Special to Passenger Transport

Technological advances help create more efficient buses, railcars, and vans; reduce carbon emissions; save money and time; boost productivity; and improve scheduling and rider communications, but the Capital Metro Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) in Austin, TX, also uses technology as the centerpiece of its employee wellness program.

The initial basis of Capital Metro’s wellness program is the Tri-Fit Polar body assessment system, which records health and fitness assessments for tracking the health of the agency’s employees. Using these assessments, the wellness staff can create customized exercise and nutrition programs for each employee.

The program is administered by the system’s wellness department and managed by MediFit Corporate Services, a national wellness company. About 60 percent of Capital Metro’s 1,300 employees are actively engaged in one or more of the programs offered by the department.

It’s an investment that pays big dividends, Capital Metro officials said, not the least of which is addressing some of the chronic health-related issues associated with public transit employment, including obesity. These ailments often exact a heavy toll in human cost and financial expense (sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars), have a detrimental effect on health insurance claims, and drive up the costs associated with absenteeism and lost productivity. In many cases, they can prevent an operator from securing or renewing a commercial driver’s license.

By implementing the Tri-Fit Polar program, Capital Metro has been able to significantly reduce its health care costs, improve absenteeism rates, and achieve a return of $2.43 for each $1 invested over the last several years.

The program’s assessment phase has three main steps. The first requires participants to complete a full “health risk appraisal” that takes into account factors related to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, nutrition, stress, depression, and anxiety. Participants then perform a series of tests, including body mass index, blood pressure, hip-to-waist ratio, body weight, girth measurements, and body fat. Physical tests complete the assessment process by measuring cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and upper-body, lower-body, and core strength.

At the end of the assessment, each employee receives a report that shows his or her current health and fitness levels, recommends training and nutrition programs, and allows the employee to track improvements.

All biometric data are confidential, officials, say, and data are only stored in the Tri-Fit computer, not online. Further, the agency keeps all member files in a locked cabinet.

Each employee is also issued a heart rate monitor watch, which coordinates with the system to record workout duration and calories burned, among other metrics. Data from the watches are downloaded into the Tri-Fit to record improvement. Employees are re-tested every three months to monitor changes in their health.

System officials noted that the most challenging aspect of developing the Tri-Fit program was, and still is, ensuring that all participants continue with the training and nutrition programs prescribed by the wellness staff.

Capital Metro’s wellness program has been recognized by the Centers for Disease Control, American Cancer Society, and the Texas Department of State Health Services as a model program for improving employee health and lowering the costs associated with preventable diseases. In 2012, Capital Metro was named “Austin’s Healthiest Employer” by the Austin Business Journal.

Photos by Tim Kelly, Capital Metro Capital Metro health fitness specialist Christina Holt works with bus operator Kamal Butala as part of the agency’s high-tech employee wellness program.	Health fitness specialist Abraham Acosta coaches Capital Metro operator John Lopez through a customized fitness plan.