New book offers latest in best practices for health improvement at work
BLOOMINGTON, Minn.—March 5, 2009—A new book on health at work offers a step by step guide to implementing a highly effective worksite health program. The American College of Sports Medicines new "ACSM's Worksite Health Handbook: A Guide to Building Healthy and Productive Companies" second edition, connects health promotion research and best practices. The book compiles the contributions of nearly 100 of the top researchers and practitioners from Canada, Europe and the United States.
"Rising health care costs, an aging workforce, chronic conditions that impact productivity and competitive interests are driving employers to sponsor health promotion programs to protect and improve worker health and business performance," said Editor and Co-author Nico Pronk, PhD, HealthPartners vice president of health management and JourneyWell health science officer. "Nearly one quarter of health care costs are directly related to changeable behavior and lifestyles. The workplace is a vast, untapped potential for living healthier lives which in turn improves productivity and reduces health care costs."
The new handbook connects worksite health research and practice. It offers health promotion professionals the information, ideas and approaches to provide affordable and sustainable solutions for the organizations they serve. Other leaders at HealthPartners contributed to the book, including Marcus Thygeson, MD, Jason Gallagher, director, Health Informatics, and Calvin Allen, senior vice president, Human Resources and Corporate Strategic Planning.
Pronk has directed health improvement initiatives at JourneyWell, a division of HealthPartners, which have earned Evalu8 recognition and set the national benchmark for prevention and health promotion in 2007 and 2008. JourneyWell is focused on health and wellness solutions for employers and health plans across the nation to help manage the health of an entire population, one individual at a time (see journeywell.com). Pronk also conducts research on health behavior change and population health at HealthPartners Research Foundation. Pronk is the founding president of the International Association for Worksite Health Promotion (www.iawhp.org).
ACSM's Worksite Health Handbook is available from Human Kinetics at www.humankinetics.com.
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