Dr. Pasqualoni, Researcher, Public Health Educator, Behavioral Therapist, Health and Fitness Instructor

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Therese Pasqualoni, Ph.D., JT-MS, CHES, ACSM-HFI, ACSM-PT, is the owner of Strike it Healthy® Weight and Health Management Systems, LLC. Her mission is to empower individuals to take responsibility for their own health by providing health education and necessary behavioral skills, thereby improving overall health variables, while decreasing unnecessary and avoidable healthcare.

The following information gives insight into Dr. Pasqualoni’s health professional pursuit as a researcher, public health educator, behavioral therapist, and health and fitness instructor.

In 1994, Dr. Pasqualoni began her quest to improve her health and the health of others. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Public Health Education and was awarded Program Distinction Honors from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. During this period, she focused her efforts on lifestyle behaviors in relation to the development of chronic diseases.

In 1996, Dr. Pasqualoni continued her academic pursuits for a Joint Master’s Degree in Health Administration and Health Education from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She expanded her knowledge and skills to the research and development of worksite health programs targeted to educate the working population on lifestyle techniques for improved health outcomes. During this time, she also obtained a Certified Health Education Specialists certification from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.

Within a few months of obtaining the Joint Master’s Degree, Dr. Pasqualoni was hired as a health professional at one of the Atlantic City, New Jersey casinos. She implemented a comprehensive employee health program, with on-site health education sessions, exercise classes, and health screenings. Her relationship with key decision-makers and major healthcare entities resulted in her being recognized for her health management efforts as “proactive measures that yielded the lowest healthcare increases among the Atlantic City casino market.”

While being employed, Dr. Pasqualoni pursued her Doctoral of Philosophy Degree in Health Studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania focusing on the behavioral and social sciences. This endeavor afforded her to again expand her knowledge and skills to develop extremely cost-effective and cost-beneficial health programs and intricate behavioral tools to assist others to successfully manage their lifestyle habits.

Since obtaining her Ph.D. in 2004, she has implemented health management programs among corporate and healthcare entities, as well as providing health seminars and private counseling. She also obtained the “gold standard” health and fitness and personal training certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine. Furthermore, she retains five other fitness-related certifications.

Dr. Pasqualoni is genuinely dedicated to inform and educate others on the benefits associated with healthier lifestyle habits. We are constantly inundated on a daily basis with fad-like health programs. One of Dr. Pasqualoni’s beliefs is that “we need to put our money where our health is.” For more information visit Health Programs and Products and Services.

Overview of Corporate Health:
For over 12 years, Dr. Pasqualoni has researched the impact of chronic diseases in relation to our overall health. She has spent 9 years in corporate and healthcare settings. Her health programs encompass a wide range of disciplines, inclusive of nutrition, physical activity, and stress management. Her relationship with senior management enables her to focus on their corporate and healthcare interests and needs. She quantifies and qualifies pertinent variables to establish baseline and outcomes data.

Dr. Pasqualoni supports the abundance of research, as well as her own research, that reputable worksite health programs can significantly improve the health of the United States working population. This in turn, can improve the health of their families as well. Worksite health programs have shown to decrease unnecessary healthcare and costs, which affects healthcare benefit programs, as well as bottom line profits.

Worksite Health Programs:
An Example:
Employers--- put their money where their employees’ health is.
All individuals are at-risk for major chronic diseases. On-site health programs can yield companies numerous benefits, inclusive of improved employee morale, decreased absenteeism, and decreased health insurance costs. After Dr. Pasqualoni evaluated the data obtained from a company-wide survey, a 12-week health management project was implemented. This project was founded on evidence-based research and included on-site health screenings, health sessions, and exercise classes. The outcomes data found that employees who participated in on-site exercise classes twice a week and health education sessions yielded significant differences in weight and body mass index more so then those who did not. This component of the study supports that weekly physical activity and learning reputable health information can improve health outcomes.

This study also examined knowledge scores that were associated with a health session on nutrition. The post-test employees’ scores yielded significant findings for the employees’ who participated in this health session. Dr. Pasqualoni emphasizes that this study showed the importance of an on-site health project to increase knowledge of specific health issues (health sessions) and provide on-site physical activities (exercise sessions) to promote positive behavioral changes. Improved health outcomes yield increased benefits for employers.
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Another Example:
Make a difference within weeks to improve employees’ health knowledge and skills.
Dr. Pasqualoni conducted a 1-month health project. A pre-test questionnaire was administered to a group of employees that represented various levels of management. The pre-test results found 16% of the sample scored between 22 and 26. These scores represented practices of moderate to fair lifestyle behaviors. Eighty-four percent scored over 27, which represented practices of poor lifestyle behaviors. Another section of the questionnaire showed the entire group scored over 28 lifestyle points that represented below average awareness of personal risks for cardiovascular disease.

The employees were randomly assigned into two groups, a cardiovascular/stress management intervention group and a literature intervention group. The pre-test scores reflected a mean score of 32.1. Two-weeks after the implementation of the health program, there was a significant difference between the mean scores for the cardiovascular/stress management group of 21.1 and the mean scores of the literature intervention group of 31.2. In addition, an evaluation of the program found 85% of the cardiovascular/stress management intervention group had adopted at least one positive health behavior. Dr. Pasqualoni’s research again supports the value of on-site health programs to improve employees’ knowledge to promote healthier lifestyle behaviors.

Worksite Health Events:
Identify at-risk employees can improve health outcomes and save money associated with preventable health insurance costs
Health Screenings:
Dr. Pasqualoni encourages health screenings to afford employees the opportunity to recognize if they are considered healthy or in an at-risk status. The more employees who participate, the more employees can be identified as at-risk. Health communication is a key variable to improved health screening participation rates. Prior to the implementation of the ©Worksite Health Communication Model, health screening rates were 247 screened, 156 screened, and 228 screened for March 1999, October 1999, and April 2000, respectively. After the implementation of the ©Worksite Health Communication Model, participation rates increased to 552 screened in 2002 and then 603 screened in 2003. The model improved participation rates by 58.7%.

Health Insurance:
Health insurance continues to be a challenge for any employer. Health insurance informational meetings, when executed properly, can yield great benefits for employers and employees. Prior to the development of the ©Worksite Health Communication Model insurance attended events would be approximately 14.5% of the insured population. After the ©Worksite Health Communication Model was implemented the attendance rate increased to 65.5%. Dr. Pasqualoni’s ©Worksite Health Communication Model provides cost-effective strategies to improve communication through various levels of management and front line personnel.

Health Fairs:
These events give great opportunities for employers and employees to become familiar with important health information. Dr. Pasqualoni creates what may be termed as a “healthy party.” Her events provide a non-intimidating environment that is interactive with various health-related components. This includes cooking demonstrations, physical activities, health screenings, and other numerous fun, inviting, and trendy aspects of health. Dr. Pasqualoni’s health fair has been recognized by the Associated Press.

Employer-based Surveys:
Make a difference in the way employers interact with their employees
Within the worksite environment certain attempts to collect information from employees, such as focus groups, may not be the most effective and expeditious approach. Dr. Pasqualoni developed various worksite surveys that are based on employers’ and employees’ needs and interests that have shown to yield pertinent information. This information can improve various dynamics to improve work-related policies and practices. Efficiency is a key variable. The implementation of a cost-effective innovative Workplace Enhancement Survey was executed over 1-week period that resulted in 603 respondents, representing over 11% of the workforce.

This same approach was executed again at another large company. Within 1-week, 993 employees responded resulting in 34.2% of the workforce. Dr. Pasqualoni confirms that the development and execution of workplace surveys continue to provide anonymous information to employers that have shown to improve worksite variables in extremely cost-beneficial ways.

Risk Management/Health Management Project:
Address workers compensation to improve the health of employees and decrease preventable workers compensation claims and costs.
Dr. Pasqualoni took part in a workers compensation project, where the expertise of Risk Management and Health Management professionals were integrated within a worksite setting. The focus of this project was to improve the health of employees, while decreasing risks and costs associated with preventable workers compensation claims. This project utilized research from various reputable sources and formulated goals and objectives that coincided with recommendations from Healthy People’s 2010 Occupational Safety and Health goals and objectives. The Healthy People’s 2010 goal is “Promote the health and safety of people at work through prevention and early intervention.”

At-risk and high-risk employees were identified. After consultation with the workers compensation clinicians, health programs were implemented in accordance to employees’ needs and interests. This included, but not limited to, health sessions and private behavioral counseling sessions. From 1996 to 2000 the employee population increased from 4,226 to 5,320, respectively. However after the implementation of the risk/health management project, the annual claims decreased from 284 to 80 claims. The additional benefit to the Risk Management/Health Management Project enabled the comparison of policy years to total expenditures incurred. From the inception of the program in 1996, total incurred for the year yielded $845,970. After the four-year program, the total expenditures for the year 1999 to 2000 yielded $200,121.

This revealed a reduction in total incurred of $645,849. Dr. Pasqualoni stated that preventive measures afforded employees to become healthier and also improved employee morale. This project reflects that management took extraordinary measures to improve the health of their at-risk and high-risk employees.

Conference Inquiry:
Provide worksite health programs for interested employees
Dr. Pasqualoni developed a 7-item Worksite Health Program Questionnaire that was distributed to participants at an obesity conference in 2005. The ages of this multicultural group of professionals revealed 7% were under 20 years of age; 51.2% were between 20 and 29 years of age; 9.3% between 30 and 39 years; 20.9% between 40 and 49 years; and 11.6% were over 50 years. The question regarding employment resulted in 88.4% were working, with 11.6% were not working.

The most interesting data obtained by this questionnaire, revealed that 93% felt that they would benefit from participating in worksite health seminars, with 7% felt they would not benefit. The top three seminars of interest for the 93% revealed health programs for exercise strategies; weight management; and stress management. Dr. Pasqualoni’s research showed that professionals welcome opportunities associated with worksite health programs.

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