Kaiser Permanente recently received the Innovations in Healthcare Award from the Adapted Business Leaders (ABL) organization. The award was given in recognition of Kaiser’s successful use of five health-improvement programs developed by HealthMedia Inc.: HealthMedia Succeed, which monitors health risks; HealthMedia Balance, which promotes weight management and physical activity; HealthMedia Breathe, a smoking-cessation program; HealthMedia Relax, a stress-management program; and HealthMedia Nourish, a healthy-eating program.

Available through the Internet, the programs help Kaiser members change their behaviors through personalized advice. Since 2004, more than 150,000 Kaiser members have enrolled in the programs, and the outcomes have been outstanding, the company reports. For example, 55 percent of Balance participants lost weight, and 27 percent of obese participants lost 5 percent or more of their starting body weight. Among those enrolled in Breathe, 54 percent stopped smoking and 95 percent of those who stopped reported a high motivation to not smoke again.

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