Resilient Growth
When we encounter new experiences, we learn new ways of interacting with the world and we grow. We do this our whole lives. When we are very young, these milestones are celebrated: our first step, our first word, graduating from college. I think we all know why growing is important. Like the grass, without growth, we all go dormant.
So why don’t we celebrate growth milestones in adults?
I believe it’s because growth is just change in disguise. Many don’t like it, but embracing it can make us resilient.
Resilient or resistant, we all experience stress in our growth. We can combat persistent low-level stress through relaxation, physical activity and social connection. We invite you to leave your stories and tips of social connection in this time of COVID-19 in the comments section of this new HERO blog post. Our resilience is stronger when we help and share with each other. Thanks for all you do!
Ariane Mistral
HERO Project Coordinator
Thank you to all the volunteers! Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 19-25).
HERO’s work would not be possible without the hours and hours of time from our dedicated committee volunteers and Board members. We’re also inspired by the stories of volunteers around the world who are finding new ways to contribute during this time of desperate need.
Can you find a way to virtually volunteer?
Can you virtually hug a volunteer?
UPCOMING EVENTS
May Think Tank
Employees Bringing their Home to Work: How Employee ZIP Codes should Inform Employer Leaders Responding to a Pandemic
May 19, 2020 | A Virtual, Members-Only Event
The COVID-19 pandemic offers a singular teachable moment for professionals intent on protecting and advancing health and well-being at work and in communities. As much as social determinants of health have recently arrived as a focus area for worksite wellness leaders, COVID-19 will test our capacity to target responses that equitably protect the most vulnerable alongside containing community spread of the pandemic for all. Employer leaders are factoring in differences in their employed populations by ZIP codes, health status, job requirements, essential community services and hourly versus salaried workers in deciding how best to respond to public health guidelines and mandates. Even more vexing are considerations about balancing the need to flatten the curve while still benefiting from herd immunity in planning for the right public-private responses in the months ahead.
In keeping with guidance from public health experts as well as experts in distance learning, this will be a virtual Think Tank that combines asynchronous and synchronous learnings. You will be able to attend advance Think Tank learning sessions live or review them at a time convenient for you. And on May 19th we’ll review our learnings from our experts but spend most of our sessions in group interactions learning from each other about how best to address employees bringing their home to work.
HEROForum20
A 20/20 Vision for Collective Well-Being
September 23-25, 2020 | Austin, Texas
Registration Now Open!
A 20/20 Vision for Collective Well-being: How Group Dynamics and Social Connectedness Shape Individual Choices…and What a Pandemic Teaches Us about Being in it Together
At Forum20 we will examine “collective well-being” and ask how groups, organizations and our social spheres shape our destiny, fulfillment and life satisfaction. Forum20 carries forward our learnings from Forum19 where we asked how employers can better achieve well-being through collaboration, and we examined tenets of “collective action” and how individuals influence the direction of groups. To be sure, individual and group influences are bi-directional. Still, the worksite wellness movement has been steeped in behavioral psychology and has deployed education programs primarily focused on individual behavior change. This year we examine how well we are employing principles of social psychology to advance well-being and how we are shaping group dynamics to bolster our aims to become the best places to work. Plus, we’ve asked our faculty to reflect on COVID-19 as a historic teachable moment. Will the pandemic fundamentally alter our investments in disease prevention and employee and community health?
HERO is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. Provider ID# 101039
2020 Healthcare Summit
Maximizing Organizational Support: Connecting the Dots between Organizational Development, Leadership Development, and Employee Well-being in Healthcare
September 22, 2020 | Austin, Texas
Join us for a highly interactive session designed to explore how leading healthcare organizations are currently addressing employee experience through the investment in the development and well-being of their people.
HERO is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. Provider ID# 101039
2020 University Summit
Well-Being in All Policies: How Well-Being is Considered and Integrated into Policies and Practices in Universities and Academic Medical Centers
September 22, 2020 | Austin, Texas
The University Summit will explore the integration of innovative practices and policies to institutionalize well-being into the university infrastructure.
HERO is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. Provider ID# 101039
HERO WORKPLACE HEALTH & WELL-BEING LEADERSHIP AWARDS
Health and Well-being Awards deadline for submissions is approaching!
Do you have a peer making a difference in the lives of others who deserves to be recognized? The HERO Workplace Health & Well-Being Awards, recognize outstanding leadership and achievements as well as commitment to the field of workplace health and well-being. Deadline to submit nominations materials for 2020 is April 30, 2020. Questions? Review nomination criteria/materials on the HERO website or email Emily.wolfe@hero-health.org.
HERO RESEARCH & SCORECARD
HERO Health & Well-Being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer©
HERO Scorecard featured in CDC webinar on industry scorecards
The HERO Scorecard is one of four of the most widely used workplace health scorecards featured in a March 2020 edition of The Art of Health Promotion, which will be discussed in a CDC webinar on May 14, 2020 at 12:00pm CDT.
Second HERO Scorecard study published
Previous issues of HERO Briefs shared news about a study published earlier this year on HERO Scorecard factors linked to perceived effectiveness of wellness initiatives. A second follow-up study was published in the May issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, which identifies the specific practices needed to drive participation rates, health and health care cost impact, and improved employee perceptions of organizational support. For more information, check out the news release and infographic summarizing study findings here.
HERO COMMITTEES
New Committee Publications
HERO’s Healthy Workplaces Healthy Communities Committee recently published an updated version of our previously published report, Social Determinants of Health — An Employer Priority, and a companion brief highlighting key action steps for employers, Addressing Social Determinants of Health for Employers: Awareness, Accountability and Action. Both publications can be found here.
HERO RECOMMENDS
Resources and Readings
Approaching Lawyer Well-Being
This issue of “The Practice” from the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School focuses on well-being in the legal profession.
Stuck at Home (Together)
A new website from The UnLonely Project to help reduce anxiety and promote meaningful connections while we physically distance ourselves during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Future of Wellness in the Workplace
Join HERO’s President, Karen Moseley, and Chuck Gillespie from the National Wellness Institute on Thursday, April 30th at 11:00 am CT as they talk with Ryan Picarella about the Future of Wellness in the Workplace for WELCOA’s series on the Impact of COVID-19 on Employees. Click here to register.
The Importance of HR
Ernie Smith’s article is an encouraging read about the value of HR in these times.
HERO workgroup publishes guidance on how to demonstrate the value of workplace wellness initiatives
Most employers understand how important it is to evaluate the impact of their health and well-being initiatives, but many struggle to concisely articulate the total value of their efforts to key stakeholders. The April issue of The Art of Health Promotion in the American Journal of Health Promotion provides guidance with recommendations from HERO members on how to develop a Value Demonstration Dashboard for senior leaders. Check out the article here.
OhioHealth study supports nonsurgical approach to knee osteoarthritis
An OhioHealth study translates research into practice by modeling a program after the nonsurgical arm of a randomized, controlled trial. It demonstrated clinically important outcomes for individuals with knee osteoarthritis, with secondary outcomes related to improved pain and increased capacity for sport and recreational activity. The study was co-authored by HERO research committee member, Dr. Gregg Gascon, and is published in Musculoskeletal Care.
HERO WEBINARS
Webinar Archives
The HERO webinar archives are now back online! Watch webinars with industry professionals from the past year in our archive. Members have the opportunity to watch the complete learning series back through 2013!
MEMBER PROFILE
Chris Caramanico
CEO and President
Orthus Health
Chris Caramanico leads Orthus Health as CEO and President, responsible for strategic oversight, growth and business operations. Chris has spent over 20 years in Healthcare Information Technology (HIT), partnering with top companies like Cerner, IDX/GE and EPIC Systems.
To read more about Chris, visit the HERO Blog.
