating this problem that is growing in epidemic proportions. Tangible results from existing workplace wellness plans in various countries, states, and industries give insight into the opportunities for these entities to increase productivity and reduce health care costs and the results that can be expected when implementing a integrative wellness plan. By doing so, cities like Baltimore can drive positive change while reaping the dual benefits of improved financial results and heightened employee goodwill. With appropriate direction from a government responsive to the needs of its constituents, Baltimore can lead the nation in demonstrating the human and financial gains from improving wellness, preventing chronic diseases, and thereby driving down healthcare costs.
Because chronic diseases are responsible for more than half of all deaths in the world and are projected to account for two-thirds of all deaths globally in the next 25 years, AMI proposes that organizations shift their focus in health care from treating disease to preventing it before it starts, through investing in wellness initiatives for four major reasons:
· The increasing prevalence and severity of chronic disease drives healthcare costs.
· Productivity losses associated with chronic disease now exceed the medical costs themselves.
· Workplace wellness efforts can create a positive ROI in valuable human capital resources.
· The sustainability of American business in local and global markets is threatened by the epidemic of chronic disease.
Behavior is the best indicator of health status; therefore, it is no surprise that an individual's good dietary and exercise practices usually result in better health than bad eating habits and little to no physical exercise. The best example of this is the growth in the U.S. population's obesity rate from 15% to 32% since 1975. Baltimore is not immune from this trend. It is imperative to the overall health of Baltimore City employees and their families to live quality lives. Like preventive care in dentistry, a proven wellness and prevention program that focuses on reducing the risk factors that eventually create a disease state before they express themselves life-threatening symptoms will achieve these goals.
There have been many different types of wellness programs adopted by public and private entities all over the world, including campaigns promoting walking up stairs instead of taking the elevators, smoking cessation, encouraging healthier snacks, including low fat products in vending machines, encouraging bike riding to attend out of office meetings, and other activities. While all of these types of programs and activities independently have merit, there is no coordination or professional oversight of what is most appropriate for each person. What is important is that a wellness program be designed to improve the quality of care and cost-effectiveness of existing programs for each person through integrated therapies utilizing the best practices of conventional and complimentary alternative medicine.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That representatives from Alternative Medicine Integration of Maryland, LLC (AMI), the Baltimore City Health Department, and the Department of Human Resources brief the Council on wellness and disease prevention wellness practices currently available to individuals in Baltimore City and throughout the country and the benefits to Baltimore City of establishing wellness and disease prevention services to the Baltimore City employees and their dependents through a network of nonpharmaceutical and non surgically oriented doctors of chiropractic.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Commissioner of Health, the Director of the Department of Human Resources, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the Council.
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