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Dealing with the ‘ebb and flow’ of financial support presents a major challenge as the "window of opportunity" opens and closes quite regularly to get funding to do certain wellness programs/projects with large populations, believes J. Randy Jones, MPH, CHES, a health plan director health and lifestyle management and member of the Wellness Program Management Advisor’s Wellness Manager Online Discussion Group.

"Typically as the economy improves, opportunities become more available," he said. "As the economy slows, typically cutbacks are made in wellness programs first, especially programs that are into the third, fourth and fifth year cycles and are having problems producing ‘real cost savings.’"

Jones said he believes one of the two following keys must occur to keep a program functioning:

1) "Have a corporate champion high up in the organizational structure. Someone the financial decision makers respect and trust enough to give the ‘reins’ to. This person normally is not the ‘wellness professional,’ but is the administrative consultant that can navigate through the system, especially during the ‘start up’ to get things to happen."

2) "Having worked on the hospital side for 20 years, and now working on the managed care side for the first time, you must be self sustaining to survive."

From the hospital side, developing products and services that allow you to generate enough revenue to support programming and staff, said Jones. "Not necessarily making money, but covering costs will keep your program afloat. That means diversification of programs and products."

According to Jones, finding products and services that are a mix of revenue generation and resources to produce a break even financial return is key. "This is easier as you can target customers and meet needs through employer groups."

Now that he is on the managed care side, Jones said his challenge is finding products and services that can be delivered to much larger and less cohesive groups.

"I still believe that programs can be developed for large numbers of members, but the key will be attracting the member to our programs and proving it has value," he said. This is a longer-term proposition. "One key will involve working through our corporate partners to deliver and provide specific aggregate feedback to show worth to that employer."

For more information on the Wellness Manager Online Discussion Group, visit www.wellnessjunction.com/forum/.