Alabama Health Research And Education Foundation Inc

THE PURPOSE OF THE ALABAMA HEALTH RESEARCH & EDUCATION FOUNDATION IS THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE OF ALABAMA THROUGH THE PROVISION OF BETTER HOSPITAL CARE, THE FOSTERING AND SPONSORSHIP OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR TRAINING OF HEALTH CAREER PERSONNEL, FINANCIAL AID FOR INDIVIDUALS OF ALABAMA NEEDING ASSISTANCE WHO ARE PURSUING AN EDUCATION IN HEALTH CAREERS, THE PROMOTION OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IN HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS THE PROMOTION AND SPONSORSHIP OF RESEARCH IN HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION.

THE ORGANIZATION PROMOTES HEALTH, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PRIMARILY THROUGH THE PRESENTATION OF SEMINARS AND MEETINGS. DURING THE YEAR, R & E'S WORK WITH VARIOUS AFFILIATED HEALTH CARE GROUPS (ENGINEERS, MATERIEL MANAGERS, VOLUNTEERS) WAS IMPACTED BY COVID-19. ACCORDINGLY, ONLY ONE GROUP (ENGINEERS) HELD A MEETING WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY 83 HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES. R & E RECEIVES A PER ATTENDEE FEE FOR PROVIDING THESE SERVICES. WORK ALSO CONTINUED WITH THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION AS A TRAINING CENTER (TC) RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING EDUCATIONAL COURSES AND TRAINING IN CPR AND EMERGENCY CARDIAC CARE THROUGH CONTRACTS WITH TRAINING SITES LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF ALABAMA. FOR THE YEAR, 41 ENTITIES WERE MEMBERS OF THIS TC. ADDITIONALLY, R & E WORKED WITH THE ALABAMA HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION, ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF ALABAMA AND CHEWS WISELY ALABAMA TO PROMOTE HEALTHIER LIVING FOR ITS CITIZENS THROUGH SCALE BACK ALABAMA A TEN-WEEK, STATEWIDE WEIGHT-LOSS CONTEST DESIGNED TO HELP ALABAMA FIGHT ITS BATTLE WITH OBESITY BY ENCOURAGING PARTICIPANTS TO DEVELOP LIFELONG HEALTH HABITS. THE FREE PROGRAM IS TARGETED TO ADULTS 18 AND OLDER, PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON THE WORKPLACE AND UTILIZING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AS WEIGH-IN SITES. THE EFFORT, NOW IN ITS FIFTEENTH YEAR, WAS ADMINISTERED VIRTUALLY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION, MORE THAN 5,000 PARTICIPANTS WERE ABLE TO CREATE A PERSONALIZED PROGRAM THAT ADDRESSED THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS, RANGING FROM MENTAL HEALTH TO DRINKING MORE WATER. ONCE PARTICIPANTS SELECTED THEIR PERSONAL GOALS FOR THE PROGRAM, THEY WERE OFFERED WEEKLY CHALLENGES THAT HELPED THEM MEET THEIR INDIVIDUAL GOALS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM WAS TO HELP ALABAMIANS IDENTIFY THEIR PERSONAL HEALTH GOALS, OFFER SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THOSE GOALS, AND CREATE HABITS TO SUSTAIN A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. ACCORDING TO PARTICIPANT SURVEY RESULTS, 83.9 PERCENT OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY HAD MADE HEALTHY CHANGES IN THEIR LIFE AS A RESULT OF THE 2021 SCALE BACK ALABAMA PROGRAM, AND 76.8 PERCENT INDICATED THAT THEY FELT MOTIVATED TO CONTINUE WITH THE HEALTHY HABITS CREATED FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE 2021 SCALE BACK ALABAMA PROGRAM.