Inspiring Healthy Workplaces by TotalWellness

In this episode, Alan Kohll talks with Munjal Shah. He is the CEO & founder of Health IQ. Health IQ is an insurance company rewarding those with healthy lifestyles like runners, cyclists, weightlifters, yogis, vegetarians, and well-managed diabetics. Health IQ pioneered the science in insurance to prove that a High Health IQ correlated with a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes. Munjal talks about the science behind the Health IQ quiz which includes over 30,000 questions covering integrative health concepts. 

Is no secret that volunteering is good for the soul. Giving to others can have a positive impact on employees' well-being including relieving stress, depression and loneliness. In this episode, Alan Kohll talks with Lori Manning, HR Director at State Farm about their extensive employee volunteering program, including a new challenge that started this year - 100 for Good.  

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of State Farm, employees and agents have been challenged to give back to their community with 100 for Good. The goal is for them to find, to perform, and to record 100 Acts of Good by 2022. 

To learn more about the 100 Acts of Good program and to check out the funny "On the Board" commercial that is referenced by Lori, click here.

In this episode, Alan Kohll talks Donna Kimmel, the Chief People Officer at Citrix about their Global Mindful Movement initiative. Citrix delivers people-centric solutions that power a better way to work by offering secure apps and data on any device, network, or digital workspace. The company has roughly 9,5000 employees across the globe, with about half of its workforce in America. The mindfulness movement has been a grassroots effort which allows each location to customize the employee experience. For example, some teams engage in meditation, others listen to music, and another team has 10-minute mindful moments before each meeting.

Marriott International recently launched TakeCare Level30, a custom app-based wellbeing challenge available for guests and associates around the world. Available for free download on the Apple App store and Google Play, players partner up and compete, using the gamified app to help build positive, rewarding behaviors into a daily routine. In this episode, Alan Kohll talks with Leah Evert, Global Director of Associate Wellbeing at Marriott International. Leah has over 15 years’ experience in employee health, wellness, and engagement. She currently works as the Global Director of Associate Wellbeing at Marriott International, overseeing programming and promotions for more than 730,000 people worldwide. In her role, Leah has rolled out preventive health programs, engagement campaigns, and a unique environmental assessment tool to help guide more than 7,000 properties to create healthy environments for their employees. 

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and RTI International recently published “Results of the Workplace Health in America Survey,” a nationally representative study from 2017 that details the state of workplace health and wellness programs in the United States. In this episode, Alan Kohll talks with Laurie Cluff, a Ph.D. Research Psychologist at RTI who was a co-author of the study about some of the findings. The survey assessed the current status of employer-based health promotion programs (addressing nutrition, stress, physical activity, alcohol and substance abuse, sleep and a variety of other health topics), as well as health screenings, disease management, the use of incentives to encourage participation and health changes, work-life policies, implementation barriers and occupational safety and health. While workplace health promotion programs are increasing in the United States, there is still room for improvement. 

The majority of the companies in the United States are small businesses and almost half of all U.S. workers work in small businesses. For smaller companies, employee wellness may seem like an unaffordable luxury. Yet wellness is achievable for all companies. In this episode, Alan interviews Travis Grillo, the CEO and founder of Grillo's Pickles, an all-natural pickle company based in Cambridge, MA. He believes that healthy lifestyle changes can start in the office. 

In this episode, Alan interviews Dr. Tom Safranek, the state epidemiologist for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services about the recent measles outbreaks. As an infectious disease specialist, it's no surpirse that Dr. Safranek believes that immunizations are one of the most powerful tools in modern medicine. 

In this episode, Alan talks with Blue Zone Founder and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner about how environments — our roads, building, and towns — are designed so that the easiest choice is to be sedentary (to drive instead of bike or walk). Moving naturally throughout the day — walking, gardening, doing housework — is a core part of the Blue Zones lifestyle. Degree Deodorant and Blue Zones recently launched a #MadeToMove grant program that will provide half a million dollars in funding for city projects that promote increased physical movement. Community organizations and city officials can visit BlueZones.com to apply and access Degree and Blue Zones' #MadeToMove grant criteria and supporting documentation. 

In this episode, Alan Kohll talks with Tony Frick about why employers should start small when it comes to building a new wellness program. Tony Frick is the president and CEO of GlobalFit, a health and wellness technology company based in Philadelphia, PA. Since 1992, GlobalFit has worked with fitness companies and insurers to promote healthy, happy, and productive workforces. 

More companies are integrating genetics into their preventive health strategy. Offering employees confidential access to genetic services can help them learn their risk earlier and manage it better. However, critics say that as more companies embrace DNA tests, controlling the privacy of personal data gets complicated. In this episode, Alan Kohll talks with Lance Bennet co-founder of Advanced Genomics Solutions about how employees can benefit from DNA testing.