PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Faced with escalating health-care costs, many employers are turning to worksite health programs to help employees adopt healthier lifestyles, decrease their risk of developing costly chronic diseases and improve productivity. Chronic illnesses account for a staggering 75 percent of the nations estimated $2.6 trillion in annual health-care costs.1

Viridian Health Management, a national leader committed to changing employee health behaviors through targeted, outcomes-based health improvement programs and services, will be speaking at the CGI America conference in Chicago on June 7-8, 2012. Former President Clinton will host this annual event focused on developing solutions that promote economic recovery in the United States.

As a CGI America participant, Viridian will join one of 12 topic-specific working groups that will share knowledge, build partnerships and generate a Commitment to Action. Viridians Commitment to Action, Empowering Small Employers to Impact Health and Productivity, will cover innovative strategies to engage small employers in worksite health, as well as share implementation and sustainability strategies. Viridians President and CEO Brenda Schmidt will lead the Healthy Workforce Working Group and examine how individuals, employers and community organizations can work together to improve community health.

Promoting healthy lifestyle choices through worksite health programs can improve the health and productivity of employees and their families, while lowering health-care costs that are driven by chronic diseases and modifiable health-risk behaviors, said Schmidt. We look forward to working with President Clinton and CGI America to address the challenges in developing and implementing cost-effective wellness programs, as well as establishing partnerships with other organizations that are also committed to improving the health of American workers.

Andy Spaulding, Director of the Viridian Center for Community and Worksite Health, will also attend CGI America, and will share Viridians Commitment to Action with CGI Americas entire Wellness Working Group.

Few small employers have the knowledge, capacity and resources to implement evidence-based programs to cost-effectively implement worksite health programs, added Spaulding. As part of our Commitment to Action, Viridian will develop a robust technology platform to impact employee health and productivity through employer worksite health initiatives. These programs aim to improve the health of employees, resulting in increased productivity, fewer workplace-related injuries and lower health-care costs.

Industry Thought Leaders in Worksite Health

Further positioning Viridian Health Management as an industry leader in worksite health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded Viridian a national implementation contract in October 2011 to establish comprehensive worksite health programs based on Viridians proven ability to deliver evidence-based programs that enhance employee health, reduce chronic disease and lower health-care costs. The National Healthy Worksite Program (NHWP) will focus on employer and employee outcomes in the areas of implementing evidence-based interventions, improving nutritional status, increasing physical activity and reducing tobacco use through individual health coaching, environmental supports and workplace policies. As the NHWPs implementation contractor, Viridian will provide operational management of the program, conduct individual and organizational assessments, provide implementation support and data collection, and provide training to program participants.

Schmidt has also been invited to attend the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Colloquium in Washington, D.C. in June 2012. In addition, she will lead an innovator workshop at the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) Forum in October 2012.

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