In the News
Provant CEO Shares Key Insights on Employee Engagement & Effective Incentive Program Design at SHRM
Provant, a leading provider of customized worksite health and wellness strategies and services, announces that Chief Executive Officer, Heather Provino, is hosting a conference session at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) 2013 Annual Conference & Exposition, in Chicago, IL, June 16-19, 2013. Provino’s session, “Designing Effective Incentive Programs That Drive Employee Engagement,” delivers actionable advice to SHRM attendees on how to successfully implement motivational and engaging workforce wellness programs through the use of incentive programs. “Presenting at SHRM is a tremendous opportunity for me to share the vision for health and wellness that we at Provant live everyday,” said Provino. “I look forward to delivering an engaging and interactive session for attendees, leveraging the data-driven insight and proven outcomes that have helped us to touch more than six million lives across the country.” Provino’s session will take place on the closing day of the conference, June 19, from 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. SHRM attendees may also visit Provant at their booth at the event exposition to learn more about their award-winning approach to health and wellness. For more information on Provant, please visit provanthealth.com or to learn more about SHRM 2013, visit annual.shrm.org...Read more »
Provant Chief Executive Officer, Heather A. Provino, Named Health Care "Woman to Watch" by Providence Business News
Heather Provino, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Provant, a leading provider of worksite health and wellness programs, has been named a “Woman to Watch” in Health Care Services by Providence Business News’ sixth annual Business Women Awards. Provino is celebrated, alongside Rhode Island businesswomen across six industry categories, for leading the community through exceptional career achievements and mentorship. In the past nine years Provant has flourished, growing from just two to 132 Rhode Island-based employees and a network of over 10,000 employees nationwide. As CEO, Provino is core to maintaining Provant’s passionate, committed team culture, as she encourages a true work/life balance for her employees and their families. Barbara Anketell, Senior Vice President of Operations, describes Provino as “as inspirational leader who guides us in managing the health of over six million employees nationwide. She impacts each program participant in truly meaningful ways by leading our staff who identify personal health risks and encourage healthy behaviors. She is thoroughly dedicated to improving people’s health.” “Heather’s passion is contagious and is the catalyst for our teams when working with our client partners,” adds Bill Dunne, Senior Vice President of Business Development. Provino and other Providence Business News Business Women Award winners will be recognized at a luncheon at the Providence Marriott on May 30, 2013 from noon to 2 p.m. About Provant Founded in 2001, Provant’s vision is to change the health of America, one person at a time. With its network of 10,000+ employees nationwide, Provant touches more than 6 million lives by delivering customized worksite health and wellness strategies and services. Provant is a privately held company and is headquartered in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. To learn more, visit www.provanthealth.com..Read more »
Provant Recognizes National Employee Health & Fitness Day, Encourages Employers to Cultivate a Healthier Workforce
Without good health, people can’t be their best selves—at home, at play or at work. National Employee Health & Fitness Day—a day dedicated to promoting physical activity in the workplace—is an annual event that occurs the third Wednesday of every May. To celebrate the national observance, Provant encourages employers and employees alike to adopt healthy habits. “National Employee Health & Fitness Day is a great time to encourage your employees to make healthy changes,” remarked Barbara Haydon, Senior Vice President of Clinical Services. “Big and small, these changes add up to better health, and better lives for your employees.” By offering high-touch, individualized wellness programs, employers can truly motivate and engage their employees as active participants and partners in their own health, and in the health of their organization. “We know that healthier people are happier people,” continued Haydon. “When people are happier, they reach for better. They contribute more and they’re more productive and engaged at work.” Worksite wellness programs are shown to improve the health, well-being and productivity of employees. Since day one, Provant has been dedicated to delivering personalized, innovative and impactful workplace wellness programs. How healthy is your workforce? Get a complimentary evaluation by visiting www.provanthealth.com. About Provant Founded in 2001, Provant’s vision is to change the health of America, one person at a time. With its network of 10,000+ employees nationwide, Provant touches more than 6 million lives by delivering customized worksite health and wellness strategies and services. Provant is a privately held company and is headquartered in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. To learn more, visit www.provanthealth.com..Read more »
Mini-relaxations to Ease Holiday Stress
With Black Friday upon us, the holiday season is now officially underway. Although the next month or so provides many opportunities to see family and friends, be generous, and spread good cheers, it can also be a difficult time. In a stressed-out heartbeat, the holiday season can morph into the hell-iday season. Deep breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization can evoke a state of rest and release. Doing them can slow your heartbeat, calm your breathing, lower your blood pressure, and help you chill out. You can’t necessarily eliminate the seasonal stressors. But you can counter them using the mini-relaxation exercises described below, adapted from Stress Management, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. When you’ve got 1 minute: Place your hand just beneath your navel so you can feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly as you breathe. Breathe in slowly. Pause for a count of three. Breathe out. Pause for a count of three. Continue to breathe deeply for one minute, pausing for a count of three after each inhalation and exhalation...Read more »
Worksite Wellness Efforts Extend Beyond Type 2 Diabetes
Approximately one in four employees at organizations across America are unknowingly “pre-diabetic,” an asymptomatic condition that can progress to Type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that 79 million Americans ages 20 and older share this condition of elevated blood glucose levels that fall just short of a full diagnosis, according to the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While extra weight and inactivity can increase the risk of pre-diabetes, family genes, age, ethnicity and even sleep patterns also contribute. “This year alone, we identified thousands of employees who are pre-diabetic, thanks to onsite biometric screening sponsored by their employers,” said Barbara Haydon, Vice President, Clinical Services at Provant Health Solutions (Provant). “The universal reaction is one of total surprise when we share and interpret the results with employees, who believe they are pretty healthy otherwise. Telling someone they are on the path toward Type 2 diabetes is a wake-up call but, thankfully, pre-diabetes can often be reversed.” Diabetes contributes nearly $200 billion in direct healthcare costs and lost productivity in the United States each year. Outward symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include fatigue, blurred vision, increased thirst and frequent urination, while high blood pressure and high cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness. In 2007, the CDC reported that indirect costs of these symptoms and complications included absenteeism ($2.6 billion), reduced productivity while at work or “presenteeism” ($20 billion), unemployment from disease-related disability ($7.9 billion), and lost productive capacity due to early mortality ($26.9 billion). Many businesses are taking action to prevent and manage diabetes in the workplace through a combination of screenings, health coaching, workplace exercise challenges, nutrition workshops, and other measures. “We develop customized plans to help employees reduce their risk of diabetes or manage it,” added Haydon. “The first step begins with a health screening, which provides a timely measurement of blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipids (cholesterol), body mass index, and even waist circumference, which recent studies have shown may be a better indicator of the risk of Type 2 diabetes.” Research shows that small steps can have big rewards – for both the employee and the employer. Current data from the American Diabetes Association found that diabetics who control their disease by keeping their blood sugar down cost employers only $24 a month, compared with $115 a month for those who don’t. About Provant Provant Health Solutions is a national, NCQA-accredited provider of customized worksite health and wellness strategies and services. Founded in 2001, Provant reduces employee health risks using proven and affordable wellness solutions, which are provided to large and small businesses throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Learn more at www.provanthealth.com...Read more »
Common Behaviors Contribute to the Number One Killer and Billions in Increased Health Care Costs
Each fall, across the country, people gather for the American Heart Walk, which raises tens of millions of dollars to combat the number one killer of Americans: cardiovascular disease. However, Americans need to remember that heart disease is a battle fought every day, not once a year, and it extends from our homes into the workplace. Presently, the top unhealthy behaviors exhibited by Americans include unhealthy eating, little to no exercise, smoking, and the over-consumption of alcohol – all of which contribute to heart disease. Overall, unhealthy behaviors cost businesses an average of $670 per employee each year, according to a recent calculation by Thomson Reuters. “Worksite wellness is truly the battle against unhealthy behaviors that cause heart disease,” said Provant Health Solutions (Provant) CEO Heather Provino, who is chairman of the board of the American Heart Association’s Rhode Island chapter. “Fortunately, businesses with worksite wellness offerings have made great progress toward decreasing the incidence of workers with pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and other conditions that contribute to heart disease. Workers are getting healthier and businesses are starting to see a slowing in the annual rise of health care costs.” The cost of heart disease is staggering. Cardiovascular disease costs the country $300 billion a year in direct medical tests alone. Treatment accounts for $1 in every $6 spent on healthcare, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Provino specifically credits the following as contributors to the success of today’s worksite wellness initiatives: - Robust incentive programs (first and foremost) that are tied to premiums - Consistent (annual) biometric screenings and/or health risk assessments - Health coaching - Disease, condition and lifestyle management services (addressing heart disease, hypertension, cholesterol, obesity, nutrition and more) - Integration of wellness with other health benefit offerings. “To truly ‘move the dial’ and address employee heart disease and other related health conditions, businesses need to implement a wellness program that utilizes all of these elements,” added Provino. “It is a long-term investment that is just beginning to pay long-term dividends for employers (and their workers) throughout the country.” About Provant Provant Health Solutions is a national, NCQA-accredited provider of customized worksite health and wellness strategies and services. Founded in 2001, Provant reduces employee health risks using proven and affordable wellness solutions, which are provided to large and small businesses throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Learn more at www.provanthealth.com...Read more »
September Turns Attention to Cholesterol Awareness, Prevention
For many people, September marks the end of summer vacations and sending the kids back to school. For employers, September often signals the start of annual biometric health screenings for workers. High cholesterol is a health risk that can be identified, along with several other risks, through regular health screenings...Read more »
Health Coaching, Screenings Help Reduce Obesity in Workforce
Executives of Provant Health Solutions tell Employee Benefit News that successfully reducing obesity in the workplace requires awareness through regular biometric screenings; proper intervention through telephonic or on-site health coaching; and the integration of wellness with existing health benefits. “Our goal is to drive an increase in whatever [health benefits] are available,” said Amy McAllister, director of health coaching at Provant. “It’s amazing how many employees are unaware of what’s out there.”..Read more »
Employer-Sponsored On-Site Flu Clinics Offer Significant Savings
The workplace is one of the primary settings for the spread of the flu in the U.S. Nearly 80 percent of workers who contracted the flu in 2011 reported that they went to work at some point while sick, according to a national survey. For businesses, it’s clear that the best defense against the impact of seasonal influenza is a good offense – with the hosting of onsite flu clinics or offsite vaccination options to promote worker immunization. Employers can save between $63 and $95 for every worker that is immunized prior to December, according to historic influenza data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Labor. “Businesses may get discouraged with hosting onsite flu clinics if they believe they’ve hit a ceiling of 30 percent worker participation year after year, which is the industry average,” said Barbara Haydon, vice president of clinical services for Provant Health Solutions (Provant). “However they should know that they can reach a higher participation rate through a combination of measures that improve awareness, motivation and accessibility.” Provant’s flexible flu immunization delivery options, skilled clinical and scheduling staff, and communications tactics resulted in a 2011-2012 average participation rate of nearly double the national average, and in some cases, nearly 100 percent. More than 82,000 employees received flu shots through Provant’s seasonal flu program. Learn about the best flu immunization program for your company by calling Provant at 1.877.346.6696 or request information by completing this form. (Barb, this will link to a form on our website.) About Provant Provant Health Solutions is a national, NCQA-accredited provider of customized worksite health and wellness strategies and services. Founded in 2001, Provant reduces employee health risks using proven and affordable wellness solutions, which are provided to large and small businesses throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Learn more at www.provanthealth.com...Read more »
Provant Client Selected by Businessweek to Showcase Use of Social Media in Wellness
Bloomberg Businessweek recently showcased the worksite wellness efforts of the City of Charlotte, North Carolina, which has partnered with Provant Health Solutions (Provant) since 2011. The City’s approach of tying social media platforms to its employee wellness efforts served as the story’s lead example of a growing practice among U.S. organizations. “The practice of using social media tools in wellness has grown more rapidly this year, now that employers have experienced some initial success first-hand or learned through industry case studies,” said Provant Chief Executive Officer Heather A. Provino. “The use of social media is an effective way to keep wellness efforts top-of-mind and employees engaged, if paired with the right strategy and the right online environment.” View the full article: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-07-19/wellness-games-encourage-a-fitter-workforce . About Provant Provant Health Solutions is a national, NCQA-accredited provider of customized worksite health and wellness strategies and services. Founded in 2001, Provant reduces employee health risks using proven and affordable wellness solutions, which are provided to large and small businesses throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Learn more at www.provanthealth.com. ###..Read more »
Provant’s NCQA Accreditation in Wellness & Health Promotion Renewed
Provant Health Solutions LLC, an independent worksite health and wellness provider, is pleased to announce that its Accreditation in Wellness & Health Promotion With Performance Reporting has been renewed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The recent three-year accreditation renewal followed Provant’s fourth voluntary audit since fall 2009. Provant further successfully completed NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) Compliance Standards audit. HEDIS® has been embraced by employers, consumer organizations, state and federal regulators, consultants and health plans as the performance measurement tool of choice. View full article “This achievement assures our clients and prospective clients of the validity of the outcome measures and reports we regularly provide them,” said Provant Health Solutions CEO & Founder Heather A. Provino. “Our continued accreditation demonstrates Provant’s commitment to adhere to best practice principles.” NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving and recognizing health care quality with a wide range of organizations across the country. The goal of NCQA’s accreditation in Wellness & Health Promotion With Performance Reporting is to help employers make informed decisions when choosing a wellness or health promotion vendor. The program provides businesses with a standardized set of measures, obtained through unbiased review, which will aid them in making side-by-side comparisons between wellness providers. In 2009, Provant became the first privately held wellness company in the nation to receive Wellness & Health Promotion accreditation from the NCQA with a score of 99.74 percent out of 100. Access to a copy of Provant’s “Report Card” is available. In addition, Provant was among the first to achieve Wellness & Health Promotion With Performance Reporting accreditation in the program’s inaugural year. The company then underwent its second successful performance reporting audit in July 2010 to achieve renewed accreditation. Wellness & Health Promotion With Performance Reporting accreditation assesses key areas of health promotion, including how wellness programs are implemented in the workplace, how services (i.e. health coaching) are provided to help participants develop skills to make healthy choices, and how individual health information is properly safeguarded. The 12 official areas evaluated are: •Employer and Plan Sponsor Engagement •Privacy and Confidentiality •Engaging the Population •Health Appraisal •Identification and Targeting •Self-Management Tools •Health Coaching •Rights and Responsibilities •Measuring Effectiveness •Delegation •Incentives Management •Reporting Wellness and Health Promotion Performance About Provant Health Solutions Provant Health Solutions is a national provider of worksite health and wellness strategies and services that reduces employee health risks. Founded in 2001, Provant provides proven and affordable wellness solutions to large and small businesses throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. About NCQA NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes physicians in key clinical areas. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information through the Web, media and data licensing agreements in order to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. ###..Read more »
Look Beyond the Label
More than 80% of the nation's businesses with 50 or more employees have some form of health promotion program. according to the Welllness Council of America, and this trend is growing. Provant Health Solutions' Chief Growth Officer, Nancy Brock, is one of the experts who weigh in on how to select the right wellness partner. HR/benefits professionals likely will face the task of selecting a wellness program provider, such as health coaching, health risk assessments, and/or vaccinations...Read more »
Provant CEO Shares Emerging Trend of Wellness Incentives for
Provant Health Solutions (Provant) Chief Executive Officer Heather A. Provino today spoke to senior-level benefits and wellness professionals at the 13th Annual Employer Symposium, an event organized by the Ohio-based Employers Health Coalition, a non-profit addressing employee healthcare and wellness issues for member organizations. The Symposium titled, “Finding Value for Your Healthcare Dollar,” highlighted several topics, including advancing mental health in the workplace, healthcare payment reform, purchaser strategies for driving healthcare value and others. For a discussion titled, “Planning, Sourcing and Implementing Your Health Management Strategy,” Provino joined Susan Marsico, director of corporate benefits and HR systems at the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), to share insight into a case study examining the approach, challenges and rewards of extending health management incentives and efforts to employee spouses and domestic partners...Read more »
Wellness Programs that Work
Wellness has been a popular buzzword in recent years. Yet programs have had to overcome hurdles—lack of participation, lack of funding—to earn their right as a standard in organizations’ benefits package. Several large firms have reaped the benefits of a successful wellness program and have tasked themselves to take it to the next level. How? Developing new efforts to address growing health risks, expanding participation to dependents, and greater incentives are a few solutions. Each of the organizations didn’t approach their wellness initiatives alone. They looked to Provant Health Solutions for various reasons..Read more »
Provant Launches New Program to Help Employees and Employers Lower Health Care Costs
Provant Health Solutions today announced the launch of an enhanced wellness and benefits advocacy program that helps employees improve their health and better understand their insurance benefits while addressing employers' concerns about rising health care costs. The new program, Navigate myHealthsm, combines a comprehensive wellness solution with easy access to health information, education, and personal decision tools with benefits assistance, medical expertise, and claims resolution...Read more »
Look Beyond the Label
More than 80% of the nation's businesses with 50 or more employees have some form of health promotion program, according to the Wellness Council of America, and this trend is growing. Provant Health Solutions' Chief Growth Officer, Nancy Brock, is one of the experts who weighs in on how to find the right wellness partner. HR/Benefits professional likely will face the task of selecting a wellness program provider, wuch as health coaching incentive programs, health risk assessments, biometric screenings, and/or vaccinations...Read more »
Provant Renews NCQA ‘Wellness & Health Promotion With Performance Reporting’ Accreditation for Third Consecutive Time
It is the third consecutive voluntary audit completed by Provant since 2009. “This achievement assures our clients and prospective clients of the validity of the outcome measures and reports we regularly provide them,” said CEO & Founder Heather A. Provino. “Our continued accreditation demonstrates Provant’s commitment to adhere to best practice principles.”..Read more »
Provant's Annual Six Sigma Review Indicates High Level of Service Delivery Accuracy for National Programming
The national wellness provider's commitment to Six Sigma ensures high quality performance for its many clients nationwide. Six Sigma is a popular business management standard used by many organizations, including Fortune 500s..Read more »
Provant Health Solutions Appoints Vice President of Business Development
Provant hires John Jurich to cultivate wellness partnerships with large employers, benefits consultants and other organizations..Read more »
Provant Health Solutions Appoints Chief Growth Officer
Provant hires health care veteran Nancy Brock to develop and promote comprehensive wellness strategies...Read more »
