MESSAGE FROM JERRY NOYCE
Welcome to summer edition of HERO on Health.
To begin, our sincere appreciation to John Harris
who has completed his term as chair of the HERO board of directors. HERO has
made great progress during John’s tenure. Thank you also to David Ballard
(American Psychological Association), Andy Crighton (Prudential Financial), Ron
Loeppke (US Preventive Health), and Bob Soroosh (Affinia Group) as they
completed their service to HERO as members of the board.
Congratulations to the new officers of the HERO
board. LaVaughn Palma-Davis (University of Michigan) begins her term as board
chair, Ron Goetzel (Truven Health Analytics) becomes the board vice chair,
Lilly Wyttenbach (Goldman Sachs) is the new board secretary, Kristine Holbrook
(MediFit Corporate Services) assumes the role of board treasurer and John Harris
(Peform pH) moves to immediate past chair. Welcome also to new board members
Josh Glynn (Google), Dan Krick (Lincoln Industries), Betty-Jo Saenz (ADT
Services), and Laurie Whitsel (American Heart Association).
HERO study committees are doing important work in
the development and understanding of how to create a culture of health in an
organization; the relationship between employee health, worker performance and
its impact on business productivity; and the business case for employers to
take a leadership role in improving the health of communities in which they are
located. See the Committees Report column for information
on their work.
More than 40 members of HERO have been involved
over the past 12 months in the creation of the next version of the HERO
Employee Health Management Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with
Mercer. The HERO Scorecard Version 4 will be released in June and will be
available at that time on the HERO website, www.the-hero.org.
Version 4 incorporates the most recent research and identified best practices
based on analysis of the Version 3. data. I encourage you to complete Version
4upon its release to benchmark your health management program to current best
practices and, at the same time, help to build the Version 4database that will
be used to develop our understanding of the association between program
practices and desired outcomes. An overview
of version 4 is
included in this newsletter.
Since its inception in 1996, HERO has focused on
the creation of evidence-based employee health management programs in America.
During that time, we have been asked by many organizations to also address
employee health issues for workers globally. This fall, on September 29, at the
site of the 2014 HERO Forum, HERO and the Global Healthy Workplace Awards
organization will host a seminar focused on global worker health issues. Fik
Isaac from Johnson & Johnson and Andy Crighton from Prudential Financial
will co-chair this first HERO-sponsored gathering on global health. This
session is open to everyone. If this subject is important to your work, please
join us for the Global Health Seminar. Registration is available here.
Speaking of the Forum, the HERO Forum for Employee Health Management Solutions, will visit
the west coast for the first time. Attendees at the HERO Forum will gather at
the Westin San Diego on September 30ththrough October 2nd,
to hear from experts in the field, share best practices and network together.
The Forum is always open to everyone. Take a minute to read more about the HERO Forum.
Finally, HERO members are invited to attend the
annual HERO Research Meeting, July 15th in Chicago. This is a full
day of discussion about recent health management research and the
identification and prioritization of future study in the field. HERO members may register now.
Enjoy your summer,
Jerry
CEO & President
HERO
LETTER FROM BOARD CHAIR
The
Critical Importance of Our Shared Mission
By - LaVaughn Palma-Davis
By - LaVaughn Palma-Davis
Chair,
HERO Board of Directors
Senior Director, University Health &Well Being Initiatives
University of Michigan
Senior Director, University Health &Well Being Initiatives
University of Michigan
As
I began reflecting on HERO’s priorities for the next two years, I couldn’t help
feeling a sense of excitement, responsibility, importance and urgency about the
work we all share in moving the field of health management forward.
Demonstrating the value of health management to organizational leaders across
the United States is paramount at this time, when there is so much focus on the
cost of health care and the continuing escalation of poor health in our
country. Whether they are in the private or public sector, all organizations,
their employees, constituents and associated communities can benefit from the
work we do. The partnerships that HERO has established over the years are
critical to accomplishing our mutual goals and solidifying the value of
prevention and health management in contributing to individual, organizational
and community well-being.
It’s
an important time to make progress on HERO’s vision “to promote a culture of
health and performance through employer leadership” by bringing together
thought leaders to share knowledge, facilitate actionable research and drive
innovation. The emphasis on population health management in the Affordable Care
Act, the interest in employee engagement and performance by executives and
major community health projects like the Blue Zones and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation’s initiatives are all examples of the tremendous opportunity we have
to collaborate in meaningful ways and make a positive difference in our
communities. I am particularly encouraged by the discussions about the
importance of culture and environment in sustaining good health. In addition,
the ever-increasing use of social media and technology to enhance health
behaviors allow us to affect population health in new, broader and deeper
ways.
In
addition to feeling pride, I was also impressed by how much progress we’ve made
toward the objectives in the HERO Business Plan for 2012-2015. In particular:
1. Expand
HERO research efforts – The research that has been accomplished and
that is outlined in the 2014 HERO Research Agenda document represents an
impressive array of work made possible by the generous contributions of HERO
Research Partners.
2. Enhance
our media presence – Some of the highlights of this past year were
subject matter expert articles in several trade journals, the publication of
important research articles and white papers, and presentations by staff and
members at various conferences nationwide.
3. Expand
our educational outreach programs – The 2013 HERO Fall Forum had the
highest number of participants, thus far, with over 400 attendees. In addition,
HERO has continued to host webinars on a variety of topics, which are archived
online and available on demand.
4. Develop
collaborations that will move our mission forward – HERO has
established numerous partnerships which are strengthening and advancing our progress
toward common goals. We look forward to continuing to build on these important
collaborations, among them: the Health Project (C. Everett Koop Award),
the Population Health Alliance, Mercer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The
Clinton Foundation “Health Matters” Initiative, the Institute of Medicine, The
Hope Street Group, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine,
American Heart Association, American Cancer Association, American Diabetes
Associations, and the Samueli Institute.
5. Develop
industry tools and standards – Version 4.0 of the HERO Scorecard will
be released early this summer. The Program MeasurementEvaluation Guide: Core
Metrics for Employee Health Management incollaboration with the Population
Health Alliance, has also been released and
is available on the HERO website.
6. Help
shape public policy - the Joint Consensus Statement
on Incentives and the HERO commentary on
wellness programs to ERISA are two
examples of HERO activity in this area.
7. Growth
of HERO membership (so that we can continue to do all of the above) –
current Think Tank membership is at its highest level, and growing. We are
fortunate to have generous financial support from our members, research
partners and Forum sponsors. In addition, HERO has received grants this year
from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Institute of Medicine to further
develop the concept of the employer’s role in community health.
None
of this would be possible without the exceptional contributions of our Think
Tank members. HERO
accomplishes what it does through the active involvement and talent of its many
members who volunteer on numerous committees. Our “think tank” approach brings
together thought leaders to share knowledge, explore compelling issues,
identify best practices and facilitate actions to improve outcomes.
The
Future
While
we will continue to make progress on the objectives in the 2012-2015 business
plan, we also need to consider the tremendous change affecting the field of
health management and do our best to envision and prepare for the future. In
July, the HERO Board of Directors will conducting its annual strategic planning
meeting, led by Seth Serxner. I invite you to provide your thoughts to me or
any of our board members prior to that meeting.
It’s
an exciting time for HERO members, with tremendous opportunity to help solidify
prevention and health management as a core business value. Your knowledge,
dedication, passion and collaborative spirit can be the lifeblood to achieving
our vision. I look forward to what we can accomplish together!
LaVaughn Palma-Davis
HERO
Board of Directors
LaVaughn
Palma-Davis, Chairman
Board of HERO, Senior Director, University Health & Well Being Initiatives,
University of Michigan
John
Harris,
Immediate Past Chair Board of HERO, MEd, Principal, Performance pH
Ron
Goetzel,
Vice-Chair Board of HERO, PhD, Vice President of Consulting & Applied
Research, Truven Health Analytics, Research Professor-Emory University
Lilly
Wyttenbach, Secretary
of HERO, MA, Vice President, Benefits, Goldman, Sachs & Co
Kristine
Holbrook,
Treasurer of HERO, MEd, Senior Vice President, Employer Health and Wellness
Services and Wellness Services, MediFit Corporate Services
Jerry
Noyce, President
& CEO, HERO
David
Anderson,
PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Officer, Staywell Health Management
Victoria
George,
MA, MPH, National Executive Director, Program Evaluation, HealthWorks and
Product Innovation, Kaiser Permanente
Josh
Glynn, Fitness
Program Manager, Google
Fikry
Isaac,
MD, MPH, FACOEM, Vice President Global Health Services, Johnson & Johnson
Dan
Krick, MA,
VP of People Resources, Lincoln Industries
Betty-Jo
Saenz, MBA,
MPH, Sr. Director, Benefits, ADT
Seth
Serxner,
PhD, MPH, Chief Health Officer and Senior Vice President of Population Health,
OptumHealth Care Solutions, United Health Group
Jeffry
Warren,
MPA, Sr. Advisor, Gardent Global
Laurie
Whitsel, PhD, Director
Public Research, American Heart Association
HERO
LEADERSHIP AWARDS
Now in their fifth
year, the HERO Leadership Awards are the premier vehicle for nationally recognizing
the impact that one individual can have on an organization and even our
industry. They are a way to honor those who have devoted their careers to
promoting good health and implementing innovative and effective EHM strategies.
To complement the existing
leadership categories and acknowledge the role of the wellness practitioner,
this year we have introduced The Heart
of HERO Award!
HERO Members:
please submit nominations by 7/31/14 for the leaders and/or practitioners you
believe deserve recognition! Please visit the HERO website to learn about
the awards and find the nomination forms.
INDUSTRY
VOICES
Healthy
Workplace Culture: The foundation of a healthy workforce
By
- Ralph F. Colao
Health
& Performance Officer
Hub
International Midwest Ltd.
If
you believe as I do, that “health and wellness is a way of life, as
well as a state of mind and a state of being,” then the workplace
societal environment (workplace culture) is paramount to establishing and
maintaining employee health and well-being.
Focus
group participants most frequently describe wellness as a “balanced approach to
health involving physical, emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual
aspects.” As I discuss that same concept with senior executives,
they most frequently cite evidence of a successful employee health management
strategy as “increased employee energy.”
To
those ends above, a healthy culture seemingly includes two primary components.
The first is a human capital approach that incorporates policies and
practices that involve, empower, and engage employees in decisions about their
work and the direction of the organization. Leaders clearly communicate
the company’s vision and goals, and the reasons behind them, and can model and
reward desired behaviors. This type of culture promotes an environment of
innovation, creativity and engagement, and ultimately fosters workforce energy.
Workplace culture cannot be dismissed since an organization’s existing work
culture (its beliefs, values, attitudes, practices and customs) is one of the
greatest determinants of employee distress and anxiety. According to a
study by ComPsych1 66 percent of employees report having
high levels of stress, with extreme fatigue/feeling out of control.
The
second component of a healthy workplace culture includes tools, resources,
policies and practices, along with a physical environment that supports the
dimensions of wellness mentioned earlier.
The
combination of these two components results in a work environment where it is
easy, convenient, acceptable and expected for employees to engage in healthy
and safe behaviors as part of the everyday work experience. In other words,
health and well-being simply become “the way things are done around here.”
Industry
research is also quickly supporting the fact that this combination has a
positive impact on business performance. In fact, HealthNEXT2 found
companies that build a culture of health by focusing on the well-being and
safety of their workforce realize a greater return for their investors (3.11
percent to 5.29 percent when compared to the S&P 500).
1The StressPulse
survey was conducted from Sept. 26 to Oct. 15 2011, receiving responses from
employees of more than 1,500 ComPsych client companies nationwide.
2Fabius R, Thayer RD,
Konicki DL, et. Al. The link between workforce health and safety and the health
of the bottom line: tracking market performance of companies that nurture a
“culture of health.” J Occup Environ Med. 2013; 55(9):993-1000
Ralph F. Colao
PROGRAM
SPOTLIGHT
HERO
interview with Quest Diagnostics
Interview participant:
Wendi Mader
Senior Product Manager
Janet Richardson-Barce
Director,Product Management and
Marketing
For
this issue of HERO On Health, we interviewed Wendi Mader, senior
product manager, and Janet Richardson-Barce, director, product management and
marketing, with Quest Diagnostics about their employee health management program
called, HealthyQuest. Quest Diagnostics, a world leader in diagnostic testing
services that help individuals and doctors make better health care decisions,
employs approximately 41,000 people around the world.
HealthyQuest
was initially introduced 10 years ago to Quest employees at select locations,
and was later extended to employees companywide in order to help colleagues and
dependents become more knowledgeable about their health—and the program remains
a key employee initiative today.
The
cornerstone of the HealthyQuest program is the company’s Blueprint for Wellness
biometric health screening, which is also offered commercially to other
employers. When Blueprint for Wellness was first launched in 2001, prior to the
formal launch of HealthyQuest, participation was low. Mader and
Richardson-Barce believe this is because the program was not fully socialized
with the employee base and the company did not initially offer employees an
incentive to participate.
A
few years later Quest began offering a $260 premium reduction incentive to
employees for completing a health risk assessment and biometric
screening. And today, the company has been able to achieve 70
percent participation and employees can earn as much as $650 in incentives.
Based
on this positive response, Quest began to migrate toward an outcomes-based
incentive structure in 2010 that focused on achieving a healthy weight or
improving an at-risk weight. The Blueprint for Wellness program provided the
platform to administer the outcomes-based program, which included a health
questionnaire, biometric screening (including objective measures for height,
weight, and waist circumference), participant reporting and the ability to
measure and report. For participants that do not achieve the stated weight
goals, a reasonable alternative is provided, namely engagement with a health
coach.
Are
the company’s efforts working? In addition to the increased participation
levels in both the Blueprint for Wellness screening and in our lifestyle
coaching programs, Quest has seen specific health risks (such as obesity)
improve. Additionally, the company completed a four-year ROI analysis in 2010
and found that the HealthyQuest program, specifically the Blueprint for
Wellness screening, was generating a return on investment of $2.60 for each
dollar spent on the program’s delivery.
The
value of screening was affirmed again by Quest Diagnostics in a study published
in 2011, Value of Laboratory Tests in Employer-Sponsored Health Risk
Assessments for Newly Identified Health Conditions: Analysis of 52,270. This
study showed that without employer-sponsored laboratory testing, more
than one in three working-age adults may have unidentified
disease(s). The percent of participants with newly identified disease
risk (36 percent) in this research was significantly higher than
those who self-identified (24 percent) as having one or more of
three* common chronic conditions.1
(*Hyperlipidemia,
Diabetes, and Chronic Kidney Disease)
HERO:
What have been the keys to your success in creating an effective
employee health management program?
Mader: The very nature of our business at Quest
Diagnostics helps pave the way for our success. Because we offer wellness
services to other companies, we have been able to apply the best practices that
we use in other organizations to our own workforce via HealthyQuest. For
example, we have a great set of wellness champions at each of our business
units who are responsible for implementing the program at their locations and
building support on an ongoing basis. In this way, Blueprint for Wellness and
HealthyQuest push each other to be better.
The
program also benefitted from a change in corporate philosophy that allows us to
transmit data to best-in-class third party vendors, which has helped us broaden
the services available to employees through HealthyQuest. As a result, we produce even richer data that
we can integrate to our overall health and productivity programs. This is exciting
because we’re starting to see things being targeted in different ways, some of
which are important but not widely implemented (such as diabetes screening at a
certain levels). Ultimately, that means we’re learning to do wellness better
and to integrate data intelligently.
HERO:
When you look back at your program outcomes, what results or outcomes do
you feel are the most significant?
Mader: At a high level, we’ve seen a migration of
biometric values from “out-of-range” status to “in-range” status. This is significant because an out-of-range
status is often the first indication a person has that they do, or could have,
a problem. When we tell someone that they have an out-of-range value, they tend
to take action. One reason we’ve had success in this area is because we target
employees by their work functions and risk factors and how they migrate. For
example, people in sales have different risk factors than do our scientists and
lab technicians or phlebotomists or customer service representatives. We also
look at shifts and how the risk factors and migration patterns differ based on
the time shift that employees work.
More
specifically, we are seeing a downward trend in BMI among employees who are
obese. While some of these employees technically still qualified as obese,
their BMI is coming down and their level of obesity is shifting downward.
HERO:
What lessons have you learned over the years that you can share with
other employers who have made a commitment to improving employee health?
Mader: There are a few basic principles that we
follow at Quest Diagnostics and other employers could apply to their own
programs:
1. Communicate in simple terms. Keep your
messaging open. Think about how you frame your message so it’s personal and
engaging. You cannot over-invest in communication because if you don’t
communicate well and consistently about your program, you will not succeed.
Support your investment in employee wellness with a sound communications
strategy and thorough implementation plan.
2. Take your time. Stage your program so
employees can get comfortable with it and fully understand it. And think about
how you will evolve your program over time; you don’t have to roll out
everything at once. This also gives you time to educate employees along the
way.
3. Provide participation options. Give
employees the opportunity to find a way to meet the program goals through
activities that are personally interesting and appealing to them.
4. Understand the importance of privacy. This
is critically important to people when it comes to their personal health
information. Creating firewalls between employees, your service providers,
employee data and your corporate management is crucial.
1Quest Diagnostics
PLoS One Study, December 2011.
SCORECARD
COMMENTARY
The HERO
Scorecard – Can it predict health care cost trends and employee health risks?
By - Ron Goetzel, PhD
VP,
Consulting & Applied Research Truven Health Analytics
In 2013, HERO commissioned Truven
Health Analytics and Emory University to conduct a research study that would
examine the HERO Scorecard’s ability to predict health care cost trends for
large employers, as well as their employees’ risk profiles. The study,
scheduled to be published in the Journal
of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM) in early 2014, is authored by
researchers at Truven Health, Emory University, and several HERO members
including Jessica Grossmeier, Shawn Mason, Dan Gold, Steve Noeldner and David
Anderson. Funding for the research was provided by HERO Research Partners
Charter Members including Alere, HealthFitness, Healthways, Kaiser Permanente,
Plus One Health Management, Prudential Financial, StayWell Health Management,
and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Why did HERO commission this study?
We know that well-designed,
comprehensive and evidence-based workplace health promotion programs can
improve the health risk profile of employees and lower their health care costs.
However, too few U.S. employers provide effective programs, often because they
lack the tools and knowledge to design and implement world-class employee
health management programs.
The HERO Employee Health Management
Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer© was developed to help
employers measure the extent to which their programs align with industry best
practices. The HERO Scorecard is now one of the most widely used organizational
health assessment tools, with over 1,200 employers completing the survey.
Employers who complete the survey use their scores to evaluate their program’s
success, but until now, they did not really know whether a good score could
predict outcomes important to businesses, such as health care cost trends and
improvement in employee health risks.
This study tested the validity of the
HERO Scorecard by asking the question: Are higher scores on the Scorecard associated
with reductions in health care costs? The study also looked at the Scorecard’s
ability to predict changes in employee health risks.
How did we conduct the study?
The study team identified
organizations that completed the HERO Scorecard and contributed medical claims
and health risk data to the Truven Health MarketScan databases. MarketScan
contains longitudinal, fully integrated, and de-identified person-level claims
data (inpatient, outpatient, drug, lab and health risk assessment) collected
from Truven Health employer clients. We isolated the data for the 33 HERO
Scorecard contributors identified and then measured their employees’ annual
health care expenditures and health risks for the period of 2009-2011.
More than 700,000 employees from the 33-company
sample were studied across three years. First, we looked at overall cost and
health risk trends for these employers and then separated the experience of
companies scoring “high” on the HERO Scorecard (with scores between 100-200)
against those scoring “low” (with scores of 0-99). We developed a multiple
regression model to predict health care costs and employee health risks based
upon employers’ “high” or “low” scores.
What did we find?
In general, the 33 companies in our
study scored higher in each of the six sections of the HERO Scorecard and
overall compared to the average HERO Scorecard respondent. This is likely
because the study sample group was comprised of Truven Health clients that are
generally larger companies with more extensive resources and know how to direct
at workplace health promotion programs.
When comparing the low- to
high-scoring HERO companies, those with low scores maintained their health care
spending while organizations with high scores experienced an average of a 1.6 percentage
point annual reduction in health care expenditures during the study period
(adjusted for medical inflation).
We also found that low scoring organizations had more employees at high risk at the start of the study period compared to organizations with high HERO scores. However, over the three-year study period, organizations with low HERO scores achieved significantly greater reductions in three of the four risk factors studied (obesity, high blood pressure and high total cholesterol, but not high blood glucose) when compared to organizations with high HERO scores that also reduced their employees’ health risks but at a slower pace.
We also found that low scoring organizations had more employees at high risk at the start of the study period compared to organizations with high HERO scores. However, over the three-year study period, organizations with low HERO scores achieved significantly greater reductions in three of the four risk factors studied (obesity, high blood pressure and high total cholesterol, but not high blood glucose) when compared to organizations with high HERO scores that also reduced their employees’ health risks but at a slower pace.
Ron Goetzel, PhD
HERO
SCORECARD VERSION 4.0
Coming
soon! HERO Scorecard Version 4.0
The wait is almost over for fans of the HERO Employee Health Management Best
Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer©
(HERO Scorecard). The experts drawn from across the health management industry
have been busy analyzing data from previous versions of the Scorecard, writing
commentaries based on that data, and developing a brand-new version of the HERO
Scorecard—Version 4.0—that will be released in June. Here’s all the information
you need to stay up to date on the Scorecard.
What’s new with Version 4.0?
After more than a year of discussing and debating
the continued evolution of the HERO Scorecard, our panel of EHM experts have
added items to the questionnaire that reflect changing market trends (such as
outcomes-based incentives and gamification strategies) and new industry
knowledge about the influence of best practices on program outcomes. For
example, as an industry we have learned organizations that commit to creating a
comprehensive culture of health have better wellness program outcomes. As a
result, in Version 4.0 we’ve broadened the “Leadership Support” section of the
Scorecard and renamed it “Organizational Support.” This section also includes
new questions on culture and the physical work environment. Additional changes
that we believe will reflect the evolving nature and practice of health
management include:
· Adding questions on incentives,
including outcomes-based incentives and intrinsic reward strategies
· Adding questions on engagement
strategies, including the use of mobile apps and devices, contests, and other
social network strategies
· Updating questions on program design,
including more detailed questions on lifestyle coaching
· Adding questions on program
integration, including disability programs
· Adding a section on program outcomes
with detailed quantitative questions to permit the study of ROI
· Adding demographic questions that will
help deliver more precise benchmarking
· Changing the number of points that are
allocated to different questions to better reflect the impact that best
practices have on program outcomes
Already use the Scorecard? How these
changes affect you
If you’ve completed the HERO Scorecard in the
past, it will still be familiar, but approximately half of the questions are
new or have been substantially revised. That means it’s worth completing the
Scorecard again. This also means that the best practice score you earned when
last completing the Scorecard will not exactly line up with your future Version
4.0 score. When Version 4.0 is released in June, we’ll provide guidelines on
how to compare scores across the two versions.
Learning from past Scorecard analyses
More than 1,200 employers have completed the
Scorecard and many have done so more than once, enabling them to track their
progress over time. In addition, 10 organizations have signed on as Scorecard
Preferred Providers, allowing them to use Scorecard data with their clients
and, lending their knowledge and experience to help ensure the Scorecard meets
the needs of employers.
Over the years, HERO has published 18 commentaries
based on Scorecard data. These commentaries have addressed trends and questions
such as whether or not including spouses in key elements of wellness programs
improves participation and outcomes (it does), and how small employer programs
might produce results that are comparable to those of large employers. In
addition to these commentaries, articles citing Scorecard data have appeared in
numerous trade publications and peer-reviewed journals, most recently the
February issue of the Journal of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Stay tuned and learn more
Watch your inbox for email alerts from HERO and
follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook for updates on the release
of Version 4.0.
HERO COMMITTEE REPORT
HERO members, its collaborators and invited subject matter experts serve on committees formed to study health related topics of interest to employers. Following is a report on their work in progress.
HERO members, its collaborators and invited subject matter experts serve on committees formed to study health related topics of interest to employers. Following is a report on their work in progress.
Culture
Committee (CC)
The
CC was created to develop the value proposition for employers to invest in the
assessment, planning, creation and maintenance of a culture that supports
health and wellbeing within their organization. Its work encompasses providing
guidance that includes effective strategies and tools for assessing, planning,
implementing and evaluating all key aspects of an organization’s culture. The
committee will propose future research needed to investigate the impact, value
and effectiveness of a culture that supports health and wellbeing for the
sustainability and health of individual employees of an organization and the
organization itself.
An
important part of their work includes developing a definition of a workplace
culture that encourages good health. The definition the committee has created
is: “A healthy workplace culture is one intentionally designed with
elements and indicators that support health & wellbeing.” Elements
of an organizational culture of health have been identified and are being
vetted with the HERO membership. We would like to get your feedback as well. If
you would like to participate in reviewing these elements of culture by May
23rd, click here.
Health, Performance & Productivity Committee (HPPC)
Health, Performance & Productivity Committee (HPPC)
The
relationship between the health of the workforce, its impact on worker
performance and ultimately the impact of health on the performance and
productivity of the organization has been identified as a key topic for HERO
study. The HPPC was created to explore this relationship. To do so, the
committee has formed three work streams:
- Research- what exists, where are the gaps in understanding, what research should be recommended
- Innovation- what are the innovations around health and performance
- Employer/Employee Value Proposition- what is the importance of health to both the individual in their work life and to the organization’s performance
An
important step in the committee’s work is to understand the attitudes of
business leaders about the importance of health to the success of their
organization. To do so, the HPPC is launching a national survey of business
leaders. You are invited to join us in this effort by sharing this survey with
business leaders in your organization. Click here to see the
survey.
Employer-Community
Collaboration Committee (ECCC)
Employers
have been generally supportive of community efforts to address issues of
health. More recently, a growing number of business leaders are assuming a
leadership role with other community stakeholders to improve the health of the
communities where they are located along with the health of their workers. The
ECCC has been formed to explore the reasons why employers may want to play
active roles in community health initiatives, what activities make most sense
for employers to participate in, and how to go about conducting such efforts.
To
accomplish its charge, the ECCC has first completed an environmental scan to
identify what is happening in this regard. This study has been commissioned by
the Institute of Medicine and can be accessed by clicking
here.
The
environmental scan has helped the committee identify thought leaders in this
effort. Sixty of these leaders gathered at HERO member organization
HealthPartners for a day-long session in late April. Their purpose- to identify
the important elements to building a strong business case for employers to
encourage them to become involved in a leadership role in community health
improvement. As part of this discussion, the group also identified the issues
and barriers that must be overcome to be successful in this effort. This
convening was made possible through a grant provided by the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
Now
the ECCC is moving to its next phase of its work, the dissemination of the
business case to encourage employers to assume a leadership role in community
health initiatives. This will include the creation of a website that will
present the business case for becoming involved, examples of success stories of
employers’ involvement in community health across the country, and tools and
resources to help employers in determining how to best use their resources to
maximize impact on community health. Along with the website, members of the
ECCC and the developing network of collaborators focused on this effort will be
appearing at business gatherings to share this information and encourage employers
to act. We thank Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of
Medicine for supporting these efforts.
Food
Day - October 24th
Building
on the three years of Food Day celebrations, Food Day 2014 on October 24 is
shaping up to be even bigger and more significant, unifying the national food
movement around one platform, helping raise awareness about food issues within
the broader public, and getting national and local groups to collaborate around
more numerous and meaningful events and policy changes. With national
coordination provided by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public
Interest, Food Day brings together chefs, political figures, public health
officials, schools and universities, food activists, and companies to promote
healthier diets and better food policies.
In
2013, Food Day was celebrated with over 4,700 events in all 50 states. United
Natural Foods, Inc. held Food Day events at 20 of its locations, from healthy
potlucks to full-blown farmers markets for employees. LSG Sky Chefs, the
world’s largest provider of in-flight services, participated for the third year
by launching a month-long program that provided healthy tips and recipes for
families.
By
joining the Food Day campaign, you connect with other groups and individuals
nationwide committed to fixing the American food system. Partner organizations
and interested companies can participate in a variety of ways: organize an
event or time an initiative on or around Food Day; encourage networks or
members to take part; or help build the momentum around Food Day through
newsletters, websites, and on social media. In whatever way individuals and
organizations choose to celebrate, the key is participation.
How
can Food Day promote work site wellness? Food Day is an occasion for employers
to create work environments that foster health and wellness. Whether you’re an
employee or employer, work site wellness programs can greatly facilitate better
health. Use Food Day as an opportunity to promote a supportive work environment
with healthier foods in cafeterias, vending machines, or during meetings and
events. Food Day is not just a day; it’s a year-long catalyst for healthier
diets and a better food system. Let’s use this energy to make a meaningful and
long-lasting difference!
To
contact the Food Day team, send an email to foodday@cspinet.org or call
202-777-8392. Visit FoodDay.org for more resources.
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HERO HAPPENINGS
HEROForum14 Brings New Global Health Seminar
HERO, in collaboration with the Global Healthy Workplace
Awards organization, will introduce a new global health convening session on
Monday, September 29th, the day prior to the start of the 2014 Forum. The
Global Healthy Workplace Seminar will discuss the challenges of developing
health promotion programs for a global workforce and highlight good practices
aligned with the Global Healthy Workplace Awards.
A growing number of multi-national employers are
developing strategies to address the health of their employees globally.
However, significant challenges may exist with the varying health care delivery
models, regulations, cultures and local practices.
This half-day seminar will take a look at key global
issues such as mental well-being and work-related stress, and provide insight
on successful programming. The seminar will close with an interactive
discussion on how to take this global initiative further with future events and
projects.
The Global Healthy Workplace seminar will be held on Monday 9/29 from 8:00
AM - 1:30 PM. For more details as they are announced and to register
visit the Global Healthy Workplace Seminar on the HERO website.
Latest Happening
HERO Research Meeting
July 15 , 2014
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Crowne Plaza, Rosemont, IL
Crowne Plaza, Rosemont, IL
Global Healthy Workplace Seminar
September 29, 2014
8:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Westin, San Diego, CA
8:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Westin, San Diego, CA
HERO Think Tank Meeting
September 29, 2014, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Reception and dinner to follow
Reception and dinner to follow
Westin, San Diego, CA
HERO Forum
September 30 - October 2, 2014
Westin, San Diego, CA
Westin, San Diego, CA
Recent entries into the HERO Resource Center
NEW
THINK TANK MEMBERS
EXOS
Works
Our
mission is to upgrade lives. Since our founding in 1999, EXOS (formerly Core
Performance/Athletes’ Performance) has become a leader in proactive health and
performance, trusted by elite athletes, the military and innovative companies
worldwide. We design and deliver health and performance game plans that ignite
people, especially the chronically disengaged, to achieve higher levels of
success. We equip individuals to identify and overcome mental and physical
obstacles, creating personal breakthroughs that lead to a healthier, high
performing and transformed workforce. With world-class partners,
facilities, technologies, and specialists spanning six continents, we’re
pioneering human performance.
Learn more at www.teamexos.com.
Learn more at www.teamexos.com.
St.
Joseph Health
St.
Joseph Health is a ministry of The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, who trace
their roots back to seventeenth century France and have a one hundred year
legacy of service in the United States. Today, the not-for-profit St. Joseph
Health, headquartered in Orange County California, has nearly 25,000
care-givers and support staff providing a full range of health care services
from 16 acute care hospitals, home health agencies, hospice care, outpatient
services, skilled nursing facilities, wellness centers, community clinics,
medical practices and physician organizations. The health system serves three
states, where, in addition to providing quality health care services, it has
made a lasting impact on its communities by supporting other not-for-profits in
developing programs that enhance the well-being of individuals and families.
Learn more at www.stjhs.org.
Learn more at www.stjhs.org.
INTERESTED
IN MEMBERSHIP?
CONTACT Marlene Abels, Coordinator Member Services (952) 835-4257
CONTACT Marlene Abels, Coordinator Member Services (952) 835-4257
