Coming Soon, HEROForum20 PROCEEDINGS!
At HERO, when we do research, we focus on applied research, examining practical issues and seeking out solutions. We also take an applied approach when we plan education programs. So at Forum20 we asked ourselves how our profession could best live up to the extraordinary and unparalleled challenges we’re facing in 2020. And as much as HERO has made social determinants of health a central part of our learning agenda, what must we do better and differently if we are to honor the lives of equality giants like American statesman and civil rights leader John Lewis and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and so many other souls who are imploring us to solve for health inequities and racial injustice? Lewis captures the challenge well: “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.” And, per HERO’s role, we resonate with Ginsburg’s advice: “Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
We’ll continue to embrace the struggle and invite you to join us in the fight to right the injustices and inequities plaguing our communities and workforce. Watch for the HEROForum20 Proceedings in the weeks ahead to provide a fulsome recap of the learnings that unfolded over the last six weeks. And stay with us as we leave 2020 behind and lead into a new era of healing.
Karen Moseley, HERO President
Paul Terry, PhD, HERO Senior Fellow
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Lexie Dendrinelis from TrestleTree! She won a complimentary registration to Forum21 for completing the Forum20 survey. See below for our Forum21 Save the Date!
UPCOMING EVENTS
HERO Members Unmuted!
Wednesday, October 28, 2020, 3:00 PM CT
All HERO members are invited to our first virtual networking event on Wednesday, October 28th at 3:00 PM CDT. Over the past six weeks of HERO educational events that have included Think Tank, Forum20 and Summits, you told us that more networking time is what you need. We heard you, and we’re excited to provide this space for connecting and sharing among colleagues. Since October is Mental Health Month, we’ll start the conversation by asking: What is your organization doing to support employee mental health? We hope to see all of you there – don’t worry, if the group gets bigger than can fit on a Zoom screen, we’ll divide into smaller breakouts to keep the conversations manageable and the connections strong.
Watch your inbox or contact info@hero-health.org for more information.
HERO Members Save the Date!
2021 Winter Think Tank
Allyship and the Employee Experience
February 22-23, 2021
A Virtual HERO Think Tank and Do Tank
Allyship relates to the opportunity for an ingroup to show preferential support for an outgroup. This Think Tank examines the employee experience through the lens of an outgroup, people of color, and asks what our professional community needs to do differently to achieve health equity and a robust employee experience for outgroups. Our think tank aim is to get us on the same page concerning the magnitude of systemic racism and what sustains discriminatory practices. Our do tank aim is to transcend policy discussions and develop an action agenda that enables HERO Think Tank members to “be the change.”
Save the Date – Forum21
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 HERO HEALTH & WELL-BEING AWARDS
HERO announces winners of 2020 Health and Well-Being Awards
The Health Enhancement Research Organization recognized excellence in the field of workplace health and well-being with the presentation of the 2020 HERO Health and Well-Being Awards during the recent virtual HERO Forum20.
Award recipients included: Pamela Hymel, MD (Bill Whitmer Leadership Award), Victor J. Strecher, PhD, MPH (Mark Dundon Research Award), Shane Jackson, MBA (Jerry Noyce Executive Health Champion Award), Patricia Benson, MEd (Heart of HERO Award), and Deborah Moon (Healthy HERO Award, sponsored by WorkPartners). For more on the awards and 2020 winners, read the press release.
COMMITTEE NEWS AND UPDATES
HERO Workplace Performance Committee Publishes Report on Mental Health and Well-Being
The Workplace Performance Committee recently published their report, “Employee Mental Health and Well-Being: Emerging Best Practices and Case Study Examples.” This has been a huge project with many volunteer hours reviewing case studies, tracking findings and writing.
More information on HERO committees can be found on the HERO Committee webpage or contact Emily Wolfe Emily.wolfe@hero-health.org. Please note: To join a Committee, you must be an active HERO member. The only Committee accepting non-HERO members is HWHC.
HERO RESEARCH & SCORECARD
HERO Health & Well-Being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer©
The State of Disability Management Among Employers
Worker illness or injury may result in temporary or permanent disability, which encompasses impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions that can have significant implications for both employees and their employers. This HERO Scorecard commentary by former HERO Research Intern, Dr. Zaira Chaudhry, led an analysis of the US HERO Scorecard benchmark database which assesses how employers are supporting disability management and its integration with health and well-being initiatives within their organizations. This commentary also explores whether disability practices differ by employer size.
HERO Research Study Examines Influence of Incentive Design on Population-level Health Outcomes
Check out the latest HERO research study, which was published in the October 2020 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The study suggests that the impact of an incentive strategy is influenced not only by the incentive amount, but also by the actions required to achieve the incentive, organizational characteristics, and the degree to which leadership supports employee health. The study also identified common shifts in incentives strategies for employers over time. An infographic and press release is available on the HERO website.
HERO RECOMMENDS
Resources and Readings
HERO Guidance on Recently Published RCT on Hypertension Control
In March we shared a new randomized controlled trial (RCT) that was published in JAMA Cardiology, which demonstrated that a comprehensive approach combining health education, supportive policies, and a supportive built environment resulted in improved blood pressure control and related outcomes among workers in China. Later in June, HERO invited the researchers to discuss their findings in a webinar, which was recorded and archived here. Since that time, the HERO Research Committee has subjected the study to a critical review. The executive summary of the critique is available here and HERO members may access a more detailed review after logging into the HERO member website.
HERO Fall Think Tank Content Available to Think Tank Members
On September 10th, HERO Think Tank members gathered virtually to discuss the theme “Social Connections and the New Workplace: Leveraging Technology to Build Meaningful Social Connections and Community.” We shifted from a think tank to a do tank to practice some new ways of connecting and collaborating by using technology to support smaller, more intimate breakout formats. Members may access the Think Tank slides, the recording, and the Fun Facts about Think Tank attendees in the Think Tank General Library on the members-only portion of the HERO website.
PHA 2020 Innovation Summit and Capitol Caucus
Emerging Population Health Management Strategies in our New Era of Care
Live Virtual Event – October 27 & 28, 2020 from 10am – 5pm ET
20% discount for HERO members – use promo code HERO at checkout
Global Women 4 Wellbeing Wine & Tea Wednesday
The Global Women 4 Wellbeing Wine & Tea Wednesday Series on October 14th featured HERO’s Dr. Jessica Grossmeier talking about workplace wellness trends, what employers can do to address the shocking number of women leaving the workforce, inspiring examples of employers addressing employee resilience and mental health needs, among other things. Watch the discussion on Facebook.
A Barber, a Professor and an Entrepreneur Walk into a Room: Health Equity and the Strength of Weak Ties
Read Paul Terry’s account of the “Lincoln Cottage Assembly” and the benefits of allyship.
HERO WEBINARS
The Learning Series
THRiVE-ing Employees: Raising Awareness of Mental Health
Thursday, November 12th at 12:00 pm CT Registration
Join Sandra Kuhn from Mercer and Sandi Stein from Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH) for a coffee chat on the culture of health at BBH. Through a combination of factors including their executive and local mental health champions, they have been able to bring the topic of mental health into the conversation focusing on four key pillars: prevention and early intervention, access to care, quality of care and integration. Click here for more information.
New Insights on the Role of Incentives in Workplace Well-being
Wednesday, December 9th at 1:00 pm CT Registration
This webinar will provide a brief overview of a new HERO study assessing the impact of incentive design on both participation and workplace health outcomes at the organization-wide level. But the focus will be an interactive discussion among wellness industry experts Jessica Grossmeier (HERO), Seth Serxner (Optum) and David Anderson (VisioNEXT) about the implications of these findings. Save the date and join HERO’s moderator Mary Imoboden in real time to contribute your thoughts and questions. Click here for more information.
MEMBER PROFILE
Ryan Bojrab, DPT, LSSBB
Senior Director of Health Strategy
First Person
Ryan brings almost ten years of combined experience in healthcare administration, clinical practice and wellness program management to FirstPerson Advisors. He channels those skills to fulfill his passion for building evidence-based healthcare solutions that help organizations meet their strategic goals.
To read more about Ryan, visit the HERO Blog.
