1. Professional Development

(a) Shannon graduated with honors from Bucknell University.  (b) Certifications achieved include WELCOA Faculty designation, NSCA Strength & Conditioning Specialist, NSCA Personal Trainer, and CPR & AED. (c) In 2012, StoudtAdvisors was given the Well Workplace Award by the Lancaster County Business Group on Health and Lighten Up Lancaster.  Shannon is most rewarded by the results of her clients and seeing them win numerous awards. (d) Shannon went into the field because she was born with passion to see people become healthy and whole.  (e) Currently, Shannon’s WELCOA certifications have been most valuable and applicable to the mission.

2. Demonstrated Success

(a) Shannon’s most successful interventions have addressed biometric outcomes including blood pressure, weight, and tobacco use.  (b) The intervention that has been most effective has been customizing a phased, long term strategic plan that is customized to the goals and of the client.  Within the strategy, Shannon uses the Influencer model1 to engage as many sources of influence possible to reinforce behavior change.  However, within this strategy, Shannon has seen the most success with the combination of a tobacco free campus, onsite coaching, and outcomes based incentives.  (c)  To mention only a few examples, clients that have had the combination of these interventions have experienced results such as (i, ii) in a population of 525 employees in a 9 month period- 92% participation, 20 employees quit tobacco, 59 employees increased exercise, 53 employees lost a total of 390lbs, 101 employees lowered their blood pressure.  Also, in a population of 112 in a 1 year period- 82% participation, 6 quit tobacco, 40 employees lost 400lbs, 48 employees improved blood pressure.  Another client, who has had a robust wellness program for almost 7 years, but specific this combination for about 2 years.  They’ve always had, and still continue to have dramatic health improvements.  In the last 6 months alone, half of their employees have lost an average of 5lbs each.  In addition, the coach has reported that very little high blood pressure or cholesterol even remains in the population and the employees even look fit.  (i)  Within the strategies, Shannon explores every appropriate culture change opportunity- from job descriptions to break room snacks.  For the clients mentioned above, the most necessary cultural components that supported the results was leadership support and adequate communication.

(d) Shannon has helped to capture CEO support through publishing CEO interviews, providing and publicizing senior management specific programs, equipping C-suite members with talking points, providing manager training, and ensuring their visible participation in activities.  She has established many create cohesive wellness teams over the years by providing or crafting team training, participating in committees, and ensuring that they have all of the elements of a cohesive team.  She collects a variety of data points, depending on the needs and goals of the organization, which may include HRA’s, biometrics, satisfaction/interest/culture surveys, productivity metrics, and claims data.  To Shannon, her most critical focus is a phased strategy and operating plan.  As a remote adviser to many employers, the plan is the primary way that clients can stay on track, be held accountable, and be evaluated.   Shannon assists clients in choosing appropriate health interventions that are focused on high priority, effective interventions that are likely to make the biggest impact.  Even clients that need to start without a budget can begin to make an impact through culture change initiatives, such as a tobacco free campus, or by providing a cost neutral wellness incentive.  A supportive environment is a significant component of client success.  Shannon will tour the buildings or facilitate employee focus groups to uncover environmental opportunities.  

3. Leadership

(a)  Shannon’s entire family walks the walk.  As parents with twin daughters, they’ve come up with creative ways to exercise with the kids.  The children even understand the concept of balance and know the importance of eating a variety of food and limiting sugar intake. (b) The willingness of many clients to share their best practices and experiences and an overall sense of community collaboration has probably contributed most to position Shannon as a leader.  As a member of the board of directors for the Lancaster County Business Group on Health,  Shannon has built relationships with and has gathered insight and experiences from many organizations, reaching far outside her own client base.  She even coordinated a “Think Tank” of local, experienced companies doing wellness who were all willing to share. (c)  The primary advice I’d give to other practitioners would be to learn from others.  Current leaders have a wealth of experience and they are willing to share.

4. Innovation

(a) Shannon has generated dramatic results by, first, going above and beyond to understand the needs of an organization, whether by culture audit, custom surveys, or focus group.  Second, she develops a strategy focused on the most effective interventions possible.  (b) One client has won an award two years in a row for Innovation in Wellness from the local Business Group on Health.  (i-iii)  This client, despite having over 20 locations spanning the northeast, has been able to engage over 59% of their employees in wellness committee programs alone.  Innovative programs, such as Make the Call, and incentives have driven member compliance with appropriate health care to 21% over the norm. Based on HRA results, this client has seen improvement in the frequency of reported depression 13% to 10%, diabetes 10% to 4%, high cholesterol 38% to 33%, hypertension 16% to 10%, and physical inactivity 50% to 31%.

5.  Compelling Vision

(a) Shannon believes that the wisdom to change the health of the nation already exists.  The next step is to begin compiling it and training the next generation of experts to go above and beyond where we have been.  She believes that we are currently strong in the area of health promotion, but we are lacking in understanding the needs of an employer to know what will work and what will not.  This is a threat because it is such a missed opportunity.  The reality is that you can spend a lot of time and money trying to get a program to work in an employer, or you can build wellness into the employer and it will work.  (b) In the next 5 years, Shannon plans to continue to pursue wisdom for culture change and apply that wisdom on a larger scale.

1Grenny, J., Patterson, K., Maxfield, D., McMillan, R, Switzler, A. (2013) Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change, Second Edition. McGraw-Hill.