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Workplace Wellness Manager: A Growing
Profession Despite the challenges, hurdles, issues
and tight budgets, the wellness manager profession
is a great career path to be in and one with a
promising future, many survey participants agreed.
"With the support of the wellness manager’s
senior management, these professionals should become
more valuable to companies," noted Jan Renner,
a hospital supervisor of community education and
wellness.
Dr.
Bonnie S. Hillsberg, a consulting firm project
director, serving government agencies, agrees saying
it’s "a growing profession because the
current healthcare system is broken."
There
are "unique opportunities for growth
in the current economic climate because of the
costs associated with aging and chronic disease" observed
a hospital manager of ProHealth Wellness Services.
There
will be "more opportunities to expand
programs," said a wellness program coordinator
with a hospital. Likewise, Maggie Wallum, a corporate
human resources/wellness assistant, also sees "more
opportunities."
"I see the wellness manager profession growing
and becoming a more integral part of the corporate
world," said Jerilyn Jefferis, a corporate
wellness specialist. "Its benefits are so
far reaching."
A
proposal manager for a wellness services company
believes there is "lots of room for growth;
lots of potential to have a real positive impact
on the lives of covered employees." The manager
predicts "responsibilities should grow; credibility
should increase; accountability will be more."
"More work (it’s a good thing)!," quipped
a hospital community wellness assistant.
Areas where wellness managers need to devote attention
include "better stats to convince management
of the value of working with employees’
healthy balance," urged a nurse care manager
with a manufacturing company.
"Hopefully there will be a greater emphasis
on planning, implementing and evaluating wellness
programs based on what impacts they have on employees
as well as the ROI they generate for employers," said
Scott MacStravic, customer success manager with
a wellness services company.
A
wellness services director at a hospital also
foresees an "increased demand for impact."
The
role of wellness manager will take on "increased
importance in our workplace and increased pressures
to respond to employee needs and demands," offered
Marj McKinty, development director in a family
medicine residency/clinic-related healthcare services
program.
"I believe that consumer-driven healthcare
could be a possibility or something like it," according
to Margarita Chapman, executive director of Creating
Healthy Lives, Ridgecrest, Calif. "Prevention
and intervention is the key — you just have
to make it engaging and fun for all."
A
corporate human resources director said that
as "wellness
programs catch on more, the possibilities will
continue to be good, but getting to that point,
may be a concern for many."
A
senior vice president with a health plan advices
that wellness managers "need to be able
to motivate and engage people to change behavior."
Finally, "it is dependent on establishing
facts that can help support wellness in the workplace," said
Kathy Pender, a manager of corporate relations. "CEOs
need to see the WHY behind these. It is not enough
to do feel good programs; healthcare costs continue
to rise. Can we impact these costs?"
Address: Wellness Program Management Advisor,
1913 Atlantic Ave., Suite F4, Manasquan, NJ 08736;
(732) 292-1100, www.wellnessjunction.com
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