URAC Announces Accreditation Standards for Comprehensive Wellnes...( Program evaluation and performance me...),Health

Program evaluation and performance measures part of URAC's Comprehensive Wellness Accreditation standards

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- URAC announced today that its Board of Directors has approved standards and measures for its Comprehensive Wellness Accreditation program. These innovative standards reinforce and support the commitment that employers and wellness organizations have to ensuring the health and productivity of America's workforce. Comprehensive Wellness is the first new accreditation program from URAC with integrated program evaluation and performance measurement components.

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"Worksites have a powerful impact on individuals' health, since most adults typically spend half or more of their waking hours at work," said Garry Lindsay, managing senior fellow-senior program officer for the Partnership for Prevention. "Having credible standards for comprehensive health management programs, including worksite wellness, will help bring a needed focus on prevention that benefits companies and workers alike. Addressing the true drivers of health care costs is critical to prevention centered health reform, as advocated by Partnership for Prevention."

The Comprehensive Wellness Accreditation program answers the need for national standards to measure the effectiveness of these programs that focus on health promotion, chronic disease prevention and health risk reduction.

"URAC's Comprehensive Wellness Accreditation standards and measures are an excellent structure to guide wellness organizations in their pursuit of quality, while still allowing the market to evolve and improve," said Gail Levenson, RPh, CDE, CGP, director of health management services, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. "Purchaser
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