The Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) recently completed a year-long initiative funded by the Ardmore Institute of Health to explore the ways in which employers can act as agents of change to advance the implementation of Lifestyle as Medicine within their organizations. The results were a set of guiding principles, internal strategies, and external strategies that can enable employers to advance Lifestyle as Medicine to promote whole health and be a catalyst for change.
The framework, principles, and strategies that emerged are now guiding an intensive 12-month case study with two employers, Metro Nashville Public Schools and 3M. The study was conducted thorough organizational audits to identify existing practices that support Lifestyle as Medicine as well as opportunities to infuse Lifestyle as Medicine more systematically into health and well-being strategy, culture, policies, practices, and programs within each organization. HERO then collaborated closely with each employer to co-create a comprehensive, systems-based implementation plan and will continue to provide ongoing individualized technical assistance as that plan is put into action. At the conclusion of the pilot, HERO and the employer organizations will co-conduct a rigorous, multi-level outcome evaluation.
This session will summarize the guiding framework and an up-to-the-minute process evaluation, share insights gleaned from the organizational audits, describe the specific tactics each participating employer elected to implement, and provide an overview of lessons learned thus far. Plans for the pragmatic outcome evaluation in the dynamic and evolving context within which enhancements are being made will be discussed.
Learning Objectives
After completing this session, participants will be able to:
1. Name at least 3 internal and 3 external strategies employers can use to promote Lifestyle as Medicine within their organizations.
2. Describe a specific example of how employers have implemented at least one guiding principle, one internal strategy, and one external strategy to advance Lifestyle as Medicine within their organization.
3. Identify one approach to evaluating the impact of implementing Lifestyle as Medicine. 1 ADV CECH Available