Dr. Rearick also identifed his Top Ten list of critical events that took place in the population health management field in 2011.  To keep your program from fallling behind, make sure you listen to this important and impactful list:  Dr. Dave’s Top Ten List. 

The hosts also asked her what she felt was the most successful engagement strategy to get members to participate in health and wellness programs.  Here’s the link to Katie’s new and unique response:  K. Bell’s Engaement Strategy.

Finally, the hosts shared their health tip of the week which included and explanation on how companies can incorporate “green exercise” intoe their programming.  Click on this link to hear “How to put greeen exercise to work“.

Tom Richards is Senior Manager of Public Policy with the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), www.ihrsa.org.  Tom coordinates IHRSA’s outreach to leading organizations and government agencies – such as the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, and the Campaign to End Obesity – to highlight the importance of physical activity to America’s health.

Tom highlighted how such initiatives are going much further than encouraging individuals to exercise more, it involves a recognition that communities and the worksites are important partners and change agents if a national culture of physical activity is going to be achieved.  Our discussion with Mr. Richards revealed such key initiatives as the WHIP Act (legislation for Workplace Health Improvement Programs); IHRSA’s Get Active America campaign to involve community health & fitness facilities; and the National Physical Activity Plan that represents a national strategy to integrate the eight sectors of business, education, health care, mass media, parks & recreation, transportation, public health, and non-profits into its mission to support physically active lifestyles.  To hear all of Tom’s insights, click on this link, Tom Richards Interview.

The hosts also asked Tom what he felt was the most successful engagement strategy to get individuals to participate in health and wellness programs.  Here’s the link to hear his informative response, T. Richard’s Engagement Strategy.

Finally, Steve Cherniak shared his weekly health tip which revealed the five barriers that limit the success worksite health promotion programs.  To hear Steve’s tip, click on this link, Weekly Health Tip.

A recent NIOSH posting states: “Some employers assume that stressful working conditions are a necessary evil – that companies must turn up the pressure on workers and set aside health concerns to remain productive and profitable in today’s economy. But research findings challenge this belief. Studies show that stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and the intentions by workers to quit their jobs – all of which have a negative effect on the bottom line”.
On our most recent show we delved into the issue of mental health, dealing with stress, and the impact on the workplace.

Sarah Schwartz is the Executive Director of Mental Health America of Georgia, www.mhageorgia.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the mental health of all Georgians through education, outreach, and advocacy. This includes addressing the worksite as an important opportunity to raise awareness and educate employees and employers that mental wellness is key to not only a successful lifestyle but also to a successful business.

We discussed with Sarah how employers can play a valuable role and reap the benefits of MHAofGA’s motto – There is no Health without Mental Health. To hear Sarah’s interview and guiding thoughts, click on this link – Sarah Schwartz Interview. The hosts also asked Sarah what she felt was the most successful engagement strategy to get members to participate in health and wellness programs, to hear her insightful response click here, Sarah Schwartz engagement strategy.

Finally, in this week’s health tip, Steve shares the 5 Barriers to a Trusted Wellness Program. Hear them all at this link, Weekly Health Tip.

Healthways is one of the leading providers of health improvement solutions to individuals and businesses.  In order to maintain its successes, it has to be on the leading edge of innovative interventions and approaches to positive behavior change.  We asked John to explain his Company’s approach to maintaining its position in the industry.  He shared his thoughts on the shift away from focusing on health to that of Well-Being.  He also revealed recent results of research measuring Well-Being’s impact on productivity and presenteeism.  To hear John’s enlightening interview, click on this link, John Harris Interview.

As they do with all their guests, the hosts asked John what he felt were the most successful engagement strategies to get members to participant in health and wellness programs, here’s the link to John’s unique and informative response, John Harris Engagement Strategy. 

Natalie Flolo is the Founder of Pure Nutrition LLC, www.purenutritionllc.com.  She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with extensive experience in nutrition education and community-based health promotion. Through this experience, she has developed an approach to provide practical lifestyle solutions to help individuals manage their weight, improve their energy levels, and minimize the risk of disease and illness – specifically those associated with our modern lifestyle. In addition to discussing her strategies to better nutrition, Natalie expressed her views on how they can be applied to create a healthy workplace. To hear our entire engaging and insightful interview, click on this link: Interview with Natalie Flolo.

We also asked Natalie what she felt was the most successful engagement strategies to get members to participate in health and wellness programs. Here’s what she had to say: Natalie’s Engagement Strategy.

Finally, in their health tip segment, Dr. Dave and Steve shared unique ways that company’s can engage their “hard-to-reach” wellness participants, by using their “easy-to-reach” participants. To hear their tips, click here: Wellness Tips of the Week.

Joining us on the show, were three individuals each having their own unique involvement in the event. Our guests were: Susan Jones – Coordinator of special events with Phidippides Running Stores; Dr. David Jones – Physician Market Leader with the Kaiser Permanenete Organization; and Kathryn Harrison – Program Manager of Health Education with the Kaiser Permanente Organization. We discussed with our guests the logistics, the goals, and impact the event has on the participants, Kaiser Permanente, and on the metro-Atlanta community. To hear all of our engaging and insightful interview, click on this link: Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk Interview.

We also asked our guests what they felt were the most successful engagement strategies to get members to participate in health and wellness programs.  Here’s what they had to say:  Successful Engagement Strategies.

Dave Chenoweth, author of this SHRM publication, joined the show to share his expertise on the successful strategies that drive employee well-being and management outcomes.  Dave is President of Chenoweth & Associates, www.chenoassociates.com, a health and productivity management firm.  For the past 31 years, he has provided program planning, econometric data analysis, and evaluation services to business, industrial, health care, and governmental organizations.  The bulk of his work focuses on the impact of employee health status and specific risk factors on medical care and key productivity markers.

Dave not only shared some of the intriquing insights that are outlined in his SHRM paper; but he also described some of the practical strategies that lead to a healthy workplace.  To hear our entire interview with Dave Chenoweth these and many other interesting topics, simply click on this link, Interview with Dave Chenoweth.

The hosts also asked Dave what he felt was the most successful engagement strategy to get members to participate in health and wellness programs.  Here’s the link to his insightful response:  David Chenoweth’s Engagement Strategy.

As a smart business practice, we know that companies should survey their workplace regularly to obtain valuable input and reveal issues affecting the workforce. What if we were to apply that same approach to the American population? Would knowing the well-being of U.S. adults be helpful to our communities, governments, employers and health plans? What insights can we obtain from such data?

In 2008, Gallup and Healthways began a historic partnership to establish the Well-Being Index – a national measure that provides leaders with the information they need to create solutions for making Americans healthier.

Katie Bell, partner at the Gallup Organization, (www.well-beingindex.com), joined the show to share some the intriguing insights that have been revealed with the Well-Being Index. Ms. Bell revealed several lifestyle issue affecting the public: from caregiving, to nutrition, to personal finances; and how they affect our ability to be healthy and productive. To hear our entire interview with Katie, simply click on this link, Interview with Katie Bell.

The hosts also asked her what she felt was the most successful engagement strategy to get members to participate in health and wellness programs. Here’s the link to Katie’s interesting and unique response: Katie Bell’s Engagement Strategy.

Finally, the hosts shared their health tip of the week which included a simple but effective way to get immediate feedback from your workforce. To hear about this low-tech way to collect actionable date, click on this link: Program Feedback Tips

 Lew Schiffman, President, of Atlanta Health Systems, (www.atlantahealthsys.com), joined the show to share his 30+ years of expertise on strategies of program implementation and lifestyle improvement.  Being told what to do in making a business healthy is one thing; but actually making it work is another.  It takes a significant time in the “trenches” to really understand what works and how to overcome the barriers to a successful wellness program.  To hear our entire interview with Lew, as he describes the best approaches for businesses,  simply click on this link, Interview with Lew Schiffman.

The hosts also asked Lew what he felt was the most successful engagement strategy to get members to participate in health and wellness programs.  Here’s the link to Lew Schiffman’s interesting and unique response:  Lew Schiffman’s Engagement Strategy.

Finally, the hosts shared their health tip of the week which included smart & innovative ways to promote your wellness activities.  To hear the “80/20” rule for promoting wellness programs, click on this link:  Program Promotion Tips