April 2024 Briefs
April has provided us an opportunity to experience the excellence of nature. The solar eclipse brought us together to for a few moments of awe, wonder, gratitude, and celebration. Nothing like a cosmic event to put life in perspective. Now is your chance to nominate individuals who are exhibiting excellence in leadership and research and walking the talk of health and well-being. April 30th is the deadline to submit a nomination for the 2024 HERO Health and Well-Being Workplace Awards, two of which are named after HERO’s co-founders.
I remember the first time I met Bill Whitmer. It was at a HERO Forum, and he had returned a few years after his retirement from HERO. Ultimately, it was the only time I was ever in his presence, yet I remember being in awe of this person who had acted on a vision of collaboration and innovation to drive an entire industry toward best practices.
I’ve only ever spoken with Mark Dundon over the phone. Paul Terry and I connect with Mark every year to inform him of the current year’s honoree for the Mark Dundon Research Award. From that first meeting, and every single year since, Mark has welcomed our calls with the warmth and enthusiasm resembling that of a grandparent awaiting the visit of a grandchild, catching up on current science and practice in health and well-being.
As we close the nominations for 2024, I’m reminded of the legacies that the awards honor and look forward to recognizing the awardees at HERO Forum24 in October. I’m also reminded of the first time that I attended HERO Forum and the collegial atmosphere that was reminiscent of your favorite family reunion. Bill and Mark started something special in HERO, and we have the awesome privilege of stewardship for the next generation.
Together,
Karen
Member Updates
Forum23 Registration Now Open!
October 7-9, 2024
The Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel
HERO Forum24 examines whether organizations that actively invest in the currencies of trust and belongingness are earning dividends in their capacity to change and grow. To answer this question, we will explore if, how, and when that sense of workplace community has endured or eroded in the new era of hybrid work. We will ask how organizations are responding with sustainable solutions to tougher issues such as deaths of despair, the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, and widespread turnover and burnout.
We plan to address why there is a growing gap between company leaders’ perceptions of their responsiveness to these issues and reports from employees that businesses could do better by doing good on behalf of under-supported or overlooked workers. And we will ask how organizations can dampen the trust-terminating noise of social media echo chambers and, instead, amplify the voices and concerns of employees.HERO Forum participants will leave well-equipped to serve as agents for changing organizations at the speed of trust.
HERO Award Nominations CLOSING
The HERO Workplace Health and Well-Being (HWB) Awards honor dedication and commitment to the field, and acknowledge outstanding leadership, research, and practice of HWB. Honorees are asked to share their experiences in HWB with their peers during award presentations throughout HERO Forum24, October 7–9, 2024 in Baltimore, MD.
Submit your nomination by April 30th for one of these four awards:
- The Bill Whitmer Leadership Award honors leaders who demonstrate sustained leadership in enhancing the acceptance, effectiveness and accountability in workplace HWB or a comparable field.
- The Mark Dundon Research Award is presented to professionals with demonstrated sustained leadership in the creation and dissemination of research to advance the principle science and practice of HWB or a comparable field.
- The Jerry Noyce Executive Health Champion Award is presented to senior leaders (CEO, CFO, VP) who have made outstanding contributions toward the advancement of HWB within their company.
- The Heart of HERO Award honors those directly involved in the day-to-day operations of HWB (Wellness Directors, Health Managers, Human Resources) who have directly impacted the health of their organization and the associated outcomes.
Deadline for 2024 submissions: April 30th
2024 HERO Healthcare Summit
Championing Healthcare Workplace Safety and Well-Being: Addressing Violence, Harassment, and Mental Health
Registration for the 2024 HERO Healthcare Summit is now open!
Join us in Baltimore on October 9th to continue the learning from HERO Forum24 with your healthcare colleagues.
1:00 – 5:00 pm ET (Networking Lunch @12:00 pm ET)
HERO Healthcare Summit 2024 HERO Healthcare Summit 2024 will explore how the workplace serves as a social determinant of health, emphasizing workforce safety, violence prevention, and worker well-being. Guest speakers will share research, innovative policies and practices, and real-world examples to address workplace violence in healthcare settings across organizational levels (e.g., culture, communication, training). Speakers will also present information that exemplifies the myriad ways healthcare workplaces serve as drivers of health and solutions to protecting and improving worker well-being.
2024 HERO University Summit:
Where You Belong.
Explore Drivers of Belonging for Faculty and Staff
in Higher Education
Registration for the 2024 HERO University Summit is now open!
An extension of HERO Forum24 on Wednesday, October 9th,
from 1:00-5:00 PM in Baltimore, MD
HERO Hub Updates
This month’s featured topic is the HERO Hub Learning Series.
The next installation of the HERO Learning Series is available. Log into the
HERO Hub to access these sessions, available for a limited time.
Workplace Wellness Law 101
This introductory session will highlight the major laws that impact workplace wellness programs, including the Affordable Care Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, State licensure laws, worker’s compensation and Fair Labor Standards Act. Through case examples, attendees will apply the legal concepts to gain a better understanding of how laws can influence the design of workplace wellness programs. Attendees will learn ways to reduce risk of violating these laws.
Speaker: Barbara J. Zabawa, JD, MPH, Center for Health & Wellness Law, LLC
Catch it before it disappears!
Healthy is Hard… Equitable Health is Harder
Session from Tanya Little, Vitality and Jesse Gavin, Baylor College of Medicine is about to close (May 1)
Don’t have a log-in? Contact Tris Rohner at: pat.rohner@hero-health.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring Think Tank 2024
A HERO Members-Only Virtual Event
Measures That Matter for Employers Who Want
to Promote Flourishing
May 22, 2024
11:00 am ET – 5:00 pm ET
How do we best measure employee perceptions and effectively communicate employee sentiment to decision makers? What can we learn from leading researchers about the ongoing development and testing of new measurement tools?
2024 Spring Think Tank speakers will answer these questions, discussing how to get the data employers need to appropriately evaluate their HWB programs and what measurement tools are most effective with expanded dimensions of well-being (mental, emotional, financial, social, and spiritual).
Visit the HERO Spring Think Tank website for more information.
Virtual Think Tank Registration
Remember: HERO member organizations may register up to three individuals for virtual Think Tank meetings. ALL members will have access to recordings and materials in the HERO Hub after the Think Tank.
5 CHES/MCHES Credits Available
Sponsored by Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive up to 5 total Category I contact education contact hours. Maximum advanced-level continuing education contact hours available are 5. Provider ID#101039
HERO HEALTH & WELL-BEING AWARDS
HERO Committees
HERO prides itself in our ability to connect science and practice through member-driven committees. All HERO members are encouraged to participate in one or more committees for the additional value accrued in the people you meet, the insights you gain, and the ability to contribute to published articles, white papers, case studies, webinars and other tools.
What’s new with HERO committees?
New Member Orientation Committee to Start
HERO is forming a new committee to provide the best possible experience for new members joining HERO. Time has shown us that members who engage in HERO activities and events gain the most value from their membership and stay with HERO longer.
The committee will create the new process and assist in the creation of materials used in the orientation of new members. The time commitment will be one 50-minute meeting per month, plus any items you might sign up to take on. The committee will have two work streams: (1) participate in the start-up, helping to create the process and its deliverables; and (2) a group that continues on once the process has been launched to help recruit mentors and/or send welcome letters to new members.
Tris Rohner is seeking members who are willing to serve on this committee. If you are willing to serve on the committee (short- or long-term), please email Tris Rohner. If you choose not to participate, we would still love to hear any thoughts you might like to contribute to the process as we start into the project.
Contact Tris at: pat.rohner@hero-health.org
HERO RECOMMENDS
Resources and Readings
- What Demographics Forms Say About Inclusivity at Your Company This article discusses how the omission of minority identities in organization demographics forms can lead to doubts about their value and respect within organizations and highlights the significant impact of seemingly trivial decisions in form design, like those seen in job applications or surveys, on inclusivity.
- The Surest and Safest Way to Maximize Your Health: Food as Medicine This article underscores the critical link between diet and health, advocating for food as medicine to address the obesity epidemic and diet-related diseases plaguing the U.S.
- Creating a Corporate Social Responsibility Program with Real Impact The research within this article highlights the importance of experimentation in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), showing that companies with adaptable, locally-informed CSR strategies are more successful than those with rigid, standardized approaches.
- 5 Strategies for Improving Mental Health at Work. What can employers do to implement a culture of well-being that improves the mental health of their employees?
- Interventions in everyday life to improve mental health and reduce symptoms of psychiatric disorders. This article discusses everyday interventions that positively impact mental health and calls for better coordination for accessibility and scalability.
- Modernizing Care for Obesity as a Chronic Disease: A How-To-Guide for Employers. A guide written with input from small, medium, and large-sized employers throughout the US, intended to serve as a resource for organizations to shift toward comprehensive, person-centered approaches to obesity care.
