Professional Development

I earned a BA in Biology and medical sciences from Transylvania University and was a Graduate Teaching and Research Associate while earning a Masters of Public Health from Western Kentucky University.  I received the Academic Excellence in a Graduate Program award.  I am an NCSF certified personal trainer, ALA smoking cessation facilitator and Curves lifestyle coach. Receiving a public health degree is valuable in my career because it stresses the importance of policy, community and behaviors in order to promote health, prevent disease and prolong life. Health behavior is a subject that defines my passion for healthy habits and well-being.

Demonstrated Success

In 2012, I became the employee wellness director for a public university. Based on initial population health analysis, the university had poor employee and spouse claims experience, an aging population and no health promotion programs.  Key leaders at the university knew something had to change, and once I captured their support, I launched onsite focus groups that identified high employee stress, low levels of physical activity and a general lack of health awareness among employees. I also diligently reviewed claims data that outlined low utilization of preventive care services and a large prevalence of diabetes. I frequently looked to WELCOA’s seven benchmarks for guidance to develop a program focused on culture and community that would also target the top health concerns.

I worked closely with the HR manager to identify several employees to become worksite wellness champions. I received pushback initially, but eventually nine employees, across all departments and positions, joined the committee. The committee members were an essential part of my operating plan to address the issues identified, analyze community resources, deploy strategic communications, involve spouses and host year round health awareness activities.

The university had a self-funded health plan arrangement, and in my first year, I released an email communication campaign to educate employees about their health benefits and the preventive services covered.  I was able to see how many people opened the email.  During the first round of emails, we saw a 15% open rate. I was not discouraged and instead began a road-show around campus to spread the word. With a very minimal budget, I enlisted the assistance of nursing professors and students to launch employee health screenings which included BMI, waist circumference and blood pressure, to further enhance employee health awareness. 

The university had recently built a state-of-the-art fitness facility that was free to employees, spouses and students. A badge was used to monitor visitors in and out, and the visitor log showed low employee utilization.  With assistance from the recreation center staff, I launched a block party at the facility and hosted facility tours.  I reviewed the visitor log frequently and hosted facility events to increase utilization, improve population physical activity levels and lower stress.

Furthermore, I reached out to a local hospital and hosted an endocrinologist on campus for employee education.  A nurse came as well to provide free glucose screenings. At the first presentation we had five participants, but engagement quickly increased. In my second year, through continued leadership support and a cultural shift, the university launched a more comprehensive wellness program and tied employee and spouse engagement to health premium reductions.  Currently, the university provides additional incentives when employees meet healthy outcomes.

I built the university wellness program from the ground up. Through this experience, it was reinforced that behaviors matter. Healthy habits learned at work must also be practiced at home. I still receive thank you emails and LinkedIn messages from university employees who were able to create sustainable healthy behaviors by engaging in the wellness program.

Leadership

I lead the internal wellness team for EPIC’s southwest regional office and our clients’ wellness efforts. Earlier in 2016, I developed and launched the Southwest team’s Wellness and Health Management Scope of Services and have been able to build a practice that was in its infancy when I started, by developing services that will be deployed on a national scale for EPIC in 2017. I developed a full-scope request for information (RFI) to gather data about vendor capabilities to best match vendor services with client needs. And, in 2015, I developed a company-wide Wellness and Health Management survey to benchmark client programs. 

The health promotion industry is fast-paced and it is important to maintain a database of relevant information on best practices, the vendor market, new technologies and innovative strategies for engagement.  The data collected thus far will equip EPIC wellness consultants with the insight needed to stay abreast of top industry trends in a dynamic market.

Innovation

Wellness works best when it is focused on the individual.  Traditionally health promotion professionals have looked so broadly at population health, but the most effective interventions are tailored and targeted to individualistic needs.  My strength as a health promotion professional is in developing strategies that are customized for specific employer demographics and industries, and participant gender and motivation to change.  I realize the shift that must occur in policy, community, environment and family to support healthy behaviors.  I often speak to clients about environmental architecture in which healthy decisions can be easily and readily made without too much effort.  It is also impactful to involve every member of a family in wellness efforts in order to encourage supportive relationships that are crucial while making incremental lifestyle improvements.

Compelling Vision

Through technology individuals can pursue wellness anywhere and at any time and find solutions that are tailored for individualistic needs.  By connecting with friends through wearables, we create a sense of community that is often necessary health improvement. Wi-fi enabled and Bluetooth devices can capture data for dispersed populations. Trackers and devices show real-time data that is essential while completing cumulative actions.  Over the next five years, I think technology will continue to bolster the wellness industry. 

Furthermore, it is imperative that program evaluation moves beyond calculating reductions in health care costs. Healthy people are happier and more productive. We have to look more closely at VOI versus focusing solely on ROI. Each year, employers deploy many strategies to increase employee morale and health and I believe we have only scratched the surface of how the industry will shape the face of health care over the next 20 years.