A first-of-a-kind, three-year, community-wide wellness initiative is being launched in the city of Solon by Medical Mutual of Ohio, a leading provider of Ohio individual health insurance. Called "Healthy Solon," this project involves screening citizens for illness, tabulating data on illnesses and the rate of occurrence, and recording the results of any treatments people choose to undergo.
Paula Sauer, Medical Mutual's vice president of Care Management, said the health of Solon residents will be tracked over the duration of the three-year wellness initiative.
"Through an early health risk assessment (HRA), residents will have the opportunity to identify a potential health issue," said Sauer. "Health awareness and early detection programs will figure prominently in the first year of the pilot program. Solon residents will be offered blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, along with heart disease, diabetes, lung, skin and prostate cancer screenings," said Sauer. "Residents will also be encouraged to take part in walking for wellness programs, cooking and nutrition demos, smoking cessation, and stress prevention."
While Medical Mutual will not be including treatment or medication for any illness discovered during the screening process, it will advise participants of treatment options, allowing them to assess their Ohio healthcare insurance plan for appropriate inclusion
Sauer said at the conclusion of the three-year pilot program, benchmarks will have been established to measure the health of Solon citizens and the overall success of this effort. "Through screenings and HRA's, if we identify one person at risk or get one person to quit smoking, we will have done our job," said Sauer.
In addition to Medical Mutual, others supporting Healthy Solon include: Cleveland Clinic Solon Family Health Center, Solon City Schools, Hillcrest Hospital, South Pointe Hospital, AstraZeneca and Pfizer.
Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual of Ohio is one of the oldest health insurance companies in America. Based in Cleveland, Medical Mutual serves its customers through high-quality, flexible, and affordable group and personal health insurance plans, and third-party administrative services to self-insured group customers. Medical Mutual offers a full-line of products, including Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Health Savings Account (Ohio HSA Health Plans), personal vision insurance, and individual dental insurance. SuperMed One, Medical Mutual's personal health insurance product has a variety of deductibles, coinsurance, and co-pays to meet the needs of any individual or family.
