What is HERO?

The Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO)

HERO is a national, research oriented, not-for-profit, [501(c)3], coalition of organizations with common interests in health promotion, disease management, and health related productivity research. The HERO mission is to facilitate research that will impact health care by shifting the paradigm from a system dependent almost exclusively on diagnosis and treatment toward one with major emphasis on prevention and a more healthy and productive population. In support of this mission, HERO facilitates interaction among Research and Associate Partners and others that have a common desire to collaborate on specific research projects. HERO then coordinates and manages a variety of research projects supported by HERO, private and public sector financial grants.

Why HERO Was Created

Health enhancement has long been recognized as a logical approach to reducing health care utilization, medical costs, morbidity, and mortality. It is reported that 50 percent of all medical problems and diseases are associated with modifiable health risk factors. The majority of these preventable diseases are caused by personal choice habits, such as smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol use, poor nutrition, failing to manage stress, not using seat belts, unsafe sex, illegal drugs, being sedentary, and other poor health habits. Correctable clinical entities, such as diabetes, depression, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, are sometimes ignored through personal choice and therefore not controlled. This can lead to numerous catastrophic health problems.

The impact of these correctable or controllable health risk factors on morbidity and mortality is fairly well understood. However, there are limited, scientifically valid data which examine the impact of risk factors and risk factor change on health care costs. There are even less reliable data about the return on investment (ROI). HERO assumed a national leadership role in this area and has conducted and published some of the most sophisticated research on these topics. These studies along with complete references can be found on the Research link.

The impact of health (defined as disease management, health risk reduction, and health promotion) and organizational climate on individual productivity is of special interest. The optimal success of employers around the world depends on employee productivity, however there has been a profound lack of knowledge about the specific factors which have an impact on individual productivity or how to measure it. Again, HERO is among the national leaders in bringing together the health and productivity thought leaders to investigate, plan and implement new cutting-edge strategies to generate high quality health and productivity research and explore related issues.

HERO was created in order to build a multi-organizational, multi-disciplinary approach to health promotion, disease management and health related productivity research. The objective is improved understanding and verification of the IMPACT OF LIFESTYLE AND OTHER FACTORS ON MORBIDITY, DISEASE REVERSAL, QUALITY OF LIFE, MEDICAL EXPENSES AND INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTIVITY. The HERO coalition approach has been successful in creating an enhanced understanding greater than that which can be produced by any individual discipline or organization acting alone. HERO is a research coalition which encourages investments in good health because of the positive influence on reduced health care costs and increased individual productivity.

Through quality research, advance the principles, science and practice of health promotion and disease prevention.

HERO Envisioned Future

HERO strives to integrate health promotion and disease prevention into mainstream medicine, business operations and the national culture.

HERO Objectives

• Facilitate interaction among organizations which have a common desire to conduct health promotion, disease management and health related productivity research.
   
• Create, sponsor and disseminate quality research which is the basis for programs and activities that:

maximize the quality of life by preventing and reversing clinical disease and correctable medical problems.

control health care utilization and reduce medical expenditures.

increase individual productivity at the worksite and throughout society by enhancing health and well-being.

• Provide an authoritative voice and serve as an advocate for health promotion, disease prevention and individual health related productivity research.

HERO Core Values

LEADERSHIP: a leading proponent for a multi-organization, multi-discipline, scientific, approach to health promotion, disease prevention and productivity research.

EXCELLENCE: dedicated to setting the standard for high quality and reproducible health promotion, disease prevention and individual health related productivity research.

INTEGRITY: research based on ethical interactions among all participating organizations and honesty in the dissemination of data.