Regence partners with Salt Lake Chamber for discussion on behavioral health in the workplace
About 1,000 women, business trailblazers and community leaders attended the Salt Lake Chamber’s annual Women & Business Conference. During the day-long event, attendees gained valuable business and personal insights from multiple inspirational presentations and panel discussions.
This year’s conference theme “Thriving in the Hive,” is an excellent analogy for a workplace, especially in Utah, also known as the Beehive State. Utah is consistently ranked among the top ten states in the country for its business environment and economy.
To better ensure successful “hives,” businesses can leverage cost-saving strategies aimed at promoting physical and mental wellness among employees. The goals are to reduce health care costs for employees and their employers as well as improve productivity, retention, and financial performance.
There is a growing number of people in Utah and nationwide who are struggling with behavioral and mental health issues. Untreated, these conditions can significantly impact business operations by reducing productivity and increasing absenteeism and employee turnover.
That is why Regence hosted a panel discussion titled, “Well-being among employees is key to successful business.” It aimed to help attendees understand why improving mental health is not only important for employees and their families – but also critical to achieving a company’s goals.
Moderated by Stephen Foxley, director of public affairs and government relations at Regence, the panel discussion included Regence’s Dr. Mike Franz, executive medical director of behavioral health, and Jen Olsen, director of account management, as well as Tina Halliday, LCSW, who provided her perspective as a behavioral health manager with University of Utah Health, Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
These panelists shared data about escalating behavioral and mental health conditions and limited access to care. They highlighted newer solutions including virtual care and integrating mental and physical health care. The conversation turned to how mental health issues impact a workforce and best practices for addressing them.
During the discussion, the panelists explained how employers can better engage employees and encourage positive changes in behavior to improve well-being. They emphasized destigmatizing mental health care, creating work environments that foster wellness, persistent education about resources, and focusing on prevention.
