Highlighting The Dow Chemical Company’s strong employee health and wellness program, Dr. Cathy Baase, Dow’s global director of Health Services, recently testified before the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), on integrative health in the workplace as a key part of U.S. health care reform, according to a recent company press release.

Dr. Baase was the only presenter to address health reform from an employer’s point of view. During the hearing, titled “Principles of Integrated Health: A Path to Health Care Reform,” Dr. Baase focused on workplace health promotion programs and Dow’s positive experience with them. Collaborating with the Partnership for Prevention and the National Business Group on Health, two organizations in which Dow is a member, she provided the committee with recommendations to expand the effectiveness of the policies and improve public health — with a focus on prevention, health outcomes, chronic health conditions and the importance of workplace culture to the success of these programs.

“I’m honored to share our achievements and best practices at Dow with the HELP committee,” said Dr. Baase in her testimony. “I believe the money we spend on health is an investment in the sustainable future of individuals, families and business enterprises. Investing in worksite health programs like those at Dow are key to ensuring that we reverse the trends of increasing health risks and chronic disease for our citizens.”

As part of her testimony, Dr. Baase also shared examples of Dow’s integrated approach to health — providing an overview of the four elements of Dow’s Health Strategy: prevention, quality and effectiveness, health care system management and advocacy.

“Dr. Baase is one of the country’s leading experts in the field of workplace health and wellness, and she has driven many important and successful health initiatives on behalf of Dow,” said Neil Hawkins, Dow vice president of EH&S/Sustainability. “Her experience, and the positive results we have achieved with health promotion at Dow, makes her an exceptional advisor on health care reform within the U.S.”