Activating Employers as Agents of Change in Lifestyle as Medicine

December 2, 2025 12:00 pm Central | Register

Guest Panelists:

Employers have been identified as a crucial partner in advancing lifestyle as medicine to promote whole health. In an 18-month case study at 3 sites of 2 employers from different industries and geographic regions, HERO demonstrated how a framework designed to catalyze employers’ efforts to implement lifestyle as medicine can be effectively applied in real-world settings.

In close collaboration with Metro Nashville Public Schools and 3M, the HERO team conducted organizational audits; co-developed a comprehensive, systems-based implementation plan; provided ongoing, individualized technical assistance to the employers; and co-created a rigorous, multi-level outcome evaluation plan and sustainability strategies.

This webinar will share insights gleaned from the organizational audits; describe the specific tactics each participating employer elected to implement; summarize the results; and highlight lessons learned. A strategic planning tool for applying this framework in organizations with varying levels of organizational readiness to implement lifestyle as medicine will be shared.

This case study, as well as a previous initiative entitled “Activating Employers as Agents of Change in the Implementation of Lifestyle Medicine,” was funded by Ardmore Institute of Health.

SPEAKERS

Sara Johnson, PhD, is the Co-President & CEO of ProChange Behavior Solution. She is also the Senior Research Fellow for the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), immediate past Chair of the Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference, and immediate former Co-Editor of Knowing Well, Being Well. She has been the principal investigator on over $10 million in federally-funded research. Sara has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Most Influential Women Scholars in Health Promotion by the American Journal of Health Promotion. Previous honors have included receiving HERO’s Mark Dundon Research Award and being named one of the 50 on Fire by Rhode Island Inno and Health Care Services Woman to Watch by Providence Business News, as well as being selected as a Top 10 Health Promotion Professional by the Wellness Council of America. She has more than 40 publications.

Gerardo Durand, MD, MPH, is the Director of 3M Corporate Occupational Medicine and Clinical Services. In his role, Gerardo provides medical direction for 3M’s safety, industrial, and consumer business groups’ U.S. manufacturing sites and products’ medical safety, oversees the medical team in Latin America, and leads the Clinical Services team. With nearly 25 years of experience in occupational health, Gerardo has been a steadfast advocate for healthy work environments, championing the integration of occupational and non-occupational health interventions and continually striving to achieve meaningful population health indicators. A native of Peru, Gerardo earned his medical degree from Cayetano Heredia University and is board-certified in internal medicine as well as occupational and environmental medicine. He also holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In addition to his work at 3M, Gerardo serves on the board of directors for the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO).

Leanne Mauriello, PhD is a leader in health transformation, combining expertise in behavior change science with the creativity of a designer and the experience of a lifestyle medicine pioneer. As a behavioral scientist, she designs engaging and scientifically sound consumer programs that drive health improvement. Leanne has successfully led teams across various industries to create effective health behavior change solutions, facilitating meaningful transformations. A thought leader in her field, she has secured multi-million-dollar NIH funding for innovative research and has published extensively while delivering hundreds of presentations and training sessions. Currently, as the Founder and CEO of Evolve Health Advisors, Leanne collaborates with digital health, health systems, and pharmaceutical organizations to develop impactful health transformation initiatives.

Martha E. Shepherd, DO, MPH, FAAFP, FACLM is a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health. She is triple board-certified in family medicine, integrative medicine, and lifestyle medicine and holds a Master of Public Health from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Dr. Shepherd is the Medical Director for Vanderbilt Health at Metro Nashville Public Schools, a network of five award-winning, employer-based clinics providing whole-person care to employees of Nashville’s school district through an interdisciplinary team approach. She is active in the corporate health and wellness sector, serving on the Board of Directors for the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), the Cigna Mid-South Physician Advisory Council, and the Medical Director Council for the National Association of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC). Dr. Shepherd’s research focuses on employer health, health plan design, and best practices in population health. Her work emphasizes the importance of effective health communication and including patients in their care plan using shared decision-making tools, evidence-based clinical care pathways, and patient advisory group feedback. She is particularly interested in leveraging technology to enhance care quality and improve the experiences of both patients and providers. She has been an invited speaker at academic institutions, corporate health events and scientific meetings locally, nationally, and internationally. In 2024, she was named to the American Journal of Health Promotion’s “Best of 2024 List” of Health Promotion Researchers. 

HOST

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. In collaboration with HERO members, Karen and the HERO team provide leadership in research and education by connecting science and practice to demonstrate the value of a health and well-being employer ecosystem.

Research supported by the Ardmore Institute of Health

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 1 total Category I continuing education contact hours. Provider ID#101039