A recent article published in Population Health Management highlights how DTE Energy, a Detroit-based energy company with nearly 11,000 employees — 50% of whom are field-based and 49.3% union members—transformed its workplace by fostering an award-winning culture of health and wellbeing. Co-authored by Dr. Ray Fabius and David Kirshenbaum of HealthNEXT, the case study details DTE’s strategic journey to improve employee health outcomes, enhance workplace safety, and strengthen organizational performance. Over a five-year period, DTE achieved a remarkable 75% improvement in their corporate health assessment score, demonstrating significant progress towards becoming a benchmark employer in health and wellbeing.
The Why: A Commitment to People and Purpose
DTE’s vision was rooted in doing “the right thing” for its employees, customers, and community. With a workforce initially burdened by higher-than-average health risks, DTE recognized the need for a comprehensive approach to improve employee health, safety, and engagement.
The company defined wellbeing across four dimensions: physical health, emotional wellness, social connectivity, and financial fitness. By fostering a culture of vitality and care, DTE aimed to empower its workforce and align health initiatives with broader business goals.
The How: A Strategic and Measured Approach
DTE partnered with HealthNEXT to utilize two evidence-based tools—the Employer Health Opportunity Assessment (EHOA) developed by HealthNEXT and Culture Check Site Scans offered through Virgin Pulse. The EHOA provided a top-down comprehensive overview of the organization’s maturity in fostering a culture of health and wellbeing. The Culture Check Site Scan provided a bottom-up view of individual worksites on wellbeing supportive maturity. Together, these tools provided a comprehensive view of organizational strengths and gaps in the existing culture of health and wellbeing.
The initial assessments identified 11 areas of focus to bridge the gaps and achieve best practice over a multiyear strategic plan. These were as follows:
- Embed a best-practice culture of health and well-being into DTE’s culture
- Develop and engage an executive committee and champion
- Enhance the workplace environment with a focus on improved nutrition
- Improve population health, including behavioral health
- Market vitality
- Integrate data and analytics
- Train consumers and advocate for them
- Design evidence-based benefits
- Expand on-site services
- Form strategic partnerships and integrate them
- Establish direct provider relationships
Using these focus areas, a comprehensive project plan was developed that included the tasks, milestones, and goals, with a transparent methodology for planning, deploying, improving, and managing over time. Over five years, this roadmap of tactics was refreshed and updated each year, building on successes and ensuring that the correct sequence was followed.
Execution was supported by robust governance structures like the Wellbeing Executive Leadership Committee and a network of 200 local Wellbeing Champions.
The Results: Transformative Impact
DTE achieved significant progress over five years:
- EHOA Score Improvement: The company’s EHOA score rose by 75%, from 386 in 2018 to 675 in 2022—approaching benchmark levels. The EHOA focuses on ten best practice pillars to evaluate a company’s culture of health and wellbeing, producing a score out of 1,000. The benchmark goal is set at 700, indicating a high standard of excellence in health and wellbeing practices. Achieving such a score signifies that DTE is nearing best practice in health and wellbeing, reflecting their significant progress towards becoming a benchmark employer in this area.
- Recognition: DTE received prestigious awards like the C. Everett Koop National Health Award, recognizing their excellence in health and wellbeing initiatives. Since its inception in 1994, only about 70 organizations have received this honor, underscoring its exclusivity and the high standards required for selection.
- Injury Reduction: Musculoskeletal injury rates declined by 36%, while workers’ compensation claims dropped significantly, highlighting improvements in workplace safety.
- Employee Engagement: By 2023, over 89% of eligible employees and their spouses participated in wellbeing programs, including health risk appraisals, biometric screenings and annual checkups.
- Vendor Management and Strategic Partnerships: There was a remarkable 310% increase in the scoring of vendor management and strategic partnerships from 2018 to 2022. This growth underscores DTE’s commitment to leveraging external expertise to enhance its health initiatives.
- Leadership Support and Management Alignment: The score of this particular pillar increased by 109%, reflecting strong leadership commitment.
Notably, employee satisfaction with wellbeing initiatives has surged, with 83% affirming that “DTE cares about my wellbeing.”
Why a Culture of Health and Wellbeing Matters for Employers
- DTE’s case demonstrates that investing in a culture of health and wellbeing delivers measurable benefits:
- Improved employee health which results in reducing healthcare costs.
- Enhanced safety and wellbeing drive performance and retention.
- Recognition as an employer of choice strengthens brand reputation.
DTE’s journey underscores that building a culture of health and wellbeing is not just an ethical imperative but also a strategic advantage. By committing to long-term planning and leveraging proven frameworks like HealthNEXT’s EHOA assessment, organizations can create sustainable change that benefits employees and the bottom line.
