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TOWSON, MARYLAND (May 27, 2010) - Maryland State Health Secretary John M. Colmers, nationally recognized workplace wellness authority Ron Z. Goetzel, and other health care experts are scheduled to discuss the state’s most pressing health care issues during a Workplace Wellness Symposium scheduled for June 8, 2010, at the Westin BWI Hotel, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Admission to the event is free and open to media.  Sponsors include IWIF Workers’ Compensation Insurance, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, and the Chesapeake Region Safety Council. 

Speakers include:

• John M. Colmers, Secretary, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• Ron. Z. Goetzel, Ph.D., Research Professor and Director, Emory University, Institute for Health and Productivity Studies and VP of Consulting and Applied Research, Thomson Reuters
• Richard Safeer, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., Director, Prevention and Disease Management, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
• Don Walsh, Esq., Principal, Offitt Kurman
• Tim Michels, Esq., Executive Vice President, Claims, IWIF Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Colmers has served as Maryland’s Health Secretary since January 2007.  In addition, he serves on a number of health-related leadership boards, including the Governor’s Executive Council and the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council.  Colmers holds a Master’s in Public Health Administration from the University of North Carolina and two Bachelor of Science degrees, in Political Science and Psychology, from Johns Hopkins University. 

Goetzel is a nationally recognized authority on how workplace wellness programs can lead to improved employee productivity and health cost savings.  He is the principal investigator for wellness programs administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control, Prevention and many of the nation’s largest employers. Goetzel holds a doctorate in Organizational and Administrative Studies and a Master of Arts in Applied Social Psychology from New York University.

For reservations or interview opportunities, please contact Claudia Ciolfi, IWIF Communications, at 410-494-2193 or cciolfi@iwif.com.

Topics include:

• Overview of the health care crisis in America
• Importance of a healthy workforce to Maryland’s economic vitality
• Overview of new health care reform legislation’s impact on employers
• Creating a workplace wellness program and measuring return on investment
• The legal environment and workplace wellness programs
• Health issues adversely affecting workers’ compensation injury/illness claims
• Employers share their workplace wellness success stories during a panel discussion

Established in 1914, IWIF is the largest provider of workers’ compensation insurance in Maryland. It is a self-supporting insurance company that operates solely from premium and investment income.

In its 73rd year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to 3.4 million individuals and groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia.

The Chesapeake Region Safety Council is a private, non-profit, non-governmental public service organization whose mission is to provide the safety training and education that will reduce disabling injuries and save lives.

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