Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. X I H E A LT H Y B U S I N E S S 6 D an Bookham enjoys his work at Allen Insurance and Financial, where he's the business devel- opment director and a commercial insurance producer at the fi rm's offi ce in Camden. But over time, he became increas- ingly sedentary and his diet worsened. "Coming into this role, I found myself between a desk and computer or in my car, eating chicken strips at gas stations," he says. "I gained weight and began to have concerns, as I was heading into my 40s, about my overall health." Two years ago, he began taking advantage of a new program provided through Allen in partnership with Patient Advocates, a company in Gray that provides patient advocacy and disease management services, wellness programs and benefi t plan designs. e program includes annual health screenings and health coaching as needed. Bookham meets with the health coach once every couple of months, with more frequent meetings if needed. "I found it incredibly benefi cial," Bookham says. "I've been able to take control of my diet with their support. It's useful information that's tailored for me. And the proof is in the results. My bad cholesterol is down and my good choles- terol is up. My blood sugar is down, and my weight is down about 15 pounds." Being in the insurance industry, he says, he also understands how services such as Patient Advocates can help not only employees, but employers. " ere's a great phrase, 'enlightened self-interest,'" he says. " at's perfect, because employers have a vested interest in helping their employees stay healthy or manage their chronic conditions" to control health care and absenteeism costs. "It not only feels good that they want me to stay well. It also drives down the cost of health insurance for all of us." Navigating the health care system ese days, in a confusing environ- ment of skyrocketing health care costs, a multi-faceted health insurance landscape, changing health care needs and trends toward holistic health management, employers and employ- ees alike might understandably need help navigating health care options. In comes Patient Advocates. With an overall and long-time understand- ing of this environment and its shifting ways over the years, and cultivating long-term relationships with essential players such as nurses and hospitals, the company deploys its triple tac- tics — patient advocacy, health plan design and administration and wellness programs. It customizes strategies based on an employer's needs, while yielding a $3 return on every dollar cli- ents spend on its services, founder and President James Ward says. Patient Advocates was established in 1995 and today serves about 30 employ- ers with a total of 12,000 to 15,000 employees. But Ward has been off ering comparable services since 1980. "Health care costs were a problem back then — not to the extent they are today, but the issues and the solu- tions are essentially the same," Ward says. e issues revolve around unman- aged health and the resulting need for medical care. A big part of the solution is helping folks to understand how to lead a healthier lifestyle. "Seventy percent of medical claims could be avoided if people simply took better care of themselves. at number has been consistent for 30 years," Ward says. At Allen, Bookham provides an example of how well that's been working for him. Ward cites another example around diabetes: "What we've done that's been particularly benefi - cial for clients in rural Maine, is bring them a diabetes management program C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 8 » Dan Bookham, business development director at Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden, lost 15 pounds through a work-sponsored program established with Patient Advocates. P H O T O / DAV E C L O U G H What if you could lose 15 pounds at work? Advocates can help employees become successful in new ways B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r

• Cover