This audio conference was recorded on Tuesday - March 31, 2009

Credits:

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification.

Description:

Occupational wellness programs are gaining momentum across the country as healthcare costs for both employers and employees continue to rise. Healthcare costs actually doubled from 1991 to 2001, according to Partnership for Prevention, and are projected to double again by 2012.

But there are steps you can take to stem the tide. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a Health Project review of health promotion and disease management programs found a significant return on investment for these programs, with benefit-to-cost ratios ranging from $1.49 to $4.91 in benefits for every dollar spent.

Major companies like Motorola and Johnson & Johnson are hopping on the wellness bandwagon - shouldn’t you? Order this in-depth audio conference recording on reaping the benefits of wellness at your workplace.

Speaker(s):

Pam Austin, RN, BSN, is the founder and principal of Commonwealth Occupational Safety & Health Associates, LLC, a certified SWAM company located in Richmond, Virginia. COSHA provides services in occupational medicine and health for large Fortune 500 companies and local and state government agencies throughout Central Virginia. She has developed successful programs for clients in ergonomics, cancer education, heart healthy living, drug screen prevention, and many health/safety topics for industry, government agencies, associations, and insurance companies. Working closely with clients, Austin is involved with improving the health and safety of the employee and in helping the employer discover ways of accomplishing that objective with screenings, education, and policy making, following through with sustainable prevention and cost containment measures.

With 29 years of developing and implementing successful occupational health services, Austin has served in leadership roles in various local, state, and national organizations while committed to providing health and injury prevention services to employees and employers.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• The 5 major benefits to both health and profits you’ll get with an effective wellness program
• How to design your program using a team approach, with the involvement of human resources, safety, medical staff, and executive management
• How to design effective outcome goals that keep employees healthy and increase your ROI
• The types of strategies that work – and the well-intentioned ones that fail
• Why “getting too personal” can cost you big bucks