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National Business Group on Health Honors Three Executives for Excellence and Innovation in Value Purchasing
| Source: National Business Group on Health
WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - March 13, 2008) - The National Business Group on Health, a
non-profit group of 300 large employers, today awarded its prestigious
Award for Excellence and Innovation in Value Purchasing to three leaders
who have produced some of the most valuable research and initiatives in
health, productivity and human capital.
Wayne Burton, MD, Senior Vice President, JPMorgan Chase, Dee Edington, PhD,
Director, University of Michigan Health Management Research Center, and Ron
Goetzel, PhD, Research Professor and Director, Emory University, Institute
for Health and Productivity Studies and Vice President of Consulting and
Applied Research, Thomson Healthcare were recognized by the National
Business Group on Health (NBGH) for their extraordinary vision and
innovations in helping to control costs, improve quality of life, and get
the highest return on investments in human capital.
"The NBGH is very proud to honor these three outstanding individuals for
their impressive contributions to health and productivity," said Martin
Sepulveda, MD, FACP, Vice President, Global Well Being Services and Health
Benefits at IBM, member of the NBGH Board and Chair of its Award Committee.
"Our award committee found that each of the winners made such impressive
contributions to the field that they all deserved the highest honor we
present each year." The awards were presented at the NBGH Business Health
Agenda conference in Washington, DC.
Dr. Burton began his influential research when he became the Corporate
Medical Director of the First National Bank of Chicago in 1982 and quickly
became a leader within the corporate medical world. Studies such as his
work on the importance of integrating health risk and medical data and the
impact of depression on employees' quality of life and productivity have
inspired employers to help their employees and dependents obtain
appropriate treatment, lose weight and choose healthier lifestyles. Dr.
Burton's significant research into asthma and obesity has provided
employers with a better understanding of asthma disease management and
education programs and showed how obesity has profound implications for
employers who bear the cost consequences of obesity in lost productivity
and high medical claims costs.
Dr. Edington's research focuses on the relationship between healthy
lifestyles, vitality and quality of life, as they benefit both individuals
and organizations. Over the years, Dr. Edington has influenced how
employers and health care people think about health -- that good health is
not just the absence of disease but is also vitality, high performance,
resiliency and energy both for individuals and organizations. His studies
of employer-based wellness programs suggest that investing in a "low-risk
maintenance" strategy is the best way to control health care costs. He has
long espoused that employers and policymakers focus on promoting the health
of the population, which will be the most effective and cost effective way
to ensure the health, vitality and quality of life of employees,
dependents, and retirees.
Dr. Goetzel is one of the best known and widely published experts in health
and productivity management, return-on-investment, program evaluation and
outcomes research. He was the Founding Director of the Institute for Health
and Productivity Studies, whose mission is to bridge the gap between
academia, the business community, and the healthcare policy world. Dr.
Goetzel is also principal investigator for several large-scale research
projects. He has published several landmark articles on health care and
productivity and has conducted many large-scale evaluations of health
promotion, disease prevention, demand and disease management programs which
have resulted in a long list of highly influential and widely used health
improvement initiatives.
"Health and productivity of employees have rapidly become some of the most
important concerns of employers, especially with dramatic workforce
changes, the war for talent within a global economy and the economic
slowdown. The pioneer work of these three visionaries has enabled employers
to measure, manage and significantly improve workers' productivity and the
return of employers' investments in human capital," said Helen Darling,
NBGH President.
About the Award for Excellence and Innovation in Value Purchasing
The Business Group annually awards individuals, organizations or programs
that encourage the efficient use of health care resources in addition to
improving quality and affordability; encourage excellent practices that are
started by or involve large employers; or have a proven track record of
increasing value in health care through superior purchasing practices or
have developed approaches, methodologies and tools that enable outstanding
health benefit management practices.
About the National Business Group on Health
The National Business Group on Health is the nation's only non-profit,
membership organization of large employers devoted exclusively to finding
innovative and forward-thinking solutions to their most important health
care and related benefits issues. The Business Group identifies and shares
best practices in health benefits, disability, health and productivity,
related paid time off and work/life balance issues. Business Group members
provide health coverage for more than 50 million U.S. workers, retirees and
their families. For more information about the Business Group, visit
www.businessgrouphealth.org.