Wellness Announcement

Headline News Feeds Now Broadcasting

January 15, 2009

Interested in knowing what's new at kershwellness.com? Introducing the all-new Kersh Risk Management News Feed! Here you will find up-to-date information on new products and services available from Kersh Risk Management, along with information on updates and features recently added to your existing wellness program.

To find out more about a specific News Feed item, click on the News Feed banner to go to the News section. Here you will find detailed information about our exciting and innovative new products and services. Starting this February, you will also be able to view previous News Feed pages by clicking on the News Feed banner and selecting previous months.

We want to know what you think! If you have a suggestion about a new feature, product, or idea that you would like to see from Kersh Risk Management, Contact Us.

Member Testimonials Released On Homepage

January 15, 2009

Also new this month to kershwellness.com is Member Testimonials. These Member Testimonials were filmed using real Kersh Risk Management members. Featured this month in the Members Testimonials section are two powerful stories from members Gary Hietpas from Oshkosh, WI and Kathy Martin from Appleton, WI.

Gary Hietpas has been working one-on-one with Katie Smith, a Kersh Risk Management Health Advocate, for over three years. Since Gary began working with Katie, he has lost over 20 pounds and learned more about the foods that he is eating. He is now at the lowest weight that he has been at in several years. He hopes that his story will be an inspiration to others who are trying to get the most out of their wellness program and improve their health.

This last year, Kathy Martin lost about 50 pounds in less than four months! She works closely with her Health Advocate to set personal goals and keep track of her daily food journal.

We salute Gary and Kathy and congratulate them on their success in their company’s wellness program. If you or anyone you know has a similar story they would like to share with other Kersh Risk Management members, please click here and tell. Way to Go!

New Educational Materials Available

January 15, 2009

Kersh announces the release of a new Educational Piece, entitled “Blood Pressure, The Silent Killer”. This Educational Piece explains the basics about blood pressure, including a synopsis of what blood pressure is along with detailed information about how to interpret your Systolic and Diastolic readings. Information is also included that gives members insight about what to do if they have high blood pressure. Also included is a hearth healthy recipe for Zucchini Lasagna!

Interested in gaining access to this or any other Educational Materials? Talk with your Account Manager or HR Director about having this product added to next year’s wellness program. Be on the lookout for several upcoming articles debuting this year on topics such as Back Pain, Eating Out, Sleep, Walking, Caffeine, and more!

Preventative Screening Product Brochure Downloadable

January 15, 2009

Preventative Screening Brochures are now available from kershwellness.com. This new and exciting product is especially beneficial for small businesses that are looking to start or improve their wellness program but do not have a large enough budget to implement a full wellness offering. By implementing our new Preventative Screening product, employers can choose which screenings they would like to incentivize for completing, and as members complete the screenings, both the employer and the member are automatically notified.

How does this work? Using our proprietary software algorithms, monthly medical claims and procedural codes are fed through our system and marked as completed when the screening has been completed. For example, suppose a company has chosen to incentivize for Breast Exams and Physical Checkups. When the exam or checkup occurs, the doctor bills the insurance company who in turn updates our system automatically on a monthly basis that the exam or checkup has occurred.

Members receive monthly reminders and calendars in the mail as to what screenings they have completed and which ones are outstanding. Employers receive aggregate reports on what screenings have been completed in order to monitor participation in the program and incentivize for a job well done!

At Kersh Risk Management, we truly believe that “Wellness is for Every Body”. Now with our new Preventative Screening product, wellness is finally available for any company or group that wishes to improve their health and improve their lifestyle.

For more information on this product, Click Here to download the Preventative Screening Brochure!

emWave Stress System Coming Next Month

January 15, 2009

In these volatile economic times, one of the major points of concern for employers and employees alike is increased stress. According to a study by the American Psychological Association (APA), money and work are the biggest stressors for almost three-quarters of Americans.

As workers look to the future in hopes of a silver lining from the harsh realities of a stricken world-wide economy, forecasts for future relief are less than convincing. Rather than surrender to relentless pressures ever resonating from socio-economic stressors, many employers are looking for ways to train employees to improve their ability to deal with stress in a positive way.

For the past two years, Kersh Risk Management has scoured the market in search for the best possible methodologies and technologies available for combating stress, what many now believe to be the number one health risk for employees. As our company leaders and product designers met with various leaders from the top profit and non-profit organizations around the globe, it became clear that employees must have a tangible and measurable way to biologically change the way that stress is viewed and handled.

During our search for a solution to the stress epidemic, we were introduced to Heart Math’s President and CEO Bruce Cryer, who happened to be co-speaking at a wellness conference in Seattle at the same time as Kersh Risk Management CEO Dr. Terry L. James, M.D.. As these two like-minded individuals quickly saw the synergistic relationship that existed between the two companies, they began the arduous task of designing a unique product that could actually calculate current stress coherence levels using industry leading Heart Rate Variability (HRV) technology.

Almost two years since the meeting of these two individuals, Kersh Risk Management is proud to announce the all-new emWave Stress System. The emWave Stress System will hit the market next month (February 2009), and will be available as an upgrade to existing Health Stations. The system has three major components to it, including: a statistically validated Stress Inventory Survey, an introductory Stress Video by Heart Math’s Bruce Cryer, and the emWave Stress Test, using Heart Math’s emWave technology.

The first time that members use the emWave Stress System, they will be prompted to take a quick two-minute Stress Inventory Survey, followed by a five-minute Stress Video. At any future point in time, members can update their Stress Inventory Survey status or re-watch the Stress Video. Once the member has been given the opportunity to complete the Stress Inventory Survey and watch the introductory Stress Video, they will be taken to the bread-and-butter emWave Stress Test section on the Health Station.

The emWave Stress Test is unique in that it uses real biometric values retrieved from a proprietary Heart Math pulse oximeter that measures the HRV values at a rate of 19 times a second. Using proprietary algorithms, the HRV values are then assessed to produce an emWave Stress Score between 0 and 100 (100 being the best). Throughout the two-minute emWave Stress Test, members will receive live feedback showing what their current stress coherence level ranging from Low (Bad) to Medium (Good) High (Excellent). Members will also have the ability to select higher difficulty levels as they perfect their ability to achieve High Coherence through focused breathing, concentration, and relaxation.

The key to improving your next emWave Stress Score will be to use the Breath Pacer that will appear as you clip the Heart Math pulse oximeter to your ear and begin the test. Breath in following the Breath Pacer as it goes up and down, helping to coach your body into a harmonious rhythm and change the biological heart rhythms from erratic, sharp pulsations to smooth, relaxing patterns.

Find out for yourself what groups like the American Journal of Cardiology, Journal of American College of Cardiology, Stress Medicine, CNN, The Today Show, Good Morning America, PBS, the Discovery Channel, The Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Golf Digest, and more are saying about Heart Math’s emWave technology.

For a preview of what to look forward to next month with the release of the emWave Stress System, watch the video preview teaser below!