PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ADN, Registered Nurse;  BS, Education;  MS Health Promotion Management
Certifications; WELCOA Faculty; Covey 7 Habits;  Certified Wellness Manager/ L. Chapman; Stress Manager, AIPM
Academic Honors: 2011 recipient of The Catherine Wetherspoon Award of Excellence from Nebraska Methodist College Master’s Health Promotion Management program for outstanding graduate effort and performance.  Graduated with Honors from BS program at Wright State.
My 1968 4-H project, “You Are What You Eat” started my life-long journey in promoting better health and well-being.
Achieving my status at WELCOA Faculty and obtaining by MS in Health Promotion Management have definitely opened opportunities for me to pursue my passion for “helping others become the best possible version of themselves”.

DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS

 I was involved with worksite and public health hypertensive efforts, women’s health initiative and creating an Occupational Health Nurse position for farmers during my public health nursing days in the late 70’s and early 80’s .

In 1984, using WELCOA newsletters and Michael O’Donnell’s “Worksite Wellness” book, I launched a hospital-based employee based health promotion effort. The first year success of that program helped me gather support from the hospital CEO and the local Chamber of Commerce to expand the efforts, expanding the effort to 25 area businesses, 5 school districts and to the small rural community.Within the next six years, the health promotion team efforts had made an impact on the entire community culture, including schools, businesses/industry and the community at large.

1990-2000 teaching and creating health improvement for the nation’s largest technical and career center in Ohio was a great way to help the teachers and students create habits that helped them be the ‘best possible version of themselves’; investing in tomorrow’s workforce.

Since 2000 I have served on Ohio’s Governor’s Healthy Ohio Business Council and helped consult with companies such as fortune 500 financial institutes, the nation’s largest provider of ground transporters, large convenient stores, schools districts, universities,health care providers and serve as a speaker for American Heart Association.

Various interventions have been required to address each of the various groups’ needs.  I always assess what the group interests are, what the needs are and then blend the ways I offer the information to the clients.  
Culture change is the primary shift that I have impacted over my life-long efforts in health education. I can testify that being committed and staying strong with health efforts (even when people laughed at me in 1985 as I recommended facilities become smoke free) has long term health benefits for a cultural shift. (And I love that the hospital has been smoke free for almost 30 years!).
The 7 Benchmarks are the foundation for a solid, results-oriented program.  It has been my experience that if organizations don’t use all 7 Benchmarks, much like a missing leg on a 3-legged stool, the program will not support and sustain the groups/company’s efforts.  These benchmarks build on each other and support success of the company’s/group’s efforts. I often use the analogy of the 7 Benchmarks is to a results-oriented health and well-being effort as a spine is to the core of the body; it gives alignment and support.

LEADERSHIP  

My husband (an ex-football player) and I have always valued our health and lived a fairly active lifestyle but as we started adding grandchildren to the family tree, we re-committed our efforts. In the last 3 years, we have improved our nutrition, lost over 170 pounds, increased our cardio and strength training and recently achieved ‘elite’ health status per our worksite HRA/screenings. Our family physician refers to us as the model grandparents. (We just added grandchild #6 and she is beautiful!).
My networking, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, have helped create occasions for my leadership development. Being open to circumstances for leadership development has been a lifelong endeavor.
GET CONNECTED! Join WELCOA, attend conferences, read, be a ‘health and well-being’ seeking missile! Keep learning and sharing all your life!

INNOVATION-Differs for various groups

Worked with Ohio Department Health Department to create an Occupational Health Nurse position for a rural community in SW Ohio. 30 years later, Clinton County is still demonstrating low farm related accidents.
After starting an ergonomic evaluation process for a fortune 500, financial institute, there was significant reduction of carpal tunnel claims AND employees noted an increase in physical movement per day.
Implemented monthly health awareness campaign and monthly ‘movement’ challenge for bus drivers across the nation.  First year benefit feedback, # 1 reported benefit /drivers.

COMPELLING VISION

A great opportunity for health promotion professionals in the next five years include  to align with organizations’ goals and then reframing our efforts to support the goals through health and safety efforts.  By demonstrating  how healthier employees  affect the bottom line of an organization, illustrating how to incorporate health enhancement efforts with benefits plan  and educating  employees about the “how and why” to live  healthier lifestyles, all effect not only the workplace but the community.  Helping people become the “CEO” of their own body is a great opportunity for health promotion professionals.
I am truly blessed that I have gathered decades of knowledge and experience. I also have gone by the philosophy that if you are green, you grow and when you are ripe, you rot. I want to keep growing, I want to stay green but I also recognize that it is a very important time for me to be fostering others to help others promote good health and well-being.  I hope to blend sharing and teaching in the next 5 years.