Authored by Renee Moorefield, member of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI)
Advisory Board and CEO of Wisdom Works Group

HOW DO WE ALLOT RESOURCES TO ELEVATE WELLNESS FOR ALL?

This question is at the heart of health equity. As Healthy People 2030 defines it, health equity is the attainment of the highest level of health for all people. Achieving health equity means “valuing everyone equally with focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and social determinants of health—and to eliminate disparities in health and health care.”

The pandemic has shined a spotlight on health equity—and the lack of it around the globe—as a result, my dialogue with Karen Moseley was quite timely. Karen is President of the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and sharing best practices that elevate health and wellbeing at work, plus she was an early adopter of The Wellness Moonshot: A World Free of Preventable Disease.

During our conversation about health equity, Karen and I coined a new acronym, DEIAW, to emphasize that Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Wellbeing can no longer be viewed as separate, check-the-box efforts within an organization. Think of each of these as a unique lens into a fundamental question: How can we create work environments where ALL people can thrive, grow, and be well?

Listen below to Renee and Karen explore the ways companies are designing health and wellbeing strategies for often underserved communities, such as luxury resort The Breakers’ innovative Team Member of Color programming and Greyston Bakery’s open hiring strategy to create jobs, stamp out homelessness, and champion radical inclusivity.

OUR BOUNDARYLESS LIVES MEANS RETHINKING WELLNESS

As issues such as gender identity, sexual orientation, climate change, and race have become flashpoints in society, the line between our work and private lives has blurred, and hybrid work has become favored by many employees, a holistic focus on DEIAW is transforming organizations. Karen emphasizes: Now is the time for employers to go beyond the traditional walls of the workplace to include the broader social determinants of health—the conditions shaping how employees live, learn, work, play, and pray.

That’s a tall order! According to HERO’s latest research, 85% of organizations don’t yet have an integrated health and wellbeing strategy. If this describes your organization, then you’re missing out on a key lever to meet your environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, as well as attract and retain talent, differentiate your brand, and drive value for your stakeholders—not to mention, foster a well work culture that brings out the best of ALL people.

What are the top ten things your organization can do to make your wellness efforts strategic? Hear Karen share these best practices during our discussion.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WELLNESS MOONSHOT PLANS

Do you have a #WellnessMoonshot story you want us to feature in our monthly articles or Wellness Moonshot celebrations? Let Kendra Kobler ([email protected]) know how you are elevating wellness in your corner of the world. 

Next month, we’ll touch on what the topic READY means to leading wellness. Until then, check out each of these Wellness Moonshot articles from past years with science insights and strategies to support you on your wellness leadership journey.

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR WELLNESS LEADERSHIP

• Check out the latest research from the Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) on the best practices of wellness-driven organizations, and use HERO Health and Well-being Best Practices Scorecardin Collaboration with Mercer© in your organization.
• Learn specific action steps your organization can take to address four key social determinants of health for your employees.
• Attend HERO Forum 22, September 19-23, focused on diversity, inclusion, and the integration of lifestyle medicine and population health promotion.
• Train your managers to be more effective wellbeing leaders by using the Be Well Lead Well Pulse®, an assessment that measures 19 psychometrics for living and amplifying thriving in your team and organization, start with yourself.
• Get involved with GWI’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative, and explore GWI’s Mental Wellnessinitiative to understand the pathways that help people stay well and thrive mentally and physically.
• Customize The Wellness Moonshot branding assets and educational materials to meet the needs and aspirations of your company, community, or country. Contact Kendra Kobler ([email protected]) for more information.