Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education serving more than a million people each year. As an employer, Mayo Clinic has provided a health and productivity program to its employees and dependents for many years. While Mayo has been collecting data and implementing a clinical approach to population health, it was missing an important component in its planning: benchmarking its program against those of other companies. The HERO Scorecard offered an opportunity to evaluate how Mayo Clinic’s program design measured up in terms of industry best practices associated with successful health management programs. Kurt Hobbs, MS, Director of Account Management and Strategic Consulting for Mayo Clinic Global Business Solutions, led the organization through the HERO Scorecard process with Mayo Clinic Benefits Manager Becky Pautz. “Companies with health management programs can usually pinpoint their program’s strengths and opportunities,” says Mr. Hobbs. “Being able to objectively evaluate their program against a well-respected industry benchmark tool like the HERO Scorecard provides the documentation required to make the case for devoting resources to identified health improvement opportunities.”
Based on the HERO Scorecard results, Mayo Clinic saw two immediate opportunities. First, it would use low scores to bolster the business case for continued support from Mayo Clinic leadership. Second, the organization prioritized the need for a long-term strategic plan that included the tactics defined in the six sections of the HERO Scorecard.
Like other employers, Mayo Clinic is trying to find the “right” combination of programs and resources to support the health and wellness of employees. “Our HERO Scorecard report opened the door for an objective evaluation of our initiatives, which can be difficult in a complex, diverse institution like Mayo,” says Ms. Pautz. But it’s well worth the effort. She adds, “We see improving the health and well-being of employees as inextricably linked to achieving our mission: to put patients’ needs first.”
Moving forward, Mayo Clinic is well-positioned with bestpractice recommendations built into a new strategic plan that will guide its planning and implementation for the future.
Source: 2012 HERO Scorecard Progress Report
