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DeKalb highlights employee wellness, tobacco‑cessation program as engagement grows
Summary
DeKalb’s lone wellness coordinator told commissioners the county was named among the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s healthiest employers, described a high‑use Pivot tobacco‑cessation program with 226 users to date and outlined upcoming events and employee incentives.
DeKalb County’s employee wellness lead reviewed programs and participation at a committee meeting, noting the county was selected on a list of healthiest employers by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and that the county-run employee health center has been active for about 18 months.
The wellness coordinator (S9) described core services for employees and eligible dependents, including a nurse practitioner at the DeKalb employee health center and planned flu‑shot clinics in partnership with Kaiser. She said the health center’s 12‑month net promoter score is about 95 and that the county is delivering mobile mammograms, blood drives and on‑site events.
S9 emphasized a county‑paid Pivot tobacco‑cessation program that includes a gamified breath detector, app‑based coaching and nicotine replacement resources. She said the county pays a flat annual fee for the program (avoiding per‑person replacement costs) and reported 226 users to date since the program began. S9 gave an approximate per‑person replacement cost of about $470 if the county billed per participant, but said the flat fee protects outdoor and manual workers who might lose or damage devices.
The presentation covered ongoing engagement programs: a 60‑day “healthy wage” step challenge (about 80–90 participants), a nine‑week compassion course, multiple 5K events and partnerships to offer discounted tickets and gym discounts. S9 said promotions rely heavily on email and a microsite (dekalbbenefits.com) and asked for communications support; commissioners suggested templates and broader promotion to increase utilization.
Commissioners praised the work and asked about staffing and the potential for expanding services; S9 said capacity is limited because she is a single staffer but welcomed assistance from communications and central staff. Several commissioners suggested investing modestly in wellness yields larger savings in insurance costs over time.
Next steps: commissioners asked the coordinator to provide participation metrics and to work with communications for clearer, templatized outreach; the coordinator agreed to share reports and event calendars on the microsite.
