Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, MS, University of Michigan
Moderator: Paul Terry, PhD
While popular culture and research often tout “habit formation” as a winning behavior-change strategy, there is little support showing that it can cultivate sustainable changes in complex lifestyle behaviors. Yet, without sustained change, our initiatives can’t help employees increase their health and well-being, nor can they achieve a ROI on health promotion investments. It’s time for our field to go beyond conventional thinking and examine whether the assumptions underlying habit formation hold up under scrutiny.
Speakers:
Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, MS, is an award-winning, NIH-funded researcher at the University of Michigan and Director of the Sustainable Health Activities Research Program. With almost thirty years studying how to help people adopt healthy behaviors in ways they can sustain within their complex lives, her translational research is widely recognized as relevant and pragmatic. She is also Michelle advises the World Health Organization on their global physical activity initiatives and was named inaugural chair of the United States National Physical Activity Plan’s Communication Committee. She speaks and consults with organizations including U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kaiser Permanente, Business Group on Health, Walmart, Anytime Fitness, Adidas, and Google. A sought-after speaker and trainer. Michelle is frequently interviewed in major outlets like The New York Times, NPR, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal.
Moderator: Paul Terry, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at HERO where he collaborates with HERO members and national experts in planning learning events and supports the HERO team in organizing the annual forum, think tanks and webinars. He preceded Karen Moseley as HERO’s president. Paul is Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Health Promotion and is a Past-President of the Minnesota Public Health Association. He serves on advisory councils for The National Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Global Public Health. Prevention programs that Paul developed won the C. Everett Koop National Health Award. He earned his PhD from the University of Minnesota and his master’s from Minnesota State University at Mankato where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Humanitarian Award.
During this webinar, we will describe the development of the HERO Scorecard new best practice scores (mental health and well-being, social determinants of health, and diversity, equity, and inclusion). Further, a brief overview will be provided on best practices for taking the HERO Scorecard at your University. Finally, we will demonstrate how Universities can use the data they receive from taking the HERO Scorecard to identify and prioritize opportunities to implement best practices to improve the health and well-being of their faculty and staff.
Learning Objectives
After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:
Discover best practices for taking the HERO Scorecard and getting leadership buy-in at your organization.
Identify and prioritize health and well-being opportunities within their organization.
Describe the development of the HERO Scorecard’s mental health and well-being, social determinants of health, and diversity, equity, and inclusion best practice scores
1 CHES Credit (to earn the credit, you must also attend the University Summit on October 30th)
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 1 total Category I contact education contact hours. Provider ID#101039
When we see things differently, we think differently, feel differently, and behave differently. The pandemic has impacted our lives in a multitude of ways including the dynamics of our relationships with co-workers, friends, and family and requires social “undistancing” to re-establish relationships and meaningful connection. One positive impact has been a rekindled appreciation of nature for many who had an opportunity to rediscover why the great outdoors are so great in the first place. This webinar will share the impact of well-being challenges with a hybrid approach to creating virtual experiences that inspire real life adventures and connection to meet employees’ ever-changing needs in today’s constantly evolving landscape.
This webinar will share how well-being challenges and campaigns:
Enhance social and emotional wellness by nurturing supportive and meaningful relationships.
Encourage time spent in natural outdoor environments for the dual benefits of both physical activity and exposure to nature. Research from a variety of scientific fields suggest that activity in nature and feelings of connection to nature enhance psychological health and well-being.
Create life-enriching experiences that support connection with others, nature, and self to inspire positive life changes.
Learning Objectives
After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:
Enhance the social and emotional wellness of their population by nurturing supportive and meaningful relationships to foster social connectedness at work and home.
Implement and launch creative life-enriching experiences that stimulate a culture of connection with others, nature, and self to produce positive life changes.
Promote employee engagement by encouraging time spent in natural outdoor environments for the dual benefits of both physical activity and exposure to nature to enhance psychological health and well-being.
Speakers:
Amy Cohen is the Director of Well-Being Strategy for Ramp Health. Previously, she founded Inspired Perspectives LLC which was acquired by Ramp Health (formerly Wellness Coaches) in 2021. With her 2 plus decades of experience, in partnership with her clients, Amy is known for her ability to help organizations bring initiatives to life with fresh ideas, engaging campaigns, and motivational tools that shape a population’s mindset towards positive behavior change. Amy’s creative approach to developing motivational material has led her to winning prestigious national health information awards and serving in advisory roles for the the non-profit and university sectors. Amy has presented to numerous groups including, SHRM, Wellness Rewards Congress, Florida Association of Health Underwriters, HERO (Health Enhancement Research Organization), Wellness Councils of Tampa Bay, and the Health Benefits Conference and Expo, and published in Corporate Wellness Magazine and The American Psychological Association Center for Organizational Excellence.
Chip Ross, MA, RD, LDN, is the Wellbeing Program Manager for North America at Syngenta. He has been involved in employee health and well-being for over 25 years. Beginning with his graduate assistantship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chip was introduced to the importance of keeping employees healthy. During his time with IBM, UNC Hospitals, and the last 20 with Syngenta, Chip has continued to follow his passion of maintaining the company’s most valuable asset, its people. His goal is for all Syngenta employees and their family members to develop and maintain a lifestyle of overall, balanced well-being for a lifetime.
Moderator: David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, is a Senior Fellow and Scientific Advisor for Workforce Mental Health at HERO. His work focuses on organizational effectiveness, occupational health promotion, workforce mental health, program design and evaluation, and systems-level workplace interventions. David has provided research, consultation, and training services to government agencies, industry groups, corporations, private equity firms, medical schools, and universities. He currently serves on the boards of directors for The Health Project, which presents the C. Everett Koop National Health Awards, and Sound Mind, co-chairs the Advisory Committee for The Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace, and is a member of NIOSH’s Cross-Sector Council on Healthy Work Design and Well-being.
Join HERO as we discuss the state of Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being and share the latest findings from the U.S. Surgeon General’s report. We will focus on the five essentials for workplace mental health and well-being with a special emphasis on healthcare settings. Guest speakers will discuss organizational policies and practices to positively impact workforce well-being. During this interactive webinar, Ryan Sledge, VP of Workplace Health & Safety at HCA, will facilitate a conversation with Dr. Lisa MacLean, Chief Clinical Wellness Officer, Henry Ford Health, and Cheryl Paxton-Hughes, Principal Consultant at Cornerstone OnDemand.
Speakers:
Lisa MacLean, MD, is the Chief Clinical Wellness Officer for the Henry Ford Medical Group in Detroit, Michigan where she develops programming to assist clinicians in optimizing healthy coping strategies, finding good life balance, and delivering high quality healthcare. Prior to her appointment at Henry Ford Health in 2017, Lisa served as Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Career Development at Wayne State University School of Medicine. She has a long relationship with Henry Ford Health System; previously, she worked at Henry Ford Hospital where she served as Psychiatry Residency Program Director, Chair of the Graduate Medical Education Committee, and Director of Education for the Psychiatry Department.
Cheryl Paxton-Hughes, SHRM-CP, MBA, is a Principal Consultant at Cornerstone OnDemand. She has over 23 years of experience working for retail, healthcare, professional services, and technology companies. Most of her career has been spent in leadership roles where she has been responsible for developing and executing talent and people strategies, processes, and systems. Using her foundational knowledge of organizational development and psychology, she has successfully turned around underperforming teams and projects and developed HR and other functional business strategies from the ground up. In addition to her MBA, Cheryl holds multiple certifications in SHRM, people analytics, diversity, equity & inclusion, change management, leadership development, and ITIL. She is currently enrolled at the University of Florida as a doctoral candidate in the Warrington College of Business.
Ryan Sledge, MBA, MPH, is the Vice President of Workforce Health & Safety at HCA Healthcare. Ryan partners across teams—both clinical and non-clinical including human resources, infection prevention, HCI, and performance improvement—to ensure caregivers receive great care so that they can focus their passion and energy on providing great care. In his previous role as Director of Worksite Operations and Product Development for OhioHealth, he was for creating a sustainable culture of health for OhioHealth’s 29,000 employees, as well as the employers served by the program in the Columbus region. Ryan is Treasurer on the HERO Board of Directors and also serves as co-chair of the HERO Healthcare Summit Planning Committee. Ryan’s academic background includes a BS in exercise science, an MPH degree from Michigan State University, and an MBA degree from the University of Michigan.
Air date: August 17, 2023
Guest Panelists:
Michele Bildner, MPH, MCHES, CDC Foundation
Neil Goldfarb, Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health
Raymond Fabius, MD, HealthNEXT
A HERO Forum23 Preview Webinar
Workforce health is produced by a complex blend of interrelated factors and considerable evidence demonstrates that factors within the workplace itself significantly influence health. Increasing attention is being given to workplace “cultures of health” (CoH) – workplaces that value, support, and promote employee health. While approaches exist to improve employee health and develop positive workplace cultures, there are gaps in practice for achieving both simultaneously. This project aimed to build benchmark organizational cultures of health using an evidence-based methodology and best practice sharing among a cohort of seven employer members from a regional business coalition on health. The innovation of an Employer Learning Collaborative (ELC) complemented the empirical methodology and approach, serving as a dedicated space for connecting participants to each other and developing solutions for organizational challenges and barriers. This webinar will share aggregate scores from baseline and mid-point assessments using a validated maturity model across ten key pillars essential to creating a CoH. An aggregate of the resulting multi-year strategic plans will be described along with examples of actions implemented by the employers and the roles of physician executive guidance and ELC participation.
Learning Objectives
After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:
Describe why an evidence-based approach to building cultures of health is needed to advance population health.
List the key pillars necessary for creating cultures of health.
Identify up to three strategies for implementation at their own workplaces.
Speakers:
Michele Bildner, MPH, MCHES, is a Project Manager for Non-Infectious Disease Programs at the CDC Foundation where she is responsible for creating public-private partnerships for chronic disease health promotion. She has worked in public health for over a decade, focusing mostly on urban community health assessment and policy, system, and environmental changes. Michele began her DrPH in leadership at the University of Illinois Chicago in 2019 and has a deep interest in identifying, diagnosing, and addressing adaptive public health and organizational challenges and thrives on their complexity and messiness. She received the National Society for Public Health Education’s 2022 Karen Denard Goldman Health Education Mentor Award which recognizes her significant contribution to the preparation and performance of Health Education Specialists, having successfully forged the link between practice and research. Her practice is rooted in collaboration, convening, and facilitating key partners to lead change that achieves socially equitable health outcomes.
Neil Goldfarb is CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health (GPBCH), which brings together employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Southern New Jersey committed to improving employee health and the safety, quality, and value delivered by the healthcare system. Previously, Neil spent over 30 years in healthcare research, quality improvement, and management positions. As Associate Dean for Research in the Jefferson College of Population Health, he led the school’s research agenda while concurrently serving as Director of Ambulatory Care Performance Improvement for Thomas Jefferson University. His previous positions included serving as Executive Director of a quality improvement consulting firm and Vice President of Health Services for the Philadelphia region’s first Medicaid managed care plan. Neil is active in the National Alliance and the American Diabetes Association. Recently, he was appointed to the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Raymond Fabius, MD, is co-founder and President of HealthNEXT, which provides a gap analysis assessment, strategic guidance, operational support, and physician and data expertise. Throughout his career, Ray has garnered medical and business leadership experience in a variety of healthcare management areas, including informatics, strategy, operations, network development and oversight, patient management, quality management, disease management, national accounts, occupational medicine, emergency preparedness, worker productivity, wellness and health promotion, travel medicine, web-based health content delivery, and data warehousing and analytics. He served as a physician executive in academics, private practice, managed care, the health insurance industry, e-health, corporate health, workplace health, the pharmaceutical industry, and health informatics and analytics. In the past, he has held physician leadership positions at Cigna, US Healthcare, Aetna, GE, i-Trax, Walgreens, Thompson Reuters, and Truven Analytics. Ray is the author of five books including the textbook on population health entitled, Population Health: Creating Cultures of Wellness.
James Startare, MS, is the Vice President of Benefits for Aramark. In his role James is responsible for oversight over all of Aramark’s benefit functions including strategic and financial responsibility for Aramark’s health and welfare programs and retirement savings plans. James has over 23 years of experience in the area of group health and welfare benefits. Prior to joining Aramark James was an Assistant Vice President at Aon’s Philadelphia practice. James also held the position of Deputy HR Director for the City of Philadelphia under Mayor Nutter’s Administration where he held seats on various joint management/labor boards. James currently sits on varies client advisory boards and is member of the Board of Directors for the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health. James has his bachelor’s degree in management from LaSalle University and a minor in health care administration. James attained his master’s degree in health care administration from St. Joseph’s University.
Moderator: David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, is a Senior Fellow and Scientific Advisor for Workforce Mental Health at HERO. His work focuses on organizational effectiveness, occupational health promotion, workforce mental health, program design and evaluation, and systems-level workplace interventions. David has provided research, consultation, and training services to government agencies, industry groups, corporations, private equity firms, medical schools, and universities. He currently serves on the boards of directors for The Health Project, which presents the C. Everett Koop National Health Awards, and Sound Mind, co-chairs the Advisory Committee for The Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace, and is a member of NIOSH’s Cross-Sector Council on Healthy Work Design and Well-being.
Suzy Harrington, DNP, RN, MCHES, Texas Children’s
Kati Lohr, LPC-MHSP, NCC, ACS, CET II, Synchronous Health Inc.
Krystal Sexton, PhD, Shell
Ryan Sledge, MBA, MPH, HCA Healthcare
Host: David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, HERO
Reactor: Emily Wolfe, MSW, LCSW, HERO
Join HERO’s Senior Fellow and Scientific Advisor for Workforce Mental Health, Dr. David Ballard, in a candid discussion exploring successes, challenges, and lessons learned in protecting and promoting worker mental health. A follow-up to HERO’s 2022 Fall Think Tank, this webinar will delve into practical strategies for advancing mental health at work and tackle thorny issues that employers face in the real world.
Last September’s Think Tank examined recent and emerging workforce mental health guidance and asked whether the abundance of new resources will lead to significant, sustainable change. Experts and Think Tank participants explored efforts from outside the United States and the impact they are having, the response from employers, lessons learned, and barriers/facilitators to effective uptake. We also discussed implementation issues for employers, such as finding evidence-based guidance and resources, setting a strategy, prioritizing actions, customizing efforts to meet the needs of a diverse workforce, and measuring and monitoring results.
In this webinar, we’ll highlight key takeaways from the Think Tank discussions as a starting point, so whether you participated in the meeting or not, this panel will help sustain the conversation and move us forward in effectively addressing workforce mental health.
Learning Objectives
After this webinar, participants will be able to:
List potential barriers to successful implementation of available workforce mental health guidance.
Describe challenges and success factors related to addressing worker mental health in real-world settings.
Discuss lessons learned from employer efforts to address workforce mental health.
Speaker Profiles:
Suzy Harrington, DNP, RN, MCHES, is a respected national well-being speaker, strategist, and leader. Currently, she serves as the AVP of Workforce Well-Being at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston Texas, where she is transforming well-being practices at the renowned institution. Prior to this role, Suzy spent a decade in higher education championing the promotion of health promoting universities on national and international levels. She was the first dedicated chief wellness officer in higher education. With a background in various nursing roles, including Air Force, ICU, radiology, open heart, and recruiting, Suzy discovered her passion in school health. She holds a master’s in health services/health promotion and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice in business and leadership of health care, with a focus on health promotion. Throughout her career, she has been a leader in population health and clinical settings, leaving behind a legacy of sustainable well-being successes.
Kati Lohr, LPC-MHSP, NCC, ACS, CET II, is a Cofounder of Synchronous Health, serves on the executive leadership team as the Chief Clinical Experience Officer, and sits on the Board of Directors. At Synchronous Health, Kati combines her clinical expertise and creative innovation skills to develop programs and products that provide an authentic experience of the organization’s culture, community, and services. She focuses on promoting inclusion and belonging in both human and digital experiences and has successfully improved accessibility and quality of mental health care for non-profit, for-profit, and B-Corp entities. Kati is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 25+ years of experience in mental health. She is also a National Certified Counselor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, and a Level II Certified Experiential Therapist. She holds a master’s in counseling psychology from the University of Denver and a master’s in experiential education from the University of Minnesota.
Krystal Sexton, PhD, is the Global Health Analytics Manager at Shell. She began her career at Shell as an epidemiologist and helped develop the holistic approach to health that covers physical, mental, and social health. In her current role, Krystal leads a global team of epidemiologists and health analysts who support cross-discipline and cross-functional work across Shell with a primary focus on holistic health and its association with business and health outcomes. She obtained an MS in biostatistics and a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health. Krystal completed postdoctoral fellowships at both MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine.
Ryan Sledge, MBA, MPH, is the Vice President of Workforce Health & Safety at HCA Healthcare. Ryan partners across teams—both clinical and non-clinical including human resources, infection prevention, HCI, and performance improvement—to ensure caregivers receive great care so that they can focus their passion and energy on providing great care. In his previous role as Director of Worksite Operations and Product Development for OhioHealth, he was for creating a sustainable culture of health for OhioHealth’s 29,000 employees, as well as the employers served by the program in the Columbus region. Ryan is Treasurer on the HERO Board of Directors and also serves as co-chair of the HERO Healthcare Summit Planning Committee. Ryan’s academic background includes a BS in exercise science, an MPH degree from Michigan State University, and an MBA degree from the University of Michigan.
Emily Wolfe, MSW, LCSW, is HERO’s Director of Learning Experience, providing leadership and project management for HERO Committees and the various projects that the committees produce. In addition to committee project management, Emily supports HERO’s Senior Fellow in planning HERO Think Tank meetings. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and received her master’s degree in social work from UNC-Chapel Hill with a concentration in adult mental health. She has experience working in hospital settings, including oncology and clinical care management, employee work-site wellness programming, transitional community housing, and private mental health practice. Emily has a strong interest in the intersection of workplace culture and employee mental health, and the unique health and well-being needs of lower-wage earners.
David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, is a Senior Fellow and Scientific Advisor for Workforce Mental Health at HERO. His work focuses on organizational effectiveness, occupational health promotion, workforce mental health, program design and evaluation, and systems-level workplace interventions. David has provided research, consultation, and training services to government agencies, industry groups, corporations, private equity firms, medical schools, and universities. He currently serves on the boards of directors for The Health Project, which presents the C. Everett Koop National Health Awards, and Sound Mind, co-chairs the Advisory Committee for The Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace, and is a member of NIOSH’s Cross-Sector Council on Healthy Work Design and Well-being.
Air date: June 21, 2023
Guest Panelists:
Juliet Schor, PhD, Boston College
Tami Simon, JD, Segal
Host: Paul Terry, PhD, HERO
Employers were propelled into new work arrangements due to the pandemic. Businesses pivoted to remote and hybrid work models quickly, further expanding our understanding of workplaces and spaces. In recent years, the social contract between employers and employees has evolved with many workers desiring flexible work arrangements, expanded benefits, and even reduced work hours without decreased pay. Is the 40-hour working week antiquated? For that matter, how and when did the 40-hour work week become standard business practice? What evidence supports (or contradicts) that working 40+ hours per week is good for the economy and population health?
The idea of a four-day workweek is nothing new, although there is a resurgence of attention, research, and even support being given to the concept. 4 Day Work Week Global (4DWG) published results from their 4 Day Week Global pilot program reporting the benefits of providing workers with an extra day off with no reduction in pay. Their research indicates that participating companies reported increased revenue, reduced absenteeism, less stress and burnout, and increased life satisfaction. At the 2022 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, experts discussed the pros and cons of shifting to a four day work week. Again, sharing research that indicates increased productivity, boosts in attracting and retaining talent, and positive environmental impacts. Are these findings unique to the employers that participated in the study, or would they be found across businesses of various sizes and industries? While employers work to retain and attract talent, is there an opportunity to evaluate the pros and cons of the 40-hour work week?
Join us as we hear from Dr. Juliet Schor, economist and professor of sociology at Boston College, and learn about her research with companies transitioning to a 4 day work week. Juliet will be joined by Tami Simon, JD, Senior Vice President, Consulting Leader at Segal. Hosted by HERO’s Paul Terry, PhD.
Guest Speakers:
Juliet Schor, PhD, is an economist and professor of sociology at Boston College. She is the lead researcher on 4DWG trials for companies instituting four-day weeks with five days’ pay. She has been researching worktime since the 1980s and is the author of the national best-seller, The Overworked American: the unexpected decline of leisure. In 2020, Juliet published After the Gig: how the sharing economy got hijacked and how to win it back, which covered nearly a decade of research on the platform economy. She has also researched sustainable consumption and the link between climate change and worktime. Before joining Boston College, she taught at Harvard University in the Department of Economics and later, the Committee on Degrees in Women’s Studies. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including, in 2022, election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A graduate of Wesleyan University, Juliet received her PhD in economics at the University of Massachusetts.
Tami Simon, JD, is a Senior Vice President, Consulting Leader at Segal and a nationally recognized health, wellness, and workforce strategy leader. Recently named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Benefit Consulting by Employee Benefit Adviser, Tami is Segal’s first global corporate consulting business leader. In this role, Tami and her team provide entrusted HR, employee benefits, and insurance advice to large and midsize employers in various industries. Tami is on the board of directors for Emeriti Retirement Health Solutions, the advisory board of the ERISA Industry Committee as well as BNA Tax Management’s Compensation Planning Journal. Before joining Segal, Tami worked for Mercer, the law firm of McDermott, Will & Emery, Hewitt Associates, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. She also served as a judicial intern for the Iowa District Court. Tami received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and her law degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law, where she was an associate editor of the Law Review. She is a member of the Illinois Bar.
Host: Paul Terry, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at HERO where he collaborates with HERO members and national experts in planning learning events and supports the HERO team in organizing the annual forum, think tanks and webinars. He preceded Karen Moseley as HERO’s president. Paul is Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Health Promotion and is a Past-President of the Minnesota Public Health Association. He serves on advisory councils for The National Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Global Public Health. He earned his PhD from the University of Minnesota and his master’s from Minnesota State University at Mankato where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Humanitarian Award.
The value of health screenings such as lipid testing, taking blood pressures or body mass indices has been studied and validated extensively as a way to prevent disease and detect diseases such as cancer and heart disease in early stages when treatment is more likely to be successful. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is comprised of a renowned list of researchers and educators who have reviewed thousands of studies to develop guidance that adjusts screening recommendations according to age, gender, and risk factors. Companies nationwide have long sponsored health screenings as a part of their health promotion offerings as a way to assess risks and catalyze employees to take advantage of health improvement services the employer also provides. Could these commonplace and common-sense prevention and health promotion strategies be threatened on legal, even constitutional grounds? In September of 2022, a judge in a US District Court in Texas ruled in favor of striking down the ACA’s requirement of no-cost coverage of preventive services recommended by the USPSTF. The ruling, which was based on protecting religious rights, is being appealed. In this webinar, we will discuss the “Braidwood v. Becerra” ruling and consider the decision’s implications for employer sponsored health and well-being services. What are current “best practices” in worksite health screenings? What is the role of the USPSTF in making evidence-based recommendations and how should medical advice relate to insurance coverage? And what role could employers play in reconciling differences between legal rulings and scientific guidelines?
Erin Seaverson, MPH, is the Senior Director of Health Research at WebMD Health Services, steering WebMD’s health and well-being research agenda. Erin works closely with employers and health plans to provide meaningful data that informs and guides program strategy and demonstrates the value of investing in well-being for their populations. She serves as research consultant and principal investigator on strategic initiatives, program evaluation, and outcomes studies. Erin has published numerous peer-reviewed, scientific research studies and her work in research and reporting helps to define best practices for the industry. Her research was recognized as Paper of the Year in 2019 by the American Journal of Health Promotion and as one of the 25 most important studies in workplace health promotion for its contributions to the industry. Erin earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise and health science from Alma College and her Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts.
Rachel Mosher Henke, PhD, is a co-editor of “Knowing Well Being Well,” American Journal of Health Promotion and Vice President of Evaluation, Economics, and Predictive Modeling at the Lewin Group. She has evaluated payer approaches to improve health and productivity with a focus on culture of health and value-based care models. Recently, Rachel has been exploring “fun” as an important aspect of individual well-being. She is excited to encourage others to expand research in this emerging area. Rachel has a PhD in health policy from Harvard University and is the proud recipient of the 2021 HERO Mark Dundon Research Award.
Erin O’Malley, JD, is an attorney specializing in access to health care and healthy living. She currently manages federal regulatory affairs for the American Heart Association’s Access to Care issue advocacy portfolio. Previously, she has served in roles providing legal technical assistance and subject matter expert consulting to advocacy campaigns and government officials in federal government, in all 50 states, and in most major cities. Erin is active on two boards of directors for organizations supporting employment and education opportunities for the disability community.
Moderator: Karen Moseley is President & CEO of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a national think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in workplace health and well-being. Prior to being appointed President of HERO, Karen served as the organization’s Vice President of Education and Director of Operations. Karen also managed HERO’s grant-funded projects, which include a multi-stakeholder collaboration to support employer involvement in community health initiatives and another to identify common measures of community health, both funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Having worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 30 years, Karen has managed the development and dissemination of a number of publications and educational conferences. She is the 2021 recipient of the Leader in Workplace Wellness Award presented by the Global Wellness Summit. Karen received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Moderator: Paul Terry, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at HERO where he collaborates with HERO members and national experts in planning learning events and supports the HERO team in organizing the annual forum, think tanks and webinars. He preceded Karen Moseley as HERO’s president. Paul is Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Health Promotion and is a Past-President of the Minnesota Public Health Association. He serves on advisory councils for The National Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Global Public Health. Prevention programs that Paul developed won the C. Everett Koop National Health Award. He earned his PhD from the University of Minnesota and his master’s from Minnesota State University at Mankato where he was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Humanitarian Award.
Air date: June 7, 2023
Guest Panelists:
Dexter W. Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM, Blue Zones Wellbeing Institute
Sara S. Johnson, PhD, ProChange Behavior Solutions and HERO
There is an urgent need for increased implementation of lifestyle as medicine, but barriers remain (e.g., current reimbursement models). Experts have underscored the critical role employers could play in advancing lifestyle as medicine. Employers have long been recognized as having a significant influence on the health and well-being of their employees and a key potential influence on the health of their communities.
With funding from the Ardmore Institute of Health, the Health Enhancement Research Organization conducted research to accelerate the implementation of lifestyle as medicine by identifying pathways for employers to: 1) create the conditions for lifestyle as medicine to be integrated into employee’s health and well-being offerings; 2) relate lifestyle as medicine to key business outcomes; 3) consider how they can extend the influence of their whole-person health initiatives into their communities; and 4) advocate for lifestyle as medicine reimbursement. Specifically, they:
Captured the perspective of experts, employers, and “bright spot” organizations who are innovators in lifestyle as medicine in a series of in-depth interviews;
Identified emerging promising practices;
Sought input on and refined the list of emerging promising practices in three interdisciplinary workshops.
Join us as Drs. Shurney and Johnson discuss the results of this initiative and provide recommendations for how employers can play a role in this critical endeavor.
Learning Objectives
After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:
Describe at least three benefits of implementing lifestyle medicine.
List three guiding principles that can inform employer’s efforts to advance the implementation of lifestyle medicine.
Identify at least two internal and external strategies employers can use to promote lifestyle as medicine within their organizations.
HERO would like to gratefully acknowledge the support of the Ardmore Institute of Health for this initiative.
Guest Panelists:
Dexter Shurney, MD, is President of the Blue Zones Wellbeing Institute, a 501c3 subsidiary of Adventist Health, that focuses on applied population health research including social determinants, payment reform, in addition to helping advise health care executives on value-based strategy and operations. He serves on several boards, including HERO’s, and he is co-author of the book Integrating Wellness into Your Disease Management Programs, a “how- to” strategic guide for employers that wish to innovate their approach to chronic condition management. Dexter received his BS from Loma Linda University and his MD from Howard University College of Medicine. He also has an MBA and MPH from the University of Detroit/Mercy and the Medical College of Wisconsin, respectively. A licensed physician, he is board certified in both preventive medicine and in lifestyle medicine, and is a Fellow in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Sara Johnson, PhD, is the Co-President & CEO of Pro-Change Behavior Solutions, Inc., a behavior change consulting firm and solution provider that empowers people to experience life-changing breakthroughs in health and well-being. She is also the Senior Research Fellow for the Health Enhancement Research Organization and a recipient of the Mark Dundon Research Award. Dr. Johnson serves as the Chair of the Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference and Co-Editor of Knowing Well, Being Well.
Kristi Rahrig Jenkins, PhD, MPH, University of Michigan
Karen Schmidt, MPH, University of Michigan
Moderator: Karen Moseley, HERO
Join leaders from the University of Michigan’s employee wellness program, MHealthy, to learn about their research and program efforts, including social determinants of health and mental and emotional health strategies. Karen Schmidt, Senior Director, and Kristi Rahrig Jenkins, Research Program Manager, will provide a brief overview of the University of Michigan’s approach to well-being efforts and the findings of a recent study on the association between sources of stress and perceptions of organizational and supervisor support for health and well-being.
Learning Objectives
Following this webinar, participants will be able to:
Describe the University of Michigan’s philosophy of well-being and top areas of focus for its health and well-being programs.
Explain the findings of a recent publication from the University of Michigan examining the association between sources of stress and perceptions of organizational and supervisor support for health and well-being.
Discuss how results of this study can shape program planning and administrative efforts.
Guest Speakers:
Kristi Rahrig Jenkins, PhD, MPH, is the Research Program Manager for MHealthy, the health and well-being initiative for the University of Michigan’s faculty, staff, and dependents. She leads the development and execution of the evaluation and scientific research activities of MHealthy, including data collection, management, and analysis; developing and sustaining scientific partnerships; and serving as the point person for all internal and external data-related inquiries and processes. Kristi has over twenty years of experience in research units at the University. Before joining MHealthy in 2009, Kristi worked for the University’s Addiction Research Center and the Institute for Social Research exploring research questions related to health behavior across the life course, particularly issues related to chronic disease, family relationships, social and psychological aspects of health, and population health. Kristi holds an MPH in community health education from the University of South Florida and a PhD in sociology from Wayne State University.
Karen Schmidt, MPH, is the Senior Director for MHealthy where she provides leadership for the health and well-being programs and services for the faculty and staff of the University of Michigan. MHealthy has won numerous awards that recognize outstanding worksite health promotion and improvement programs including the 2021 C. Everett Koop National Health Award, Michigan’s Best and Brightest in Wellness, Healthiest Employers of Southeast Michigan, and the U.S. Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America. Karen has 25 years of experience implementing and evaluating health and well-being programs. Before joining MHealthy in 2008, she worked for the University’s health plan, M-CARE, overseeing wellness programming for its members. Karen has a Master of Public Health degree from the U-M.
Moderator: Karen Moseley is President & CEO of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a national think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in workplace health and well-being. Prior to being appointed President of HERO, Karen served as the organization’s Vice President of Education and Director of Operations. Karen also managed HERO’s grant-funded projects, which include a multi-stakeholder collaboration to support employer involvement in community health initiatives and another to identify common measures of community health, both funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Having worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 30 years, Karen has managed the development and dissemination of a number of publications and educational conferences. She is the 2021 recipient of the Leader in Workplace Wellness Award presented by the Global Wellness Summit. Karen received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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 1 total Category I contact education contact hours. Provider ID#101039
