Press Release

Baylor College of Medicine Joins Forces with Vitality to Bring Workplace Wellness to Texans

Issued by Vitality

June 30, 2017

Houston, June 27, 2017 -- Obesity and resulting chronic conditions are estimated to cost Texas businesses an extra $32 billion by 2030 /*/ in healthcare, lost productivity, absenteeism and disability. To help mid-sized employers in Texas overcome this obstacle, Baylor College of Medicine is collaborating with Vitality Group, a global leader in corporate health and wellness, to offer the Vitality program to improve the health and wellness of their employees.

An established leader in research, health sciences education and patient care, Baylor College of Medicine was recognized as one of the top five 2016 Healthiest 100 Workplace in America and has offered Vitality for its own employees for three years.

“We’ve seen the impact Vitality has made as part of our own BCM BeWell program and know that Texas employers, especially those with less than 1,500 employees, are struggling to improve the health and well-being of their workforce,” said Dane Friend, Vice President of Human Resources at Baylor College of Medicine. “Through this unique arrangement, businesses can take advantage of a proven program that will improve the health of their employees, and ultimately the community at large.”

Kenneth Sloan, Vice President, Sales for Vitality Group, added “Many mid-sized businesses find it difficult to offer wellness programs as part of their benefits offering, missing a real opportunity to motivate their employees for real long-term health change that can significantly impact their productivity and financial bottom line. We share a commitment to make people healthier, and Baylor College of Medicine is the perfect fit to bring this solution to Texas employers. We look forward to continuing to work with them as not only a client, but an agency collaborator.”

For additional information or to receive a request for a proposal, please contact: Blake Chavis at bchavis@vitalityagency.com or Christopher Taylor at ctaylor@vitalityagency.com.

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About Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine in Houston is recognized as a premier academic health sciences center and is known for excellence in education, research and patient care. It is the only private medical school in the greater southwest and is ranked 21st among medical schools for research and 8th for primary care by U.S. News & World Report. Baylor is listed 20th among all U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding and No. 1 in Texas. Located in the Texas Medical Center, Baylor has affiliations with seven teaching hospitals and jointly owns and operates Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, part of CHI St. Luke’s Health. The Baylor pediatrics program ranked 9th among all pediatric programs, reflecting the strong affiliation with Texas Children’s Hospital where our faculty care for pediatric patients and our students and residents train. Our physician assistant program was ranked 13th in the health disciplines category. Currently, Baylor trains more than 3,000 medical, graduate, nurse anesthesia, physician assistant and orthotics students, as well as residents and postdoctoral fellows. Follow Baylor College of Medicine on Facebook and Twitter.

About Vitality Group
Vitality changes the economics of healthcare by integrating expertise in wellness, insurance, and technology to change behaviors to improve health. By driving engagement in healthier lifestyles, Vitality provides benefits from day one to members, employers, and society. Vitality brings a global perspective through successful partnerships with employers of all sizes and best-in-class insurers around the world, in countries including the United States (John Hancock), Canada (Manulife), United Kingdom (Vitality Health, Vitality Life), Europe (Generali), South Africa (Discovery), China (Ping-an), Singapore (AIA), Australia (AIA) and Japan (Sumitomo Life). Drawing on behavioral economics, Vitality supports, guides and incentivizes individuals to improve their health, and then prices their risk dynamically over time based on their engagement in the Vitality program. This shared value insurance model results in material benefits shared between the employer (lower health claims), insurer (more profits), members (greater health and financial rewards) and society (a healthier, more productive workforce).

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