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Wellness Forum Recap, A Healthy Return for Everyone

November 29, 2016 by

For more than a half century, we’ve made it our mission to enhance the health and well-being of the lives we touch. In fact, it’s our official mission statement, and we work hard to live up to it every day. So we were thrilled to bring together Michigan business and community leaders at the HAP 2016 Wellness Forum, "Beyond the Workplace: The Value of Corporate and Community Partnerships." The event was held at the University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit. We had representatives from the American Red Cross, DTE Energy, Eastern Market Corp., Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Oakland Family Services, as well as University of Detroit Mercy students.

 

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DeAndre Lipscomb, vice president of marketing and community outreach for HAP.

 

"Collaboration between the corporate and community sector helps improve the health of the entire community, as well as the health of the current and future workforce,” said DeAndre Lipscomb, vice president of marketing and community outreach for HAP.

Some surprising facts about the health of our communities:

  1. More than 30 percent of Michigan adults are obese. We’re the 16th most obese state in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  2. Detroit residents die up to 16 years sooner than their suburban neighbors, according to the Health Inequality Project, published this year by the American Medical Association. The study also shows Metro Detroit ranked near the bottom in life span by county – 95th out of 100 counties– for the life span of its poor, at approximately 78 years. Detroiters are hospitalized for asthma three times more than other Michiganders. The major culprit: poor air quality.

We’re all working hard to change that, by providing access to community organizations and programs that will help people make good choices about their health.

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, public health director for the City of Detroit, executive director of the Detroit Health Department and internationally recognized expert in population health policy was the keynote speaker.

There was also a panel discussion on corporate and community health engagement. Panelists shared best practices on how they integrate healthy habits and programs – such as community service and establishing shared values – in their corporate cultures.

 

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Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, public health director for the City of Detroit and executive director of the Detroit Health Department.

 

Panelists at the Wellness Forum included:

The participants shared best practices on how they integrate healthy habits and programs – such as community service and establishing shared values – into their corporate cultures. They agreed where people live, work and play may determine the overall health and wellness of the community.

And we invite you to visit our community partners to learn more about their programs and how you can help make a difference.

 

Categories: Get Involved