Health Means Business White Paper Now Available About the Latest in Healthy Work
Trends
Event hosted by University of Phoenix® College of Health Professions and Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
and led by U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation helps businesses build healthy
communities
University of Phoenix® College of Health Professions today shared key findings from the Phoenix Health Means
Business Forum the College hosted in May. Spearheaded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, the two-year Health Means Business campaign travels to communities across the nation to engage local
businesses and key community stakeholders in discussions about health, education and economic outcomes, and to encourage increased
business involvement in building healthy communities.
“With illness-related absenteeism costing employers $225 billion annually in lost productivity1, there is a strong
business case for taking action to improve employee health and well-being,” said Doris Savron, executive dean, College of Health
Professions at University of Phoenix. “A healthy economy thrives and grows when its population is healthy, and business leaders
have an immense opportunity to promote health in their organizations and positively impact the intrinsic link between good health
and good business.”
The Phoenix event drew more than 100 attendees representing government, businesses, enterprises and nonprofits who gathered to
hear and share insights about how to take a more proactive approach to foster well-being that benefits communities and businesses
alike. Two panel discussions moderated by leaders from the business, public health and education sector focused on the challenges
Phoenix faces that impact collective health in communities and workplaces.
The “Healthy Community” panel addressed the wellness challenges the Phoenix community faces in the metropolitan area and how
business can work to overcome them. The three main takeaways business leaders can use to increase health in their organizations
identified by the panel include:
- Assess what businesses and communities are doing so there is no redundancy in efforts
- Make community wellness a part of corporate social responsibility
- Leverage the school environment to teach health-related skills that will last students for their
lifetimes, and that they can take home to their families and friends
The “Healthy Workforce” panel identified three ways businesses can incorporate a culture of healthy living and promote these
initiatives within their organization, including:
- Secure leadership buy-in, including showing the numbers that support taking action steps toward a
healthier workforce
- Find ways to encourage workforce health
- Take inventory of what is happening in the organization and pick one thing to build upon while
understanding that it can take several years to build a viable program
“America’s competitiveness relies on better health for its citizens,” said Marc DeCourcey, senior vice president, U.S. Chamber
of Commerce Foundation. “The money we spend on poor health depresses wages, reduces profits and diverts money from other
investments, further accelerating poor health outcomes. Through the Health Means Business campaign, business leaders
are taking action in cities across the nation to invest in workplace and community wellness and, in turn, increase economic
competitiveness.”
To view all the findings from the forum, access the white paper at www.phoenix.edu/healthmeansbusiness. To learn more about programs offered through the College of Health
Professions, visit www.phoenix.edu/chp. For general information about University of Phoenix programs, including on-time completion
rates, the median debt incurred by students who completed the program and other important information, please visit phoenix.edu/programs/gainful-employment. For more information about Health Means Business campaign,
including how to take the Health Means Business pledge, visit www.uschamberfoundation.org/health-champions.
About University of Phoenix® College of Health Professions
University of Phoenix College of Health Professions offers leading-edge graduate, undergraduate, certificate, and non-degree
programs aimed at preparing students to improve the quality of health care in their communities and the industry. The College of
Health Professions is helping to ensure that today’s graduates can effectively tackle tomorrow’s health care challenges. For more
information, visit phoenix.edu/chp.
About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help working adults move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly
changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses, and interactive learning can help students more effectively
pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. As a subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc.
(Nasdaq: APOL), University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor’s,
master’s and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world.
For more information, visit www.phoenix.edu.
1 Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D. Lost productive work time costs from health conditions in the United
States: Results from the American Productivity Audit. J Occup Environ Med. 2003; 45(12):1234-1246.
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University of Phoenix
Becky Frost, 602-557-8638
Becky.Frost@apollo.edu
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