“Every day we write the future.”
Photo by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, used under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped from original
In this month of honoring the significant contributions of Black Americans to our shared history, my attention has been on the young Black woman who is writing history right before our eyes. Unless you missed both the Presidential Inauguration AND the Super Bowl this year, you know that I’m talking about Amanda Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States. Like many of you, I too have been deeply moved by her lyrics that both inspire and challenge. She makes me want to be a better Ally.
Next week, our members-only Winter Think (& Do) Tank will explore what it means to be an authentic Ally for employees of color, and how employers can play a pivotal role as allies. Members will also have a first look at, and opportunity to weigh in on, HERO’s strategic plan for the next five years. We have bold steps ahead if we are to continue to lead the field and the profession in cutting-edge research and forward-thinking topics. Will you step out boldly with us?
“And while we cannot shake or cast aside our past,
Every day we write the future. Together we sign it,
Together we declare it, we share it,
For this truth marches on inside each of us:
Americans know one another by our love of liberty.
When in fact, we are liberated by our love for one another.”
–from Believer’s Hymn for the Republic by Amanda Gorman
Together,
Karen
UPCOMING EVENTS
2021 Winter Think Tank
Photo: Alexis Fauvet
Allyship and the Employee Experience
February 22-23, 2021
A Virtual HERO Think Tank and Do Tank
Allyship relates to the opportunity for a member of a socially privileged group to show 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 and predominantly white HERO membership 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.”
There is Still Time to Register!
Call for Presenters due March 1st!
Our Forum21 theme explores how resilient organizations are reshaping their health and well-being initiatives to boost employee mental health, dismantle systemic racism, and cultivate community partnerships that will rebuild trust in institutions.
HERO welcomes submissions from all organizational sectors that have innovative employee health and well-being initiatives to share and stories to tell, successes or setbacks, that help move our profession forward.
Six Presentation Tracks for HEROForum21:
- Worksite Health Promotion 101. This learning track accommodates Forum21 participants who are new to the profession or who are not formally trained in health promotion.
- Worksite Health Promotion 401. Top experts in population health management with technical, clinical, and research-based presentations are encouraged to submit in this track.
- Braving the Second Wave. Presentations on boosting mental resilience, reimagining employee assistance programs, and sharing research or practice innovations designed to support post pandemic stress and anxiety.
- Dismantling Systemic Racism at the Workplace. We are eager for presentations on improvements and progress being made in diversity, equity, and inclusion offerings at workplaces.
- Pandemic Preparedness and Wellness. What have we learned from the coronavirus that will change how we organize health and well-being initiatives in the future?
- Measures That Matter. What new data are informing your health and well-being strategic planning?
Click here to begin the abstract submission process.
For further track information and submission requirements, download the submission guidelines. Abstracts due March 1, 2021.
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
Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2021 HERO Workplace Health and Well-being Awards!
For the 12th consecutive year, our industry’s premier individual awards program, the
HERO Workplace Health & Well-Being Awards, will recognize outstanding leadership and achievements as well as commitment to the field of workplace health and well-being (HWB). Nominations are received on a rolling basis. To be considered for an award in 2021, materials must be received by April 30, 2021. We are accepting nominations for: The Bill Whitmer Leadership Award, The Mark Dundon Research Award, The Jerry Noyce Executive Health Champion Award, and The Heart of HERO Award.
Please visit the HERO website to learn more and access the appropriate nomination forms. Questions? Email ariane.mistral@hero-health.org
HERO SCORECARD
HERO Health and Well-being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer©
The HERO Health and Well-being Best Practices Scorecard in Collaboration with Mercer© (HERO Scorecard) V5.0 is now available!
V5.0 incorporates new learnings from industry research, adding practices related to employer involvement in their communities; mental and emotional well-being; social determinants of health; integration with diversity, equity, and inclusion; and a broader value proposition for investment in employee health and well-being. By completing the HERO Scorecard V5.0, your organization will receive an updated assessment of your health and well-being initiatives as they compare to the current, ever-changing marketplace. Visit the HERO website for more information.
HERO RECOMMENDS
Resources and Readings
HERO Authors win Honors among the “Best of 2020 List” of Health Promotion Researchers Published in the American Journal of Health Promotion.
HERO is pleased to announce that several HERO staff and HERO member authors were recognized alongside other of health promotion’s best scientists in the American Journal of Health Promotion (AJHP) Papers of the Year for 2020. The Journal’s criteria for selection includes: whether the study addresses a topic of timely importance in health promotion, the research question is clearly stated and the methodologies used are well executed; whether the paper is often cited and downloaded; if the study findings offer a unique contribution to the literature; and if the paper is well-written and enjoyable to read. Visit the HERO blog for more information.
Publishing and Navigating Peer Review Process
Senior Fellow Paul Terry spoke at a professional development workshop presented by the Fulbright program for the Fulbright Scholars. Publishing in peer reviewed journals is a critical benchmark for career advancement in academia and Dr. Terry served on a panel to provide insights into the steps and considerations for publishing in peer reviewed journals in the U.S. and around the world.
Principles for Good Value Assessment, February 25 at 2:00 PM ET
Register for Innovation and Value Initiative’s inaugural webinar, and join IVI Executive Director, Jennifer Bright, and Alan Balch, CEO of the Patient Advocate Foundation, as they explore the practical applications of IVI’s new Principles for Value Assessment in the U.S.
Promoting COVID-19 Vaccines in the Workplace
HERO continues to keep an eye out for information and tools related to COVID-19 that employers can use. Here you will find resources to support promotion of the COVID-19 vaccines and helping employees to overcome hesitancy. Please let us know of other valuable resources to add to our website resource on the topic.
Employer Commitment and Employee Commitment templates offered by the Global Chief Medical/Health Officers Network (supported by IBM Watson Health), of which HERO is a member. The Commitments can be modified to meet the needs/language/health literacy of your workforce. However, please reflect the spirit and intent of encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and other locally recommended prevention measures. Feel free to add your own corporate branding and signature.
Strategies for Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence, a consensus study report, describes a variety of engagement and communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and build trust. Produced by the Societal Experts Action Network, the rapid expert consultation sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, in collaboration with the Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The CDC continues to provide new resources and updates on the COVID-19 website, including FAQs, resources and toolkits focused on COVID-19 vaccinations.
The National Alliance, in collaboration with their Medical Directors Advisory and Vaccine Advisory Committees and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Response, recently completed and released a dynamic COVID-19 immunization video series featuring patients and healthcare leaders. The videos are primarily targeted to employees to support vaccine education initiatives and to address issues related to vaccine hesitancy.
- COVID-19 VACCINE: Get the Facts (English or Spanish translation)
- The History of Vaccines (English or Spanish translation)
- Trusting Vaccines (English or Spanish translation)
Watch the US Chamber Foundation’s 2-day event on “Promoting COVID-19 Vaccines & Overcoming Hesitancy: The Role of Employers.” The program originally took place on February 8 & 9, 2021, and covered “Public Attitudes about the COVID-19 Vaccines” on day 1 and “Effective Messages & the Role of Employers” on day 2. The recommended reading list for the program is posted on our Covid-19 resource page under the title of this seminar.
