More than 50 people gathered last Thursday for our first Public Policy forum of the year, the Health & Wellness Forum. Moderator Meridith Elliot Power guided the panel in a discussion of health and wellness issues facing our community.
More than 50 people gathered last Thursday for our first Public Policy forum of the year, the Health & Wellness Forum. Moderator Meridith Elliot Power guided the panel in a discussion of health and wellness issues facing our community.
Dr. Ron Paulus, President and CEO of Mission Hospital and Health System, outlined key drivers of healthcare costs for the area, pointing out that Western North Carolina has a higher disease burden than many other areas. "People are evolving to a later state of disease than elsewhere," he said. "We are failing our region in making care accessible to those that need it."
Incentivizing healthy behaviors is the key to making a change in our communities, said Paul Vest, President & CEO of YMCA of Western North Carolina. "For every one dollar in wellness programs, we can expect $6 in savings," he said noting that wellness programs lower healthcare costs and result in greater productivity, higher morale and retention and decline in workers comp claims.
One common theme of the discussion was how wellness goes beyond just looking at just physical health. Panelists Katie Craig of Van Winkle Law Firm and Stephanie Emerson of Johnson, Price & Sprinkle both discussed how wellness programs at their organizations facilitate overall wellness for employees and touch on mind, body and spirit. Ideas they shared included in-house training (software, soft skills, etc.), on-site yoga, potluck lunches, moving meetings, health screenings, training for the Chamber Challenge, and building fellowship through fun activities.
Special thanks to our presenting sponsor Crescent Health Solutions and to sponsors Jason's Deli, Sign-a-rama and OnDemand Printing & Design.