Wellness Incentives: Rewarding Members for Getting & Staying Healthy

Monday, November 26, 2007 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. EST

New Rochelle, NY – With the proliferation of online health assessments, health coaches and legislation that may give tax credit to companies offering wellness programs, it seems that wellness programs have surpassed just being part of the healthcare industry. It appears that the programs have in fact made employers and health plans alike take more of a pro-active approach towards healthcare, and are getting more and more employees to take their health into account not just when they have a doctor’s visit, but rather in their daily activities.

This webinar, entitled Wellness Incentives: Rewarding Members for Getting and Staying Healthy, provides an overview of wellness programs as well as specific case studies detailing implementation strategies as well as the financial savings and health benefits that the programs yield.

During this 90-minute webinar, you will learn effective communication and incentive strategies encouraging employees to make beneficial and healthy lifestyle changes. Philip Smeltzer, strategy leader of wellness domain for Humana and Michael H. Samuelson, president and chief executive officer for The Health & Wellness Institute will report from the front lines on how their organization have successfully implemented wellness programs, developed tools and set positive results.

Formal presentations will be followed by a 30-minute Q&A to answer your most pressing wellness program questions.

Tune into this live 90-minute webinar from the convenience of your office to learn how to:

• Learn how to design and implement an effective member wellness programs
• Optimize member adoption and utilization of wellness programs
• Realize the employer benefits by increasing productivity, minimiz ing turnover and lower ing absenteeism
• Increase employee-interest in living healthier lifestyles though effective incentive and rewards programs
• Utilize online health assessments, web tools, health coaches and other means to improve the lifestyles of employees/members

Michael H. Samuelson is the President & CEO for The Health & Wellness Institute (HWI). He currently leads business development activities for HWI, conducts senior management seminars and delivers enterprise wellness briefings for worksite wellness clients. When he’s not on the road, Michael lends his 30 years of expertise to the product development process. In addition to the management of HWI, Michael provides direct executive support to the health insurance industry.

For more than 25 years, Michael was the President and CEO of The National Center for Health Promotion, a health and productivity consulting organization he co-founded in 1977. Over the years NCHP earned a reputation as an international leader in the design and delivery of disease management, training, leadership and health promotion systems. As President and CEO, Michael led his marketing team in providing services to over 1,000 corporations and 800 medical centers. In addition, he directed a program of professional development and training for over 4,500 individuals throughout the US, Canada, and Japan. Michael is widely published and is a frequent director, consultant, and advisor to numerous prestigious boards and organizations including The Men’s Health Network, The Business Innovation Factory, The HERO Forum for Optimal Employee Health, The Lance Armstrong Foundation and The Department of Defense. In addition, he has written and contributed to corporate policies for several major US corporations. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a MA degree in Education, Michael has appeared on over 200 television and radio stations throughout North America and has been interviewed by numerous print publications including Newsweek, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. His work in the area of behavior change, health economics and healthcare consumer advocacy has been featured on the ABC News program, 20/20, The CBS Morning Show, CNN, and MSNBC. Michael is a Viet Nam Era veteran of the US Air Force (1967 – 1971) and a recipient of the Commanders Coin of Excellence from the US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. An avid fitness advocate and trekker, Michael has climbed mountain peaks in Asia, Africa, and Alaska, as well as the US lower 48.

^ Back to top

Philip Smeltzer joined Humana in May 2006 as the Strategy Leader, Wellness responsible for worksite health and the development of strategy for healthy behaviors for Humana consumers. Previously, Philip was the Vice President, Health Care Quality Improvement HealthNow NY in upstate New York. In his current role he is responsible for the creation and strategy development of health promotion and wellness programs for commercial consumers and customers. This scope of responsibility includes employer group and consumer programs for 2.7 million members and health behavior messaging for 9 million members including Medicare consumers. Mr. Smeltzer has previously worked as an Associate Director with the Wellness Institute of Buffalo. Mr. Smeltzer has also served as a field product manager for Abbott Diagnostics after serving as a Marine Corps Officer on active duty for 5 years. He has participated in the Marine Corps Reserve for 19 years until retirement in 2001.

Mr. Smeltzer holds a Master of Science Degree from Canisius College, Bachelor of Arts from Oregon State University. His academic interests have focused on exercise science and the use of communication techniques to change behavior. Mr. Smeltzer was most recently a doctoral student at the University of Buffalo in Epidemiology and Community Health. Phil recently relocated to Louisville Kentucky in his new role with Humana. Mr. Smelter’s community activities this past year included; training director for football officials in the Niagara Frontier, Ride for Roswell chairman (9-mile ride), adjunct professor Canisius College, D’Youville College and guest lecturer at UB School of Nursing.

^ Back to top