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Rotary Messenger
Rotary Club of Eau Claire
In This Issue
 Program Summary –
Wellness and Health
Insurance… Coming Full
Circle
 Greeters Schedule
 New Members Inducted
Visiting Rotarians
 None
Guests
 Bob Schmidt (Prospective
Member)
 Tom Lindgren (guest of Tony
Espeseth)
 Jim Flory (guest of Tony
Espeseth)
Leave of Absence
 Debby Schufletowski
(10/19/2007– 02/01/2008)
 Jackie Myers
(12/01/2007 – 04/15/2008)
 Glenn Horejsi
(01/01/2008 – 04/30/2008)
 Ron Dulitz
(12/24/2007 – 05/12/2008)
Make-ups
 Marje Bunce – Chippewa Falls
Club (January 15)
Editor: Jerry Reinecke
January 21, 2008
Program Summary – Wellness and Health Insurance…
Coming Full Circle presented by Kate Ludwigson
(Thank you to Kate Ludwigson for providing this “Program Summary”.)
Kate Ludwigson, Area Financial Services, is an independent insurance
agent focusing on employer sponsored benefits, as well as individual
medical and dental insurance. Ludwigson started out as a Human
Resource Director of a rural hospital
where she purchased health
insurance for employees. From
there she went to manage a small
medical clinic. The next step was
Blue Cross and Blue Shield where
she worked in operations and sales.
There has been a lot of finger
pointing as to who is responsible for
the high cost of health insurance…
employers, doctors and hospitals,
insurance companies, or the
government. A few years ago
Ludwigson read an article on who is
driving up the cost of health
insurance and the answer was “look
in the mirror”. Health insurance
Kate Ludwigson
rates go up because the cost of
Area Financial Services, Inc.
delivering health care goes up. Did
you know that 50-60% of the money spent on health care is due to
“lifestyle”? We’ve gone from “Life-Saving” to “Lifestyle” medicine. The
time has come where each of us needs to be responsible for our own
health. We need to transition from “sick care” to “health care”.
Employer sponsored plans started after World War II when the
government froze wages paid by employers. Group health plans were
offered to help retain and recruit the best employees. That same goal
applies today. In a recent survey health insurance was rated as the most
important benefit to employees. The earlier health plans were intended
to cover catastrophic costs. Then health plans went to richer benefits
where the employee paid very little for their health care. Now we’re
going full circle back to high deductible plans through health saving
accounts.
What can employers do?
 Start thinking in terms of “loss control” like we do for worker’s
compensation. A healthy workforce results in lower turnover and
absenteeism rates, improved productivity, increased employee
morale, and lower health care costs.
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01/21/2008
The 4-Way Test
Of the things, we think,
say or do:
1. Is it the ‘Truth’?
2. Is it ‘Fair’ to all concerned?
3. Will it build ‘Goodwill’ and
‘Better Friendships’?
4. Will it be ‘Beneficial’ to all?
Our Calendar
January 28 – Kids in the
Kitchen... the Childhood
Obesity Epidemic by
Robin Shih
February 4 – Todd Glaser, Head
Football Coach at UWEC
(Youth Rotars Honored)
February 11 – Nick Meyer,
Publisher and Editor of Volume
One Magazine
February 18 – Bruce Barker,
President at Chippewa Valley
Technical College
Officers/Board of Directors
(2007-08 Rotary Year)
President – Sam Stagliano
President-Elect – Don Huebscher
Vice President – Jacqe Lahn
Secretary – Jon Niebergall
Exec Sec / Treas – Jerry Reinecke
Past President – Tom McCarty
Avenues of Service:
Club – Angela Hite
Community – Barb Wiedenbeck
International – Mark Morse
Vocational – Marcia Van Beek
Contact Us
Rotary Club of Eau Claire
P.O. Box 671
Eau Claire, WI 54702-0671
 Remind employees throughout the year, not just at renewal time, that
containing health care costs is everyone’s responsibility.
 What’s in your vending machines at work? Is water available?
 Post information for your employees, such as the drug programs at
Wal-Mart or K-Mart.
 Check with your insurance carrier on wellness programs. Some
carriers have programs established for you to share with your
employees on different health related topics.
 During employee meetings include time for a presentation on various
wellness topics. Many providers and fitness clubs are willing to work
with employers.
 Do your employees know what urgent care hours are at their
providers? How flexible is your company to allow employees to take
sick children to the doctor? The emergency room is one of the most
expensive departments in a hospital to operate and should only be
used for true emergencies.
 Check with your insurance carrier to see if they offer “24 hour nurseline” for employees to ask questions before going to the emergency
room.
 Encourage your employees to “move” either through gym
memberships, walking paths at work, or even websites such as
www.GoyaAsma.com for ideas.
The bottom line is that if we don’t take time out for wellness now;
we’ll have to take time out for illness later.
Greeters Schedule
Date
Greeters (1)
January 28
Sue Hesketh and Bill Hilgedick
February 4
Angela Hite and Vicki Hoehn
February 11
Cindy Hofacker and Don Huebscher
February 18
Paula Kimbllin and Mary Knight
February 25
Rob Kreibich and Jacqe Lahn
March 3
Brian Larson and Brian Levin-Stankevich
Notes:
1. Greeters should arrive at 11:50 AM to assist with the meeting setup.
www.eauclairerotary.org
Sam Stagliano
715-834-2001 Ext 103
(continued on page 3)
[email protected]
Jerry Reinecke
715-838-7640
[email protected]
-2-
01/21/2008
New Members Inducted – Deb Severson, Jane Gobler
and Rhonda White
Deb Severson, Jane Gobler, and Rhonda White were formally inducted
into our Club as our newest members. Deb, sponsored by Sam Stagliano,
is the Director of Administration at Realityworks. She is transferring from
the LaCrosse North Rotary Club, and
is a former Rotary Governor for our
District 6250. Jane, sponsored by
Jerry Reinecke, is a Senior Mortgage
Loan Officer at Johnson Bank and is
transferring from the Menomonie
Noon Rotary Club. Rhonda White
was sponsored by Lisa Stelter and is
Director of Emergency and Trauma
Services at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Please be sure to introduce yourself
to Deb, Jane and Rhonda and
welcome them to Rotary. Within the
next few weeks, they will give their
“classification talks” at which time
we will have an opportunity to learn
a little more about both their
professional and personal lives.
Jane Gobler and Jerry Reinecke
-3-
Sam Stagliano and Deb Severson
Lisa Stelter and Rhonda White
01/21/2008