Message from the President
A very happy New Year to you and yours! I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends and were able spend time doing things you enjoy despite the hustle and bustle of the season.
We are coming off a busy year at MBGH and we expect more of the same in 2023. We spent a good part of 2022 short-staffed and yet the MBGH team pulled together to plan one of the best annual conferences in our history! We also offered 15 educational events, published four new online resources, and welcomed a number of new members, board members and two staff members.
What we are most excited about for 2023 is our employer-only MBGH member roundtable series beginning next week. Upcoming topics include health care inflation, CAA requirements, and employer activism - with each event co-moderated by Alex Jung!
Below is a summary of 2022 and a preview of what’s ahead in 2023.
As we kick off another action-packed year at MBGH, I want to take a moment to share how thankful we are that you are part of our MBGH family. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming MBGH event. As always, please reach out to me or another member of the MBGH team with questions, new ideas, feedback, or just to say hello!
Happy New Year!
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Cheryl Larson
President & CEO
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After nearly two years of virtual meetings and educational events, we hosted our first in-person event in January, 2022. Many employers made the trek to Chicago to join us at the University Club. How glorious it was to see our members, face-to-face, for the first time in two years! Since that first event in January, MBGH hosted six other in-person programs including our 42nd Annual Conference in May which filled the room. In our 42-year history, the 2022 conference was our biggest ever with more than 350 attendees. We are so grateful to our members who stuck with us during the two years of virtual meetings and we look forward to more opportunities to connect in 2023. A few highlights from this past year include:
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- Welcomed 18 new member organizations. Check out the newest additions to our MBGH family!
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- Offered a wide range of educational programs throughout the year.
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- Updated the "Tackling Obesity in the Workplace" toolkit and added new resources for both employers and employees.
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- At the request of MBGH members, conducted four employer benchmarking surveys on topics including Wellness and Wellbeing, Domestic Partner Benefits, Caregiving Coverage and Diabetes/Prediabetes.
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- Conducted ten employer-directed research projects resulting in educational programs, action briefs, educational videos and online toolkits for our employer members.
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- Voted in several new board members, including most recently:
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Frank Janecek
Senior Director, Benefits
Fortune Brands
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Nicole Martel
Vice President – Benefits, Well-being & Associate Health
Bon Secours Mercy Health
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- Facilitated peer-to-peer discussions on our MemberConnect platform on important topics such as backup care, paid parental leave and PTO policies.
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Participated in the IDPH 1815 grant, providing resources and education to employers on the topic of prediabetes. To learn more, contact Mindy McBee.
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Tallied results of our annual health benefits direction survey. A summary of the survey findings including key benefit trends and priorities will be shared during the January 2023 annual wellness forum with final results made available to all members and survey respondents soon. Our favorite comment from the survey: I've been involved in MBGH for 20+ years and find it to be the most valuable source of information that is both timely and relevant.
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- Launched three new Employer Action Briefs. Click on titles below to view.
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Educational Programs
We have a number of educational programs in the works this year on a variety of timely topics. Be sure to save these dates in your calendar!
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Today's Health Benefits Issues:
2023 MBGH Employer Member Roundtable Series
MBGH will host monthly virtual roundtables for MBGH employer members the 2nd Thursday of each month from 12-1 PM (CT). Each month we’ll have a lively, interactive discussion led by Alex Jung and other health care benefits experts. We will address topics that are vital to your organization. Come for the information and stay for the conversation. Get your questions answered!
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January 12: Health Care Inflation is Coming for Your Organization's Budget. What Can You Do About It?
February 9: CAA: The Deadline has Passed. Now What?
March 9: Activism Will Change Your Employee Benefits
Additional dates: April 13, June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14, October 12, November 9 & December 14.
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Annual Conference registration is open! |
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Early-bird registration ends March 1, 2023! |
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Don't leave these MBGH benefits on the table! |
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Midwest Health Purchasers Collaborative (MHPC): Learn more about our discounted purchasing programs for employer members. All products and services are vetted, reviewed and approved by the MHPC employer board. Learn more by attending the MHPC educational roundtables February 22 and March 15!
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Diabetes Grant: As part of a grant with the State of Illinois and the CDC, MBGH provides financial support to Illinois employers to educate their members on the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). Contact us today to learn how you can tap into these funds to start or enhance diabetes education at your organization. The deadline to request funding is March 28, 2023.
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Bottom Row: Dawn Weddle, Cheryl Larson
Upper Row: Kathy Foulser, Allison Larsen, Lori Hurtt, Mindy McBee, Mark Pfleger
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We had a number of staff changes over the past year, including…
Dawn Weddle has been with MBGH since 2019. She was recently promoted to Vice President and we are thrilled to have her in this capacity. As our Jack of all Trades, wearing many hats, she continues to assist Cheryl and the team in leading the charge!
Kathy Foulser joined MBGH in February from Rush System for Health, where she was the Benefits Manager. During her time with MBGH, Kathy’s role has shifted from the Director of Membership Development to the Director of Member Engagement. Kathy oversees the coordination of MBGH learning network events and will be coordinating the launch of the upcoming employer roundtables. She brings a wealth of knowledge, creativity and fun to our team!
Mark Pfleger has been a longtime friend and colleague of MBGH and joined our team in October as the Director of Membership and Strategic Partnerships. Mark has spent his career focused on building relationships and finding innovative solutions in the health care benefits space. In his new role, Mark is responsible for all things membership as well as overseeing MBGH strategic partnerships. We’re excited to leverage Mark’s vision and innovation – you’ll be learning more about a new direction for Midwest Health Purchasers Collaborative during this upcoming year!
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