Proposal for the Development of a Certificate Program in Worksite Health Promotion

Within the Existing M.A. Program in Health Education and Promotion

Department of Health Education & Promotion

College of Health and Human Performance

East Carolina University

Educational Objectives of the Program:

Learners will:

1)  Identify and implement approaches to plan, administer, and evaluate effective health education and promotion programs in a worksite setting.

2)  Identify, collect, analyze, and translate data to inform health education and promotion practice in the worksite.

3)  Communicate effectively with partnership members, customers, funders, and health professionals.

4)  Apply ethical and best practice principles in carrying out health education and promotion activities within a worksite.

Admission and Retention Standards:

Students seeking the certificate must be admitted to the East Carolina University (ECU) Graduate School as either a degree seeking or non-degree student. The certificate is open to individuals with a Bachelor's degree. All students must remain in compliance with all Graduate School policies and procedures.

Course Sequence:

The following four courses are required of all students in the certificate program:

·  HLTH 5200. Health Education in the Workplace (3) Focus on design, implementation, and evaluation. On-site health education needs assessment using appropriate instruments and development of health education plan responsive to identified needs and corporate operations of particular industry.

·  HLTH 6005. Introduction to Worksite Health Promotion (3) Principles and benchmarks of worksite health promotion.

·  HLTH 6007. Employee Health and Productivity (3). Strategies for measuring the relationship between employee health and productivity.

·  HLTH 6355. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Education and Prevention (3) ATOD abuse education and prevention theory and approaches.

Catalog Copy

The graduate certificate in Worksite Health Promotion is designed for students and professionals who have an interest in developing health promotion/wellness oriented programs in a private sector environment. The certificate program will provide enrollees with the necessary skills to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion programs in a worksite setting.

This program is open to students enrolled in graduate degree programs as well as non-degree applicants holding a baccalaureate degree. The program requires completion of 12 semester hours of graduate level course work. Required courses include HLTH 5200, 6005, and 6007 and 6355.

Relation of Course Objectives to Program’s Educational Objectives:

HLTH 5200 Health Education in the Workplace / Relation to Certificate Learning Objectives
The learner will:
1.  Describe the correlation between employees’ risk factor status and health care utilization
2.  Explain common strategic foundations used to guide worksite health promotion programs
3.  Develop and present a justifiable rationale for worksite health promotion programs
4.  Exhibit a basic understanding of the issues related to worksite health promotion implementation/maintenance
5.  Conduct research on a worksite health promotion program and effectively present your findings
6.  Effectively utilize assessment skills required by health professionals working in a worksite health promotion setting. / Identify and implement approaches to plan, administer, and evaluate effective health education and promotion programs in a worksite setting.
Communicate effectively with partnership members, customers, funders, and health professionals.
Apply ethical and best practice principles in carrying out health education and promotion activities within a worksite.
HLTH 6005 Introduction to Worksite Health Promotion / Relation to Certificate Learning Objectives
The learner will:
1.  Explain why a company should invest in a worksite health promotion program
2.  Prepare a fiscally sound proposal for the establishment of a worksite health promotion program
3.  Conduct a needs assessment of employees to gather data about employees’ health
4.  Design, implement, and evaluate a health promotion program in the workplace
5.  Explain how to effectively market a worksite health promotion program
6.  Explain how to develop and implement sound policies that promote health in the workplace
7.  Describe the need to understand the corporate culture of a worksite
8.  Demonstrate how to use incentives in the promotion of health / Identify and implement approaches to plan, administer, and evaluate effective health education and promotion programs in a worksite setting.
Identify, collect, analyze, and translate data to inform health education and promotion practice in the worksite.
Communicate effectively with partnership members, customers, funders, and health professionals.
Apply ethical and best practice principles in carrying out health education and promotion activities within a worksite.
HLTH 6007 Employee Health and Productivity / Relation to Certificate Learning Objectives
The learner will:
1.  Describe the correlation between employee health status and on-the-job productivity
2.  Define human capital and why employers are placing greater emphasis on measuring its worth
3.  Explain the major components of the HPM model
4.  Distinguish between qualitative vs. quantitative productivity measurement
5.  Determine appropriate HPM metrics for a particular worksite setting
6.  Distinguish between various dimensions and causes of employee absenteeism and presenteeism
7.  Identify several tools that can be used to measure health-related lost productivity
8.  Describe the major procedures involved in developing an integrated health data management system (IHDMS)
9.  Develop a feasible evaluation strategy to measure the direct impact of a HPM program / Identify and implement approaches to plan, administer, and evaluate effective health education and promotion programs in a worksite setting.
Identify, collect, analyze, and translate data to inform health education and promotion practice in the worksite.
HLTH 6355. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Education and Prevention / Relation to Certificate Learning Objectives
The learner will:
1.  Define basic terminology concerning drugs and drug-taking behavior.
2.  Discuss history of individual drugs.
3.  Discuss current statistics and trends of drug use in America.
4.  Identify patterns of drug use and the effects the drugs have on the body.
5.  Identify reasons why people do or do not take drugs.
6.  Describe approaches to education and prevention that were unsuccessful.
7.  Describe successful substance abuse prevention efforts.
8.  Plan a substance abuse prevention program for a specific setting. / Identify and implement approaches to plan, administer, and evaluate effective health education and promotion programs in a worksite setting.
Identify, collect, analyze, and translate data to inform health education and promotion practice in the worksite.
Apply ethical and best practice principles in carrying out health education and promotion activities within a worksite.

Statement of Need for the Worksite Health Promotion Certificate:

This proposal is for the establishment of a certificate program in worksite health promotion offered within the Master of Arts Program in Health Education and Promotion. This certification would consist of four distance education, three credit hour graduate courses that are currently offered by the Department of Health Education and Promotion. The sequence of these courses would allow students in the M.A. Program in Health Education and Promotion to receive a certificate in Worksite Health Promotion. This unique certificate program would make East Carolina University the only institution in the state with such a program.

The rationale for this proposal is two-fold. First and foremost, this would enable the M.A. Program in Health Education and Promotion better meet the needs of its audience. There has been an illustrated increase in current student requesting information and training in the area of worksite health promotion over the past two years. In addition, the mentioning of the possibility of developing such a certification program within the M.A. Program in Health Education and Promotion has been met with favorable reviews and comments from current students.

In addition, skilled specialists in worksite health promotion are in great need throughout the state. This need is also supported by the North Carolina Office of State Personnel (NCOSP), who passed legislation in the Spring of 2008 requiring every State of North Carolina Agency to provide a designated Wellness Leader to plan and implement employee health promotion programs within the respective agency. Recently, representatives of the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) met with representatives of the Department of Health Education and Promotion (HEP) to discuss offering training programs to meet the needs of these designated Wellness Leaders. As well, large corporations to small businesses are being responsive to the increased focus on containing health care costs and are realizing that one such way to aid in this endeavor is to invest in worksite health promotion.

Within the worksite, health educators can engage a captive audience within a supportive environment thus making health promotive behavior changes an easier goal to reach. With the growing number of corporations and small businesses throughout the state, this is a fast growing area that East Carolina University can be responsive to the needs of its current students and working professionals through the creation of such a certificate program. This project will also strengthen current, and enable new partnerships to form between the University of North Carolina System, the North Carolina Division of Public Health, and the North Carolina private sector.

Worksite Health Promotion Graduate Faculty:

Craig Becker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University ( and/or 252-328-5312).

Don Chaney, Ph.D., CHES, Program Co-Director, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University ( and/or 252-737-1939).

Dave Chenoweth, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University ( and/or 252-328-6431).

Program Coordinator:

Don Chaney, Ph.D., CHES, Program Co-Director, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University ( and/or 252-737-1939).

Expedited Review:

This proposal should qualify for expedited review because the proposed certificate program calls for no new courses, no new faculty, no additional costs, and maintains the admissions and academic standing requirements of the related Master of Arts Program in Health Education and Promotion.

Professional Licensure:

The certificate program in worksite health promotion does not lead to any professional licensure.

Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) Title and Six-Digit Code:

51.2207 / Public Health Education and Promotion. A program that focuses on the application of educational and communications principles and methods to the promotion of preventive health measures and the education of targeted populations on health issues, and prepares individuals to function as public health educators and health promotion specialists. Includes instruction in human development; health issues across the life span; population-specific health issues; principles and methods of public health education; administration of health education campaigns and programs; evaluation methods; public communications; and applications to specific public health subjects and issues.