It’s Time to Redefine Wellness

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The Wellness Council of Indiana’s Chuck Gillespie recently had a column featured in the new U.S. Chamber Foundation report, “Healthy Returns: The Value of Investing in Community Health.”

A simple Internet search can show why the wellness industry is at a crossroads. In today’s market, the definition of “wellness” is based more on which classification best fits a person’s specific need, want, or ability, or a vendor’s specific product or service. Wellness is sometimes tied to chronic disease management, fitness, nutrition, weight loss, clinical health services, tobacco use, and behavioral therapy just to name a few. However, workplaces and communities that use an economics-based approach to wellness have proven to be the most successful at creating a culture of health and well-being. Read more in the report on page 16.

 

Boosting the Creative Juices

BDo you need to “get creative” quickly?

New research from Stanford University substantiates how the act of walking stimulates creativity. Among study participants, 81% improved their creative output when walking. The report claims that “walking outside produced the most novel and highest quality analogies. Walking opens up the free flow of ideas, and it is a simple and robust solution to the goal of increasing creativity.”

Before starting your walk, consider researching the topic you will working on to set the right frame of mind. Other creativity boosters: go to the gym, engage in a hobby or just get out of the office and go to a coffee shop.

Telemedicine Movement Moving Forward in Indiana

Virtual doctor measures blood pressure

Our friends at Gibson Insurance posted a blog today about the advancement of telemedicine in Indiana. They also included comments from Indiana Chamber VP Mike Ripley:

Prior to March 21, 2016, Indiana was one of just a handful of states that had not legislatively addressed the subject of telemedicine. Meanwhile Illinois and Ohio currently have proposed telemedicine parity bills but nothing set in stone – and Wisconsin has no parity legislative activity at this time. Michigan’s laws went into effect in 2012 and Kentucky was well ahead of the game with legislation in 2000, but the first state to address telemedicine by law was actually Louisiana in 1995. 21 years ago?! Why was Indiana so late to answer the call?…

WHAT SHOULD INDIANA EMPLOYERS KNOW?
According to Mike Ripley, the Vice President of Health Care and Employment Law Policy at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, it was surprising the law was not passed sooner, as it had many supporters. Ripley explained that insurance carriers, employers, and health care providers were ready to embrace telemedicine technology, yet the stakeholders could not agree on exactly how it should work in the Hoosier state.
The competing interests that delayed the law were ultimately united when the stakeholders agreed that the standard of care for a virtual visit would have to be the same as the standard of care for an in-person visit. Once all parties were able to rally around this central concept, the bill passed swiftly through the legislature. The standards of care at the heart of the bill are yet to be clearly defined in terms of telemedicine, but you may read the specific language of Indiana’s House Bill 1263 to gain a better understanding of the law.
Although the issues around the standards of care continue to develop, the law clearly states a phone call is insufficient to satisfy the standard of care. We anticipate technology such as video chatting and Skype will be used to effectuate the provision of care by telemedicine. The law also addresses the types of maladies that may (and may not) be treated through telemedicine. In Mr. Ripley’s words, one easy way to remember what is fair game under the bill is “anything ending with ‘-itis’ – is permissible to treat via telemedicine.” The law prohibits narcotic prescribing and psychiatric services through telemedicine.

Furthermore, see our recent blog about the importance of telemedicine, and its potential impact on many quality of life factors.

Starting a Movement: Healthy Businesses Fuel Healthy Communities

Healthy Businesses Fuel Healthy Communities logo

Building on the successful Health Means Business event earlier this year is an upcoming program supported by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Wellness Council of Indiana.

Healthy Businesses Fuel Healthy Communities is the focus on July 13 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) as the Indiana business and philanthropic sectors come together to explore how corporate engagement in community service can improve health for employees and all Hoosiers.

Take this opportunity to connect, learn from and collaborate with like-minded organizations and discuss ways you can work together to address health needs in your community.

Additional objectives include the following:

  • Learn about Indiana’s critical health needs and the social and economic factors contributing to them
  • Understand how corporate community service and wellness programs benefit both companies and communities
  • Understand how to leverage your internal resources to support wellness inside and outside your organization

Who should attend?

  • Business owners and leaders
  • Executives and program officers at corporate foundation
  • Individuals involved with corporate giving, cause marketing and corporate social responsibility programs (program managers, execs, marketing, sales or HR)
  • Individuals involved with corporate wellness initiatives (program managers, executives, marketing, sales or HR)

Learn more and register online. Contact Marie Beason at the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance at mbeason(at)inphilanthropy(dot)org or (317) 630-5200, ext. 115 with questions.

Exploring a ‘Best’-Kept Secret

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This is going to be good!

Like a kid in a candy store, my eyes widened as I gazed around the spacious surroundings at MOBI, an Indianapolis-based provider of software and services that helps businesses manage mobility.

Maybe it was the infectious energy enveloping employees as they chuckled, collaborated and consumed – in moderation – an adult beverage, courtesy of Frank the Tank (MOBI’s kegerator). Perhaps it was the colorful décor that so aptly captured the vibrant personality of its people. Something was special about MOBI.

Make yourself at home at MOBI with this BizVoice® magazine story about its honor as one of the 2016 Best Places to Work in Indiana.

Plagued by a Poor Attitude?

?????????????????????????????????????????You talkin to me?

If you’re channeling Robert De Niro’s defiant dialogue in the iconic “Taxi Driver” in the way you treat co-workers and handle projects, chances are you’ve got an attitude problem.

But maybe it’s not that blatant. What if you’re blissfully unaware of how you’re coming across?

This U.S. News & World Report article lays out several scenarios. Among them:

You’re grumpy. A lot. Everyone has occasional frustrations at work, but if your job and everyone around you regularly irritate you, and you’re not shy about letting people know it, people are going to dread working with you. If your frustrations impact you to the point that everyone knows about them, it’s probably time to decide whether you can find a way to be reasonably happy at work or whether it’s time to move on. Otherwise, you’ll do serious harm to your reputation and ultimately could even lose your job.

You never want to hear that you could have done something differently or better. If you get defensive when you get feedback on your work, you could be doing yourself serious harm. It’s tough to give feedback to a defensive person, and many people will simply stop trying. That means that you won’t get information that you need to grow professionally, which can significantly limit your prospects and your long-term success. Plus, people who do stick it out and keep giving you feedback anyway are likely to resent that you make it so unpleasant to do it.

You’re preoccupied with “what’s in it for you.” It’s reasonable to expect that over time, good work should pay off – with better assignments, raises and career advancement. But the key words there are “over time.” It’s not reasonable to expect special rewards every time you’re asked to go even slightly outside your routine responsibilities. Doing that is just part of being on a team (within reason, of course).

One pointer provoked a gasp: Don’t roll your eyes during meetings or have other visibly negative facial expressions. That’s beyond exhibiting a bad attitude – it’s insolence, plain and simple.

Telemedicine a Major Health Issue in 2016 Session

16358656House Bill 1263 (Telemedicine), authored by Rep. Cindy Kirchhofer (R-Indianapolis), was enthusiastically supported by the Indiana Chamber during the 2016 Indiana legislative session. Numerous organizations supported the concept and not one opposed; the Indiana State Medical Association remained neutral. The bill allows physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses that have authority to prescribe drugs and optometrists to prescribe medicine to a patient via telemedicine services.

While everyone supported the concept, getting everyone to agree on the final version was a rocky process. Concerns ranged from existing patient/provider relationships, out of state providers, hospital relationships to standards of care and jurisdiction for medical malpractice. But by the end, the conference committee report had only one vote against in both houses.

Senate Bill 165 (Healthy Indiana Plan or HIP), authored by Sen. Patricia Miller (R-Indianapolis), is the Governor’s measure to repeal the former HIP plan and codify into statute the current HIP 2.0. The Pence administration believes that codifying the current plan strengthens its position with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for when the new 1115 Medicaid waiver is negotiated.

Opponents believe that codifying the existing plan leaves no room for flexibility. Chiropractic services under the HIP 2.0 plan were added in the House on second reading but removed in conference committee. The bill passed both houses, mostly along party lines with a few exceptions. The Chamber has been supportive of the core principles of HIP and HIP 2.0, offering an alternative to the Medicaid system by providing a power account (similar to an HSA) which encourages individual responsibility in a participant’s medical decisions.

 

Internship Gets IUPUI Senior International Experience in Dentistry

Nicole-Quint-graphic

Nicole Quint is a senior at IUPUI studying chemistry. She plans to apply to dental school this summer. This post originally appeared on the Indiana INTERNnet blog.

quint pic tallIndiana INTERNnet: How did your mission trip to Panama solidify your interest in becoming a dentist?

Nicole Quint: When I went to Panama last August, I was able to see how challenging and rewarding the profession of dentistry can be. Not only did I recognize the joy in the eyes of community members after they had their painful teeth removed, but I was able to see the strong impact a dentist has on the community. People may think that dentistry is a silly profession, but when you have witnessed a person that is completely malnourished because their teeth are giving them so much pain they are unable to eat, it is thought otherwise. I have seen the good, bad and ugly side of dentistry, and I still can’t wait to enter dental school and become a strong leader in the community.

IIN: What has your research focused on in the IUPUI Life-Health Sciences Internship?

NQ: My research consisted of analyzing oral bacterial that are known to create cavities called Streptococcus mutans. I treated the bacteria with various dilutions of nicotine and then analyzed the results. The hypothesis of my research was: those who smoke increase their chance of containing a higher amount of oral bacteria, causing an increase in the amount of cavities and leaving the patient with a higher chance of the serious heart disease known as atherosclerosis. All because oral bacteria have the opportunity to thrive in nicotine, then make their way into the blood system, and bind to the walls of arteries potentially reducing blood flow to the heart. Overall my research has taught me that it is just as important to have good oral hygiene as it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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IIN: You frequently presented your work, even at IUPUI Research Day and at the annual meeting of the Indiana Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. How were those experiences?

NQ: While presenting my research at both events, I had multiple people come up to me who were interested in my research. I was able to share with them the importance of good oral hygiene. It was my first time ever presenting my research when I attended the Indiana Branch of the American Society for Microbiology annual research conference, so I was quite nervous. However, I was able to prove to myself that I was confident in my work by proudly presenting my research again at the IUPUI Research Day.

IIN: You’ve completed more than 100 hours of community service during your undergrad at IUPUI. Why is community service so important to you?

NQ: One of the main reasons I like to donate my time is because it has such a strong value to the community. I also find joy in seeing what an impact I have made around the community. For example, when I volunteered with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, I spent five hours one day cleaning up the streets. I had a lady come up that thanked me because she no longer had to worry about her children cutting their hands on broken glass that was in the streets. It’s small moments like that one that encourage me to continue to volunteer.

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VIDEO: Indiana Health Means Business Forum Highlights

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On Feb. 5, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation hosted the sixth forum in a series of 10, as part of the Health Means Business campaign. In partnership with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Indiana Chamber Foundation, the Wellness Council of Indiana, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the forum brought together public and private sector stakeholders to discuss the role of business in community wellness.

You can also check out our Facebook photo album.

Health Means Business for Indiana’s Economy

tom hironsThe improvement in Indiana’s economic environment is an outstanding success story. The series of top 10 business climate rankings from respected national sources is a tribute to the work of many throughout our state.

The same broad-based, dedicated effort is required in one very important area in which the state is not faring well in national comparisons. And if we don’t finally make some significant advances, those sought-after employers and their talented employees might not find Indiana to be such a great place to work and live.

The inferior health of our workforce – and overall population – is no secret. In the 2015 Report Card measuring progress on the Indiana Chamber’s Indiana Vision 2025 plan, two rankings stood out in a negative manner: 39th in adult smoking rate (despite a four percentage point improvement from the prior measurement) and 42nd in adult obesity.

In the most recent America’s Health Rankings from the United Health Foundation, Indiana’s behaviors (physical activity in addition to smoking and obesity) and outcomes (diabetes, cardiovascular deaths and cancer deaths) fare no better.

Health Means Business. That is a statement and the title of an upcoming event intended to promote business-led community health initiatives. As the Wellness Council of Indiana has been advocating, a healthier Indiana is vital in recruiting and retaining employees, reducing health care costs, limiting absenteeism and increasing productivity.

Details are coming soon on a new Indiana Healthy Community Initiative – modeled after the Wellness Council’s AchieveWELL process for employers – that will allow towns/cities/counties to lead collaborative efforts to improve the health of their citizens.

Indiana is one of 10 stops on a national Health Means Business tour. The Indiana Chamber Foundation is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the February 5 event. We see this as just one of many steps to putting Indiana on a healthier road and keeping our state among the nation’s business leaders.

Tom Hirons, president and CEO of Hirons, is the 2016 Indiana Chamber of Commerce chairman of the board.