Kentucky Worksite Wellness Tax Credit

A Kentucky worksite wellness tax credit proposed but not enacted in 2008, 2009 and 2010 would give tax credits to employers who provide qualified wellness programs for their employees. However the bill lost momentum and was not introduced in 2011. The Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) received a grant to build capacity for HIAs from ASTHO in 2010. Forming a HIA Team consisting of university partner WKU and a team of health and business professionals from across the state, the KDPH conducted an HIA in 2011 of HB74 (2009) worksite wellness tax credit. The purpose of the assessment was to evaluate the potential effects of a tax credit on three main areas of concern for Kentucky: (1) childhood obesity (2) jobs and (3) social cohesion and well-being. After conducting the assessment it became apparent that the workplace could serve as a prime venue for improving health in the state particularly in reaching parents to address childhood obesity. The HIA also revealed the need for a more structured means to collect data on worksite wellness programs. The HIA Team recommended that the tax credit be implemented, that a state-wide worksite wellness assessment be completed, and businesses receive more support for wellness program development through a formal wellness council.

Impacts: The HIA led to the inclusion of language in the Kentucky Chamber 2012 Legislative agenda to include “reaching parents in the workplace” in the health and wellness policy section. In addition, based on the findings of the HIA, the legislator who sponsored the previous worksite wellness tax credit recognized the significance of the HIA and although had not planned on sponsoring the bill in 2012 decided to do so. The legislator stated that “based on the new research and information and the ability to show a return on investment” the bill should be introduced in the 2012 session. HB549, AN ACT relating to encouraging healthy lifestyles was introduced on March 1, 2012 and went to the Appropriations & Revenue Committee on March 5, 2012.

Health Impact Assessment: Bringing Public Health Back to the Decision Table

HIA Executive Summary

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) has become a growing practice in the US in recent years with over 100 HIAs being reported from across the nation. HIA is a democratic and participatory practice that combines various tools and methods to estimate the potential effects of a proposed project, plan, program, or policy on the health of a population and predict the distribution of those impacts within the population.

HIA uses an objective and scientific approach to ensure that health and health disparities are considered in decision-making and stakeholders are engaged in the decision. HIA helps empower communities, build relationships and collaborations, and create consensus around decisions. When HIAs are applied to projects and plans they can help develop healthier built environments by addressing the root causes of many prominent health problems.

HIA Executive Summary 2012 Final

This session provides an overview of the purpose, benefits, and the six key steps to the HIA process. A recent Kentucky HIA of the Kentucky Worksite Wellness tax Credit will also be presented providing insights into the benefits and challenges of conducting a HIA for the first time.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the purpose and benefit of an HIA
2. Recognize the six key steps to the HIA process
3. Become familiar with HIA project examples

Recorded Presentation

About the Presenters

Katherine Hebert

Katherine Hebert is an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Fellow working with Physical Activity Branch of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. She received a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina: Chapel Hill in May of 2010 and has been working with the CDC on topics involving the intersection of public health and the built environment ever since. Katherine is an upcoming expert in Health Impact Assessment, the author of an article comparing 42 guides for conducting HIA from around the world (submitted for publish in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, August 2011), and the founder of the HIA Community of Practice on www.phConnect.org .

She is particularly interested in healthy community design, tools for incorporating health into all policies, and promoting health equity in the United States.

Teresa Lovely

Teresa is Business Coordinator for Worksite Wellness with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Department for Public Health. Lovely provides education for private business in worksite wellness across the state. Previously employed by Vanderbilt Health Promotion and Wellness Center, Lovely’s work received national attention including a congressional testimony in 2004 and has been featured in USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and WebMD. Lovely has 15 years experience in worksite and holds a degree in Health with a Wellness Promotion Emphasis, a graduate certificate in Health Promotion Management, and certifications as a Health Education Specialist, Health Promotion Director, Worksite Wellness Director and Weight Management/ Lifestyle Consultant, Advanced Exercise Specialist, and Wellness Speaker having conducted over 80 presentations.

Dr. Cecilia Watkins

Dr. Cecilia Watkins is an associate professor in the Department of Public Health at Western Kentucky University (WKU). Dr. Watkins has a MS in Community Health from WKU and a doctorate degree in Public Health from University of Tennessee. She has received several awards for her work at WKU including Professor of the Year 2008 and the Sara C. Stice Health Education Award. Dr. Watkins is involved in worksite wellness at the state level and is a member of the Partnership for a Fit Kentucky Worksite Wellness Obesity Prevention Coalition and Worksite Wellness Panel. She has published articles on topics such as consumer-directed health care, obesity perceptions at the workplace, tobacco, drug addiction, and worker stress. Dr. Watkins is a member of the Wellness Councils of America, University Affiliate Program, Kentucky Public Health Association, and the American Public Health Association

Elaine Russell

Elaine Russell, MS, RD, LD is the Coordinator for Kentucky’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program in Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services. She leads the Partnership for a Fit Kentucky, a statewide coalition which helped develop Kentucky’s Nutrition and Physical Activity State Action Plan. Elaine frames her obesity prevention work in policy, programming and partnering. She assisted in the development of Shaping Kentucky’s Future: Policies to Reduce Obesity. Currently she leads the Kentucky Farm to School Taskforce and is actively involved in Kentucky’s Action for Healthy Kids, Kentucky Food Security Partnership and CDC’s Sustainable Food System workgroup. Elaine holds a BS in Dietetics from the University of Kentucky and a MS in Community Nutrition from the Eastern Kentucky University.

Slides

These standards apply to food service concession operations at HHS and are strongly encouraged in all concessions managed by GSA.  These standards may also be applied at sponsored or co-sponsored conferences and events onsite and offsite as deemed appropriate.

This presentation will describe the methodology and perspectives that drove the development of these guidelines, the implementation process, and early results and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives

•    Be able to describe the methodology that drove the development of the guidelines
•    Understand the implementation process
•    Describe some early results of the project

Program Recording

Slides

About the Presenters

Melissa Walker:
Melissa Walker originally hails from Fort Collins, Colorado where she attended Colorado State University, double majoring in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and Health and Exercise Science. Immediately after graduating she was commissioned as an Officer of the United States Army, where she completed her dietetic internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She served for 9 years both as an active duty and reserve Officer promoting health and wellness in the D.C. metro area including the Pentagon, Office of the Surgeon General, Walter Reed and Fort Meade. Her enthusiasm for marketing and business led her to Old Dominion University where she earned a Master’s in Business Administration in 2001. After completing her last Army assignment at Fort Bragg, N.C. she moved back to the D.C. area in 2006 and began working as the national program manager for the Food Stamp Nutrition Education program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2009 an opportunity to further develop and diversify her career became available at the General Services Administration (GSA) where she is currently working as a Health and Wellness Specialist within the office of Facilities Management and Services Program. In this position, Melissa is involved in the development, promotion and implementation of health and wellness programs for GSA employees and the tenants that occupy buildings owned and leased by the Public Buildings Service (PBS). Melissa enjoys many activities outside of work such as teaching Zumba and Pilates; salsa, country and ballroom dancing with her husband; as well as hiking, skiing, soccer, culinary arts and horseback riding.
Joel Kimmons
Joel Kimmons is a nutrition scientist and epidemiologist in Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He conducts dietary surveillance and chronic disease research and focuses on policy and environmental changes to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. He represents CDC on the Federal Dietary Reference Intakes Steering Committee, the Federal Working Group on Dietary Supplements, and the Farmers Market Consortium. Guided by sustainable food system approaches to idealizing dietary patterns, including the influences of agricultural, the environment, and gastronomy, he led the creation of Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations. Joel received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis in Nutrition with an emphasis on epidemiology, international nutrition issues, and infant feeding. He grew up on an organic farm and continues to have close ties with farmers and the land.

Links

http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/guidelines/food-service-guidelines.htm
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104429

Minnesota has been working hard throughout the past couple of years to increase policies, systems and environmental changes that promote and incentivise healthy behaviors in work sites.  I will highlight a few of these successful strategies as well as point listeners toward resources that can be adapted for their work sites.

Learning Objectives

• Learn the successes and challenges Minnesota employers have faced in work site wellness
• Learn how to implement strategies to improve health in work sites, focusing on policies, systems and environmental changes
• Gather resources that may be useful to use in work sites, such as toolkits, sample policies and work site wellness websites

Program Recording

Slides

About the Presenters

Allison Faricy:
Work site Wellness Coordinator/Tribal Liaison
Minnesota Department of Health

Allison has worked for the Statewide Health Improvement Program since it began in 2009. Since then, she has honed her skills and made many connections within work site wellness.  Creating healthy work sites is a professional mission of hers.  She seeks to create cultures of health within work sites, mainly though policies, systems and environmental changes.  A large percentage of an adult’s time is spent at their work site and she believes this is an important arena for implementing strategies to keep people healthy.

Links

Minnesota’s Worksite Wellness Guide for SHIP 2.0

http://www.health.state.mn.us/healthreform/ship/docs/worksite/worksitewellnessguide093011.pdf

Public Health Law Center worksite wellness site and complete streets policy. I was mistaken. It seems there are no downloadable sample policies for physical activity breaks on their website, but have many resources available.

http://publichealthlawcenter.org/programs/workshifts

http://publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/resources/ship-fs-cstreetpolicy-2010.pdf

Learning Objectives

• Learn about assessment tools used to evaluate school, community and worksite vending machine environments.
• Recognize effective vending policy and environmental changes
• Describe the process in creating Alabama’s healthy vending machine policy
• Select from implementation strategies presented to assist with successful incorporation of
  healthy vending choices within their organizations.

Program Recording

Slides

About the Presenters

Carol Voss
Nutrition Coordinator
Agriculture and Food Systems staff liaison
Governor’s Council staff liaison

Carol Voss is the Nutrition Coordinator for Iowans Fit for Life and has been with the program since its inception. During Carol’s 12 year tenure with the Iowa Dept. of Public Health, she has also worked with the Diabetes Control Program and the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program. Carol has been involved in the development of various coalitions and organizations that are related to food and nutrition and very active in Iowa’s Pick a better snack™ campaign. She is also the Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinator for the state and serves as the chair-elect for the National Council of Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coordinators.

Susan Klein
Project Manager
For over 35 years, Susan Klein worked for University Extension-first in Illinois and then in Iowa. Over this time she was involved in many projects and programs to help Iowans become healthier and make better decisions about nutrition. In 1992 she was recognized by the American Family and Consumer Science Association as Nutrition Educator of the Year. In 2006, Susan received from Iowa State University the University Distinguished Service Award for Extension. And in 2009, Susan was recognized as the IDPH Nutrition Award for outstanding support of nutrition education in Iowa. Only one of these awards is given annually. Susan retired in early 2010 and is enjoying a nice combination of retirement time and continuing to work on some of her favorite projects as a consultant.

Teresa Fair
Alabama Department of Public Health

Teresa Fair is a Registered Dietitian working for the Alabama Department of Public Health in the Nutrition and Physical Activity Division. She obtained her BS Degree in Dietetics from the University of Alabama, where she is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Health Studies. Teresa and her colleagues have worked on the Healthy Vending Machine Project in Alabama for approximately 2 years. She will share details on the process of developing Alabama’s Healthy Vending Machine Policy with us
today.

Continuing Education Purchases

CHES, ACSM and RD continuing education credits are available at HealthPromotionLive.com

** REQUEST FORM **

Learning Objectives

Video Archive

 Slides

About our Presenters

Christopher M. Tompkins, Marketing Specialist III
Network for a Healthy California – Worksite Program
Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section
California Department of Public Health

Christopher Tompkins recently joined the Network for a Healthy California – Worksite Program as a Marketing Specialist III. Chris’s responsibilities include research, development, implementation, and evaluation of a statewide social marketing campaign aimed at improving the health of low-wage workers through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and improved levels of physical activity. His educational background consists of a Master in Business Administration from Walden University, Master of Science in Kinesiology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from California State University, Sacramento. Chris joins the Network team with several years of experience in corporate wellness, and corporate health and safety. He also is an adjunct professor at American River Community College, Folsom Lake College, and California State University, Sacramento within their Kinesiology Departments.

Jacqueline M. Cheung, Program Manager
Network for a Healthy California – Worksite Program
Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section
California Department of Public Health

Jacqueline Cheung grew up in Sacramento and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies and a minor in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego. She obtained her MBA in Marketing and Public Health Management from the University of California, Davis. Jacqueline is currently in the process of obtaining her DrPH in Health Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jacqueline began her career in journalism and went on to pursue a career in Marketing. From there, Jacqueline worked as the Community Relations Director of a non-profit. Jacqueline is currently the Program Manager for the Network for a Healthy California-Worksite Program. From the state level she develops worksite wellness programs which promote fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. By implementing worksite wellness programs state-wide, Jacqueline actively works to reduce incidences of obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. She has extensive experience in strategic business development, social and promotional marketing, program development, worksite wellness, and writing.

Learning Objectives

• Learn about the worksite wellness work of Iowans Fit for Life
• Learn about collaborative efforts in place to address worksite wellness for school staff

Slides

About The Presenter:

Amy Liechti

Amy is the Worksite Wellness Coordinator for the Iowans Fit for Life Program at the Iowa Department of Public Health. Amy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Promotion and has been CHES-certified since 2005.

Learning Objectives

• Gain insight into the history and development of the program
• Gain insight into goals and current efforts of the program

About the Presenter:
Pete is the Director of the Healthy North Dakota Worksite wellness initiative. The goal of the initiative is to get more ND businesses engaged in comprehensive worksite wellness programming and to provide, support, guidance and resources to North Dakota businesses wanting to offer wellness programs and health promotion activities at their worksites.

Pete is a graduate of Concordia College and holds a masters degree in exercise science from St. Cloud State University  and a masters in Business Management from the University of Mary

He has over 25 years experience in the fitness and wellness arena

SLIDES:

North Dakota State of Wellness

Links:
http://www.ndworksitewellness.org
http://www.healthynd.org

Video Archive

Slides

Ashley will discuss the details of the role of the Indiana State Department of Health in processes related to Indiana’s Small Employer Qualified Wellness Program Tax Credit. She will also discuss past and present experiences and updates about the tax credit as well.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this portion of the presentation, the attendee will be able to:

1. Understand the role of the Indiana State Department of Health in the tax credit application process AND
2. Identify the three major components of a Qualified Wellness Program as addressed by the Small Employer Qualified Wellness Program Tax Credit.

Jennifer will discuss the details of the role of the Indiana State Department of Health as it relates to developing resources and tools specific to policy and environmental changes as it relates to increase access to physical activity and healthy eating opportunities in the small employer workplace.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this portion of the presentation, the attendee will be able to:

1. Identify the process for developing and piloting workplace resources tailored for small business environment.
2. Understand the diverse needs of the small business workplace at it relates to workplace wellness.

The Presenters:

Ashley Peeples holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science and Wellness from the College of Applied Sciences and Technology at Ball State University. Ashley now serves as the Small Employer Wellness Program Coordinator for the Division of Nutrition & Physical Activity at the Indiana State Department of Health.
Jennifer Taylor is a candidate for a Doctorate in Health Educate from A.T. Still University. Jennifer holds a Masters in Public Health from Indiana University School of Medicine; a Bachelors of Science in Recreation from Indiana University; and has been a Certified Health Education Specialist since 2005.

An overview of types of public private partnerships for workplace health  and wellness for employees and the communities in which they live with the CDC.

Video Archive

Slides

Learning Objectives
1. Name reasons why public private partnerships are important
2. Give examples of how public private partnerships are used to promote health and wellness for employees
3. Give examples of specific workplace health programs or activities for employers to implement

About the Presenter:

Wendy Heaps CHES, Senior Adviser, Corporate Sector Policy Lead Policy Research, Analysis, and Development Office, Office of the Associate Director for Policy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  More information at the CDC’s website.

For a copy of the slides or to purchase this webinar for ACSM or CHEC continuing education click here