December 2025 Briefs

Shining Light

The holiday season offers many opportunities to experience light in different forms. Candles and twinkling lights remind us that ‘light’ is a common thread that unites the different holidays and festivals this time of year, and the winter solstice itself marks the physical change from darkness into light.

In a recent talk I attended, the speaker told a personal story of light v. dark and the dangers of making up stories in the dark, that is, creating assumptions when the details are hidden or unclear. I think we’re all guilty of this at one time or another. Waiting for more light isn’t always an option, given time or other constraints. However, that should not stop us from seeking clarity and evidence.

In these constantly changing times, HERO remains committed to shining light on science and examples of best practice. As we close out the year, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on ways in which we’ve accomplished our mission in 2025:

• Research 
  • Wrapped up the second grant project funded by Ardmore Institute of Health (AIH), demonstrating how lifestyle as medicine can be effectively applied in employer settings. Watch the webinar and access the Strategic Planning Tool for Employers to Advance Lifestyle as Medicine. HERO is already underway with a new grant from AIH to continue this work with a focus on low-wage workers in healthcare systems.
  • Announced the Dexter Shurney, MD Well-being Fellowship by HERO.
  • Began a two-phase study to validate the HERO Health and Well-being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer(c) and analyze the stock performance of high-scoring companies. Final analysis is expected in mid-2026.
  • Published the 2024 HERO Scorecard Progress Report.
• Education 
  • Convened 4 member Think Tanks on women’s health, artificial intelligence, sustained listening, and value of health and well-being.
  • Convened 2 Forums on mental health and kindness in the workplace.
  • Convened 2 Summits for healthcare system workforce and university faculty and staff health and well-being.
  • Produced 3 written proceedings
    • Forum I on From Stigma & Silence to Solutions: Addressing Workforce Mental Health Through Systemic Change
    • Spring Think Tank on AI & Employee Mental Health: Promises & Perils for Employer-Sponsored Health and Well-being Initiatives
    • Fall 2025 Proceedings of Forum II, Healthcare Summit, & Fall Think Tank
  • Hosted 9 webinars covering health promotion, GLP-1 benefit management, chronic conditions, cultures of health, and kindness.
• Leadership 
  • Honored 3 awardees for their leadership, research, and commitment to health and well-being
  • Welcomed 4 new Fellows: Wendy Lynch, PhD; Colleen Saringer, PhD; MJ Shaar, MAPP; and Vicki Shepard, MSW
  • Represented HERO in collaborations and/or presentations with 14 organizations: AARP Brain Health Action, Building Healthier Academic Communities (BHAC), Business Collaborative for Brain Health, CEO Pledge for Physical Activity, Global Alliance for Healthy Workplaces, Health Action Council, Healthy Aging Coalition, NAS Action Collaborative on Business, NAS Business Engagement in Obesity Solutions IC, NORC Healthy Work Design Council, Nourish Movement, Novant Health, UNC Total Worker Health Course, and Work Futures Initiative.

2026 will bring forth new insights from our research and new learnings from our convenings. We will continue the value discussion where we left off in November with the Think Tank on C-suite perspectives. HERO is leading more research now than ever, and we look forward to sharing the results with you throughout the year.

It’s no fun being alone in the dark, and always nice when a friend shows up to find the way together — even better when they have a flashlight. HERO’s accomplishments are possible only through the leadership of our Board and Fellows and the support of the HERO community of practitioners, researchers, consultants, and providers, and that includes you. We cannot allow change fatigue to dim the light. What we ‘think and do’ together in this HERO community is vital to the health and well-being of real people doing important jobs in every organization.

As we enter this season of light, may we do so in community with each other, reflecting on what 2025 has taught us and leaning toward 2026 with hope and renewed energy.

Happy Holidays!

Together,

Karen

 

In loving memory of

Dr. Dexter Shurney, HERO Board Chair 

1958 — 2025

It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the unexpected passing of our Board Chair, Dr. Dexter Shurney. Dexter was not only a visionary leader in the field of health and well-being—he was a generous mentor, a trusted colleague, and a cherished friend to so many within the HERO community and far beyond it.

We are deeply grateful for Dexter’s years of service to HERO. His wisdom, compassion, and unwavering commitment to advancing well-being shaped our mission in lasting ways. He elevated our work, inspired our team, and strengthened our resolve to improve health for all. The impact he made—on this organization, on the industry, and on everyone fortunate enough to know him—cannot be overstated.

Our hearts are with Dexter’s family, friends, and all who are grieving this tremendous loss. As we honor his memory, we remain committed to carrying forward the vision, integrity, and humanity he brought to HERO every day.

As Dexter’s health declined, we searched for a way to honor and continue his legacy. With the partnership of inaugural benefactors Ardmore Institute of Health, Blue Zones, Bon Secours Mercy Health Foundation, and Crockett and Liza Dale Foundation, we have established the Dexter Shurney, MD Well-being Fellowship by HERO.

We invite you to join us in contributing to the fellowship, honoring Dexter’s lifelong commitment to advance health equity and address chronic disease disparities through lifestyle medicine. To make your contribution, please visit: Bon Secours Mercy Health Foundation HERO Dexter Shurney Fellowship Fund. If you wish to send a note to Dexter’s family, check the box “yes, this is an honor gift” and add your note to the message body.

We invite both organizations and individual friends and colleagues of Dexter to join HERO’s partners and friends with a donation. Because friends and colleagues of Dexter can make such a difference in shaping his legacy, a matching fund has been established for individual gifts. Gifts given by friends and colleagues will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000, doubling the value of those gifts. Together, our goal is to raise $500,000 to fully endow this initiative, creating a sustainable source of mentorship, research, and action in pursuit of equitable well-being for all.

For more information, contact Karen Moseley.

 

December Connections

Last week, the Healthy Aging Coalition celebrated its one-year anniversary with a behind-the-scenes tour of the MIT AgeLab. We started with a demonstration of AGNES (Age Gain Now Empathy System), a “suit” that provides real-life experience of a mid-70-year-old in terms of balance, vision, dexterity, agility and strength, followed by a test drive with “Miss Daisy” – a VW Beetle simulator used to evaluate in-vehicle technology, cognitive distraction, automation, disease and medication effects. We were also treated to a “fireside chat” with AgeLab Founder & Director Dr. Joe Coughlin and Dr. Archelle Georgiou, discussing the newly released Longevity Preparedness Index (with HERO member Manulife). The Longevity Preparedness Index measures 8 domains: health, home, social connection, life transitions, finance, daily activities, care, and community.

A few key takeaways from the day:

1. Innovation without integration makes life harder, not easier. We need integrated ecosystems to create places and spaces that are “age ready.”
2. “Compounding” is a concept that applies not only to finances but also to social connections. Like money, relationships compound over time and are hard to begin building later in life.

Congratulations to the coalition founder, Vicki Shepard!

 

Another highlight from the week was the opportunity to meet up with Dr. Bruce Sherman at a local coffee shop to present his 2025 Mark Dundon Research Award that had been presented virtually in September. Congratulations, Bruce!