As a result of rising healthcare costs, more companies today are instituting workplace wellness programs. By changing corporate culture, such programs create greater productivity and lower costs through decreased absenteeism. Because Laurie Rood wanted to do something significant to cut healthcare cost—besides increasing deductibles and co-pays—Rood & Dax started a wellness program in 2004. “We needed a long-term solution,” said Laurie Rood, Rood & Dax Advanced Insurance Services CEO, who analyzes, implements and administers employee benefit plans and personal health insurance. Their wellness committee set goals, created a budget, implemented programs—and made sure the concerns of their

Insight host Beth Ruyak and Good Day Sacramento’s Tina Macuha will be two of the featured speakers at the May 2nd health event, sponsored by Optimum Health For Life. Healthcare soon will become the largest segment of the economy, estimated to reach $4.2 trillion by 2015. To do something about rising healthcare costs, Laurie Rood founded the nonprofit Optimum Health For Life, sponsoring the first annual, all-day health event "To Your Health: Taking our health into our own hands". “We need to counter these trends,” said Laurie Rood, a local business woman how knows what she’s talking about because she sells health insurance for employers and individuals alike. In Sacramento, 20 percent o

Cost of chronic illness will break healthcare system If people do not change their ways, healthcare will become the largest segment of the economy, estimated to reach $4.2 trillion, in three years (2015). It will severely impact the quality of life for all Americans as it drains the federal budget of funds needed for other services. As the cost of healthcare rises, individuals and employers alike will bear the burden not only in larger deductions, co-payments and cost of prescriptions, but in funding the rest of the system. Baby boomers are the most obese generation ever. One-third struggle with being overweight or obese. Baby boomers aren’t the only ones. One in three children and a

Sacramento|Yolo Mutual Housing Association recently hired Ryan Chin as Operations Manager. At Mutual Housing, he will oversee human resource, risk management, contracts administration, computer networks and systems, and office management. He also will play an integral role in organizational development of the nonprofit and be a member of Mutual Housing’s management team. Chin was formerly California State University, Sacramento, Publications’ Director where he managed the publications for the university, including the online version of Sac State Magazine as well as materials for the colleges and departments. As an Associate Director of Marketing at Stanford University, he promoted the St

With lenders tightening credit and the housing market still in flux, renters and homeowners are finding it hard to find an affordable place to live. Because funding is at all-time lows, nonprofit developers of multi-family and for-sale housing are looking for new ways to finance communities for people of modest means. Sacramento|Yolo Mutual Housing Association is no exception. The recent introduction of California bills like the HOMeS Act (Senate Bill 1220) could help. Introduced by Mark DeSaulnier (C-Concord) and Senate President pro tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) as well as co-author Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) on the Assembly side, the bill would generate an estimated $700 million