 16th Annual Art & Science of Health Promotion Conference
March 20-24, 2006 | Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas Convention Center
BREAKING NEWS!
Former President Bill Clinton to Deliver Keynote Address at
IHRSA's 25th Anniversary International Convention & Trade Show
ALL ART & SCIENCE OF HEALTH PROMOTION 4-DAY CORE CONFERENCE ATTENDEES INVITED!
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I am delighted to invite you to the 2006 Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference, which will be held in Las Vegas, March 20-23, 2006. We are proud to once again be staging this conference in conjunction with IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association. This collaborative effort allows us to offer you our usual spectrum of outstanding speakers plus a trade show of over 400 exhibiting companies, featuring a Health Promotion Pavilion. You will also have access to over 100 additional sessions offered at the IHRSA Convention. As a field, it also allows us to spread the health promotion message to the more than 4000 health clubs involved with IHRSA.
Our conference theme is “Creating Opportunities for Innovation and Growth.” Read more about the theme and program below.
We are experiencing a very encouraging trend of continually growing demand for health promotion programs, especially in workplace settings. We do not have objective measures of this growth, but the anecdotal evidence is compelling. One of my health promotion vender colleagues told me "Our hiring doubled in 2004 over 2003 and will double again in 2005." Another said "In 20 years, I don't remember a time of faster growth." A health promotion job placement colleague told me "I see tremendous growth in health promotion opportunities serving retirees/active adults and in gerontology." The causes of this growth are pretty clear, but worth reviewing. The methods to continue the growth are not as clear and will be the focus of our conference.
The continuing increase in medical care costs combined with reliable research showing the link between lifestyle, health and medical costs, a mildly strong economy and access to qualified health promotion providers have given employers the motivation and opportunity to develop health promotion programs for their employees. The obesity and childhood diabetes epidemics have put a face on this situation for policy makers, and legislative advocacy efforts have given federal and state governments the mechanisms they need to incorporate health promotion into state and national policy.
Will these growth trends continue or reverse? My guess is that we have a period of two to five years to prove ourselves, or risk being forever marginalized. If health promotion programs can produce significant improvements in health, be delivered in a cost effective manner, and produce clear financial returns, they will become an integral and permanent part of most large workplaces and be funded with budgets two to three times current levels. If we can refine our ability to serve people working for small employers, members of health clubs and other community organizations, children and older adults, as well as people with chronic diseases, the populations we reach will grow more than ten fold. If we can communicate these successes to the US Congress and state legislatures through advocacy efforts, health promotion will become an integral part of national policy. If we fail to do any of these things, we will miss a huge opportunity.
In recognition of this unique situation, the theme of our March 20-24, 2006 Art and Science of Health Promotion Conference is Creating Opportunities for Innovation and Growth. We will explore strategies to improve quality, stimulate innovation, reach new markets through new channels with new partners, achieve greater population penetration, and secure better funding. The conference program will feature presentations in four educational tracks: Innovation and Quality Improvement, Financial Analysis, Advocacy and Practice Skills.
Michael P. O'Donnell, PhD, MPH, MBA
Editor in Chief & President
American Journal of Health Promotion
For More Information . . .
- Telephone: 800-228-4772 ext. 150 US & Canada
- Telephone: 617-316-6793
- Fax: 617-737-3323
- Mail: Art & Science of Health Promotion Conference, c/o IHRSA, 263 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 USA
- E-Mail: info@HealthPromotionConference.org
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