Viridian Health Management Appoints Steven L. Wenger as Vice President of Community Development and Quality

PHOENIX, AZ, October 05, 2012 (Press-News.org) Viridian Health Management, an integrative healthcare services provider focused on improving individual and population health through comprehensive health management programs, is pleased to announce the appointment of Steven L. Wenger, to the position of vice president of community development and quality. In this role, Wenger is responsible for spearheading Viridian's expanded commitment to population health and community-based health, as well as integrating with healthcare delivery systems.

"As a former Baldrige and Missouri quality examiner who is disciplined to create great organizations that produce exceptional results, Steve brings to Viridian a strong combination of innovative practices and an unwavering commitment to excellence," said Viridian President and Chief Executive Officer Brenda Schmidt. "Steve's extensive career in health systems and quality, community development and population health management will be a tremendous asset to Viridian and I welcome him as an invaluable contribution to our organization."

Based out of St. Joseph, Mo., Wenger is looking forward to utilizing the Baldrige Quality Principles, his strong background in community assessment and data-based decision making to lead Viridian's strategic process of health status measurement and improvement for population health.

Wenger will be participating at Heartland Foundation's Communities of Excellence 2050 emPowerU Conference in St. Joseph, Mo., on October 4‒5, 2012. As part of Viridian's senior leadership team and a distinguished member of Heartland's steering committee, Wenger will share his valuable insight during a panel discussion with key leaders in St. Joseph who have utilized principles of excellence and successfully developed community partnerships, the efforts involved in community engagement, as well as the challenges and results.

In addition, Wenger also will help to promote the use of the Baldrige Quality Framework at six major land-grant universities and their respective state-quality organizations, as well as a number of regional and national health improvement organizations. The goal is to positively change healthcare leadership into an effective, integrated model of leadership that can be taught and replicated in institutions of higher education.

Wenger holds several community leadership roles in significant organizations, including the City of St. Joseph Capital Improvement Program, The St. Joseph Community of Excellence, The St. Joseph Metro Chamber Community Roundtable on Health and Productivity, Commissioner for the St. Joseph Planning Commission, and also as a board of director member for the St. Joseph Community Alliance. In addition, he holds many national certifications, including the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Academy Fellowship from the Health Care Advisory Board.

Prior to this role, Wenger served as process leader of market research and population health improvement at Heartland Health in St. Joseph, Mo. Wenger also has held several senior director positions at Menorah Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo., and at NCAA Volunteers for Youth in Shawnee Mission, Kan.

Wenger earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Alabama and his Master of Liberal Arts in Organizational Leadership from Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas.

Further positioning itself as an industry leader, Viridian Health Management continues to collaborate with global thought innovators and CGI America to address the challenges in developing and implementing cost-effective wellness programs, as well as establishing partnerships with other organizations that are also committed to improving the health of American workers. Viridian also is pleased to be the national implementation contractor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Healthy Worksite Program to establish comprehensive worksite health programs based on Viridian's proven ability to deliver evidence-based programs that enhance employee health, reduce chronic disease and lower healthcare costs.

About Viridian Health Management:
Viridian Health Management is a healthcare improvement company focused on improving individual and population health through its pioneering health coaching techniques, integrative approach to wellness, powerful technology platform and actionable analytics. Its comprehensive health management solutions combine evidence-based and emerging best practices for worksites, communities, the public sector and healthcare partners. Viridian focuses on engaging individuals to make healthy behavior changes that result in better health outcomes and financial savings. To learn more, visit online at http://www.viridianhealth.com, email info@viridianhealth.com or call 877-486-0140. To learn more, visit online at http://www.viridianhealth.com, follow on Twitter @ViridianHealth, email info@viridianhealth.com or call 1 877-486-0140.

Viridian Health Management Media Contact:
Jill Brownley, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
jbrownley@viridianhealth.com
602-544-4880 office | 602-509.4311 cell

22601 N. 19th Avenue
Suite 240
Phoenix, AZ 85027

Viridian Health Management is recognized as a national leader committed to changing employee health behaviors through targeted, interactive, outcomes-based health improvement programs and services. Viridian's health promotion and health improvement programs designed for employers, communities and public health agencies creatively maximize employee engagement and drive sustainable behavior change, resulting in measurable risk reduction and health-care cost savings.