Every year, cold and flu season inevitably takes a toll on workplace attendance, productivity and medical claim costs. Earlier this year, the City of Ankeny, IA, decided to get proactive by enlisting the assistance of local nutrition ingredient supplier, Embria Health Sciences, to help enhance the City’s existing employee wellness program.

Encouraging the wellness of its city employees is not something Ankeny City officials take lightly. Located just north of Iowa’s capital city of Des Moines, Ankeny is the fastest growing city in Iowa and has a current population of more than 45,000. It was named one of the “Top 100 Places to Live” by Money Magazine and Family Circle Magazine’s “Top 10 Best Towns for Families.”

Leaders in Ankeny created a new wellness program initiative for city employees over the course of six months during cold/flu season. The initiative entailed taking a supplement formulated with Embria Health Sciences’ flagship ingredient EpiCor, a natural immune health supplement that contains protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and other metabolites that deliver nutritional benefits and support immune health. The supplement taken by the City of Ankeny was manufactured by Proactive Health Products and was supplied to the City and its employees at cost.
 
“Ankeny has a strong history of progressive governance and in partnering with the private sector, including Embria Health Sciences,” commented Deb Dyar, public relations officer for the City of Ankeny. “The City was interested in this pilot initiative because it approached employee wellness through preventative action rather than prescriptive measures, which are generally more costly and reduce employee productivity.”
 
Ms. Dyar said participating employees were asked to fill out a set of three surveys over the course of the six-month trial period. “The final survey results revealed that over 60% of participating employees felt that EpiCor benefitted their health and over 75% said they would be likely to purchase an immune health product like EpiCor in the future,” she said. “Additionally, the City experienced a 28% decrease in employees’ doctor’s visits for cold, flu and upper respiratory illnesses.”
 
What’s more, the results of this pilot initiative expanded the City’s awareness of the impact of preventative healthcare and of the employees’ interest and willingness to participate in such measures. Encouraged by the outcome, the City recently took steps to enhance its wellness program to offer more pre-emptive options to employees to reduce health risks and to promote healthy lifestyles. 
 
Assistant City Manager, Jim Spradling, was pleased with the results. “Like Embria Health Sciences, the City of Ankeny is committed to improving the lives of people through the services and products it provides,” he said via press release. “The City has traditionally looked for ways to partner with local business and this particular partnership is an innovative example of that pursuit.”

Due to favorable results, City officials like Mr. Spradling have encouraged other governments and businesses to incorporate a similar program in an effort to reduce inflated healthcare costs and improve preventative health initiatives, as well as promote employee productivity.
 
Epicor has demonstrated “significant improvement” in both cold/flu and seasonal airborne allergy symptoms, and has been the subject of “substantial” research, according to Cheryl Sturm, director of marketing for Embria Health Sciences. “Clinical studies have found EpiCor’s immune-balancing properties provide year-round support by helping the body boost or suppress immune response as needed,” Ms. Sturm told Nutraceuticals World. “EpiCor was the first immune health ingredient to receive the SupplySide West Scientific Excellence Award, in recognition of the compelling clinical studies published in peer-reviewed publications such as the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Advances in Therapy and Urologic Nursing.”
 
When asked if Embria Health Sciences would pursue future relationships like they cultivated with Ankeny, Ms. Sturm said anything is possible. “Given the successful outcome of its partnership with the City of Ankeny, Embria Health Sciences is amenable to working with other businesses or companies in the public or private sector to demonstrate the importance of year-round immune support and health,” she concluded.