www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
The Facts
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer
deaths in the United States,
among both men and
women. It claims more lives
each year than colon,
prostate, lymph and breast
cancers combined. November
is Lung Cancer Awareness
Month which is a national
campaign dedicated to
increasing attention to lung
cancer issues such as
smoking and inhaling second
hand smoke.
Causes
Smoking accounts for nearly 90 percent of
lung cancer cases, making most lung
cancer deaths preventable. The risk of lung
cancer increases with the length of time
and number of cigarettes a person smokes.
How smoking causes lung cancer
Doctors believe smoking causes lung
cancer by damaging the cells that line the
lungs. When cigarette smoke, full of
cancer-causing substances, is inhaled,
changes in the lung tissue begin almost
immediately. At first the body may be able
to repair this damage. But with each
repeated exposure, normal cells that line
the lungs experience more severe damage.
Over time, the damage causes cells to act
abnormally and eventually cancer may
develop. Lungs are full of blood vessels and
lymph vessels, giving lung cancer cells
easy access to travel to other parts of your
body. For this reason, lung cancer may
spread to other parts of the body before
any signs or symptoms are detected.
Smoking causes the majority of lung
cancers — both in smokers and in people
exposed to secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke, also know as
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), is a
mixture of the smoke given off by the
burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar
and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of
smokers. It is involuntarily inhaled by
nonsmokers, lingers in the air hours after
cigarettes have been extinguished and can
cause or exacerbate a wide range of
adverse health effects including
November
2008
From the Arizona
Department of
Administration,
Benefit Options
Wellness Program
Page 1
respiratory infections, asthma, and namely
lung cancer. In fact, secondhand smoke
causes approximately 3,400
lung cancer deaths and and
estimated 46,000 heart
disease deaths in adult
nonsmokers in the United
States each year.
What can be done to halt
this public health
epidemic?
1. Quit Smoking. Quitting
smoking, even after smoking
for many years, can significantly reduce
chances of developing lung cancer for the
smoker and their family and friends.
2. Prominent organizations like the
American Lung Association are working at
the federal, state and local level to pass laws
and implement policies that will lessen the
burden of tobacco on our families,
communities and nation. Arizona is one of
19 states who have passed a smoke free law
which prohibits smoking in almost all public
places including restaurants and bars.
Quitting Smoking
ADOA, Benefit Options Wellness
offers multiple resources and
benefits for employees and health
plan members to quit tobacco use and
reduce the incidence of lung cancer.
Research shows that combining medication
therapy and counseling or group support
improves quit rates. The available options
include:
° $500 lifetime allowance for tobacco aids
and prescriptions
° 1 on 1, Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth
Coaching—Tobacco Quitline Advisor
° EmbodyHealth Web program—My Smoke
Free Future
° Walgreens Health Initiative—Healthful
Living, Tobacco Free Program
Find out more about these and other
Wellness program online at
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
Sources: Mayo Clinic EmbodyHealth Web Portal:
www.bewellstaywell.az.gov
American Lung Association:
www.lungusa.org
November
2008
Page 2 Upcoming Events
Don’t forget your
FREE flu shot!
The Center for Disease Control states that receiv-ing
a flu vaccination is the single best way to re-duce
the chances of contracting the flu and lessen
the chance you will transmit it to others. October
1st through December 31st, Benefit Options Well-ness
is offering FREE flu shots to all benefits eli-gible
employees and Benefit Options members
(retirees, spouses, children over 9 enrolled in the
State insurance)
There are several options for participants
to receive their shots:
1. State worksite events
2. Family days
3. Healthwaves public schedule
4. Centralized worksite clinics
Log on to the Wellness website for more informa-tion
and a complete schedule:
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness The website
has eligibility criteria, what to bring, a copy of the
consent form, and all the current status informa-tion.
Within the schedule, site contact informa-tion
will also be provided to answer specific ques-tions
about flu shot locations. We suggest check-ing
the schedule before attending an event, as they
are subject to change.
Please note that each State agency may not have
their own event, as we are combining nearby
buildings and offices to make the program more
efficient. For example, the Phoenix capitol mall is
hosting four large events in the Wesley Bolin plaza
to serve all capitol mall agencies. During the two
October events in the capitol mall, Benefit Options
Wellness vaccinated 2017. We hope to achieve
similar success at other combined office locations.
An ounce of prevention
In addition to receiving an annual vaccine, there
are a few key strategies to help prevent contract-ing
the flu virus. First, wash your hands fre-quently.
Second, avoid close contact with people
who have the flu virus. Third, keep your immune
system functioning properly by getting adequate
sleep, nutrition, and physical activity.
Central Flu Clinics
November 13 (12pm-4pm) - Wesley Bolin Plaza
November 14 (9am-12pm) - Wesley Bolin Plaza
The holiday season is a time full of
celebrations with friends and family.
However, the holiday season can also
bring stress due to family conflicts, fi-nances
and time constraints. The extra
demands and expectations that come
along with the entertaining, shopping,
decorating, baking and cleaning can lead to extra
stress.
Use the following tips to help prevent getting too
stressed out during the holiday season.
• Plan ahead. Make lists for gift giving and holiday
meal menus so that you do not spend extra time in the
malls or grocery stores searching for the perfect item.
Schedule time to go to the mall and other stores so that
you can make the most out of each trip.
• Learn to say no. Get a calendar to organize your
holiday commitments. Having a way to quickly see all of
your holiday activities at once can help you to manage
your time. If the calendar has too many entries, allow
yourself to say no to new commitments.
• Create a budget. Include holiday decorations, gift
giving and meal preparations in your budget. This will
help you to keep track of your spending so that you are
not overwhelmed by debt after the hustle and bustle of
the season is over.
• Watch what you eat. Holiday foods often are either
heavy and rich or sweet and sugary. Eating too much of
these foods can lead to feelings of lethargy. Keep some
healthy snacks on hand so that you will not always be
tempted by the cookies and other goodies of the holiday
season.
• Exercise. It is important to stick to an exercise plan
even when the holiday season kicks into full swing. The
holidays can be a good time to start an exercise pro-gram.
It may help to relieve stress and can help fight off
extra holiday weight.
• Simplify. There is no such thing as the perfect
party, decorations or holiday meal. Placing too much
emphasis on the little details can cause unnecessary
stress. Enjoy the holidays for what they are, a time for
celebration.
• Allow time to grieve. For those who have lost loved
ones, the holidays can be a painful reminder of their
absence. Allow time for grieving and time for remember-ing.
Sharing stories and shedding tears as a family can
keep a person's spirit alive and strengthen family ties.
• Delegate. Do not be afraid to ask for help from fam-ily
members; even children can be assigned age-appropriate
decorating or baking tasks.
ComPsych Guidance Resources:
www.guidanceresoureces.com
November www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
2008
Page 3
Upcoming Events
THE STATS
Since the 2008 Mayo Clinic Health Assessment
Campaign kicked off on August 11th, 4060 Health
Assessment questionnaires have been completed.
The success of the Benefit Options open enrollment
is largely to thank for the large response. People are
thinking about their benefits and health and making
positive changes. 409 (10%) of the Health
Assessment participants have enrolled in the Mayo
Clinic EmbodyHealth, 1 on 1 Coaching programs to
improve their health status. Those who complete
the Health Assessment may be eligible for FREE
coaching in one of the following programs:
° Healthy Weight Advisor
° Tobacco Quitline
° Exercise Advisor
° Nutrition Advisor
° Stress Advisor
FREE T-SHIRTS
Another influencing factor in this year’s Health
Assessment campaign is the FREE T-shirt giveaway
to all participants. 5000 “Be Well, Stay Well” T-shirts
were delivered to ADOA on Oct. 27th. The
distribution of participants’ will begin in November.
The shirts will be mailed to the address provided in
the incentive consent form online. Employees can
expect to start receiving them by mid to late
November.
TAKE THE FIRST STEPS TO HEALTH & PRIZES
If you have not taken the health assessment, you
still have time. The campaign will run until Jan.
31st. Log on to www.bewellstaywell.az.gov and
complete the questionnaire today to:
1. Receive your FREE Tshirt
2. Be entered to win $25
3. Be eligible for FREE coaching
SCREENING SERVICES STATUS:
Screening contracts were awarded on June 17th.
Mobile Onsite Mammography, Healthwaves, Ban-ner
Occupational Health, and Maxim Health Sys-tems
are now under contract to provide conven-ient,
at-work screening services. Wellness is cur-rently
taking requests for screenings at State
worksites. Listed below are each companies ser-vices.
Healthwaves
• Flu/Pneumonia Vaccinations
• Mini Health Screening
• Osteoporosis Screening
Maxim Health Systems
• Flu/Pneumonia Vaccinations
• Mini Health Screening
• Osteoporosis Screening
• Skin Cancer Screening
Mobile Onsite Mammography
• Mammography Screening
Banner Occupational Health
• Skin Cancer Screening
EDUCATIONAL CLASSES STATUS:
Wellness awarded contracts for educational
classes, fitness classes, massage, and weight man-agement
on October 24th. Kronos Optimal
Health, The Back Rub Co., and Jesse Tsao will be
providing services. Wellness has to complete the
implementation of the services/programs but is
excited to offer some new options to employees.
The awards are as follows:
Kronos Optimal Health
• Weight Management Series
• 1– hour Educational courses
• Fitness/Movement classes
• Comprehensive Health education series
• Educational Webinars
Back Rub Company
• 1– hour Educational courses
• Fitness/Movement classes
• Worksite massage
Jesse Tsao
• 8-week Tai Chi class series
Thank you for your patience during the
contracting period.
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
Balancing Work, Family, and Self
November
2008
Page 4
wellness information
Created and published by ADOA, Benefit Options Wellness
Program
100 N 15th Ave, Suite 103
Phoenix, AZ 85007
www.benefitoptions.az.gov/wellness
email: wellness@azdoa.gov,
Phone: 602-771-9355
“Early detection is the best defense we have
at this time for catching breast cancer in its
earliest stages,” says Catherine Midgette, Ex-ecutive
Vice President of MOM. “If we find the
cancer in its earliest stages, the patient has a
97 percent survival rate.” Mobile On-Site
Mammography (MOM) travels to perform
mammography screenings at worksites across
Arizona.
MOM will directly bill insurance. Benefit Op-tions
health plan members do not have to pay
a copay at these events. (Other insurance
plan members may have a copay. Check with
your insurance’s member services department
for more information.)
Call MOM at 480-967-3767 to schedule
your appointment.
This service is generally provided on a re-quest-
basis. Call MOM at 480-967-3767 or 1-
800-285-0272 to schedule this service at
your worksite. There is a minimum of 25 peo-ple
required. The MOM van will be parked
outside the following locations:
Nov. 10 — Phoenix, AHCCCS
701 E. Jefferson
(8am—5pm)
Nov. 20 — Phoenix, ADOA
100 N. 15th Ave
(8am—5pm)
Nov. 21 — Phoenix, ADEQ
1110 W. Washington St.
(8am—12pm)
What Services & Programs are
Offered by Benefit Options
Wellness?
The Wellness website has the complete list of
screenings, classes and other programs
available for request and scheduling at State
worksites.
Wellness events are requested and
coordinated by State employees at
worksites. If you are interested in hosting a
program at your worksite, visit the Wellness
website to view what is available and learn
what Wellness has to offer.
Event requests must be submitted online by
clicking this logo:
Complete the brief form pictured below,
including contact information and the event
requested and hit “submit!” A Wellness
team member will reply to your request and
begin scheduling your event.
Log on Today!
Take advantage of the
many programs and
services to keep
employees healthy
