The practice of conducting research and translating that research into meaningful best practices is one of the foundations and drivers of moving the wellness industry forward. Today’s guest, Karen Moseley, is the president of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), which strives to do just that.
HERO is a national nonprofit think tank dedicated to providing leadership in research and education on issues such as the impact of wellness program best practices on health outcomes for employees, their spouses, dependents, and their wider communities.
Karen has been at the helm of this organization for almost a year, growing HERO membership, increasing member engagement, and continuously improving educational programming and supporting HERO’s robust research agenda.
In today’s episode, Karen provides some background information on HERO, as well as some changes she’s noticed in the wellness industry and how the organization is adapting to and furthering that change. She talks about what prompted her Linkedin post calling for open dialogue, and the feedback she received including connecting to Jen.
Karen discusses her thoughts on the current challenges the industry faces, as well as what industry movement she’s most excited about. She also shares her knowledge of Social Determinants of Health and how these factors affect the current workforce as well as the future talent of a community.
Finally, Karen talks about what she hopes to accomplish as president of HERO, what things are on the horizon for HERO in 2020, and lastly leaves us with a tangible tip to creating a successful wellness approach in any organization.
Interview Highlights (with timestamps):
- [6:40] Explaining HERO
- [9:51] Changes Karen has noticed in the wellness industry
- [14:15] The LinkedIn call for open dialogue, what prompted it, and its feedback
- [16:20] Karen’s thoughts on what challenges the wellness industry faces
- [24:50] Pieces to a comprehensive approach to wellness
- [27:31] Wellness industry movement Karen is excited about
- [31:15] Social Determinants of Health
- [37:42] What Karen wants to accomplish as president of HERO
- [41:40] Things on the horizon for HERO in 2020
- [46:14] Karen’s tangible tip
Mentioned in this episode:
- Redesigning Wellness Academy
- Social Determinants of Health – an Employer Priority
- HERO Forum 20
- Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO website)
- Health Workplaces Healthy Communities Website
- karen.moseley@hero-health.org
Full Bio:
Karen Moseley is President of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a national think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in employee health promotion. In collaboration with HERO members, Karen and the HERO team provide leadership in research and education on issues such as the impact of wellness program best practices on health outcomes and the impact of healthy cultures on employee performance.
Prior to being appointed President of HERO, Karen served as the organization’s Vice President of Education and Director of Operations. In these positions, she was instrumental in growing HERO membership, increasing member engagement, and continuously improving educational programming and supporting HERO’s robust research agenda.
Karen also managed HERO’s grant-funded projects, which include a multi-stakeholder collaboration to support employer involvement in community health initiatives and another to identify common measures of community health, both funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Having worked in the non-profit sector for more than 25 years, Karen has managed the development and dissemination of a number of publications and educational conferences. Karen received her Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
To stay healthy, Karen enjoys yoga and focuses on movement throughout the day. She also enjoys cooking and being in nature. Karen and her husband, T.J., and their children Harris and Catherine, reside in Fayetteville, NC.