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ASDSA Receives 2019 Excellence in Advocacy Award for a State Campaign


ASDSA SUNucate logo

I am thrilled that the tireless efforts of ASDSA in advocating for legislation allowing kids to use sunscreen in school has been recognized with such a prestigious award.

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA) was presented with the 2019 Excellency in Advocacy Award for Excellence in a State Issue Campaign by the Professional Women in Advocacy Conference.

The award recognized ASDSA’s advocacy initiative, SUNucate, and the contributions of ASDSA’s Advocacy team: Kristin Hellquist, Director of Advocacy and Practice Affairs; Emily Besser, Manager of Advocacy and Practice Affairs; and Jenny Zales, Associate of Advocacy and Practice Affairs.

In partnership with Women in Government Relations, the conference recognizes everyday women advocates with an annual award. Awards were also given in a number of other categories.

The legislation known as SUNucate is designed to eliminate barriers that prohibit students from possessing and using over-the-counter sunscreen in school. Sunscreen often falls under broad reaching “medication bans” that require a physician’s note or prescription to utilize in school. SUNucate-related measures have successfully passed in 24 states and the District of Columbia with pending bills in three additional states.

“I am thrilled that the tireless efforts of ASDSA in advocating for legislation allowing kids to use sunscreen in school has been recognized with such a prestigious award. The lifelong impact this legislation will have on children across the country by teaching sun-safe behavior now cannot be underscored,” said ASDSA President Murad Alam, MD, MBA. “I look forward to the continued success of ASDSA in working to pass this important legislation in other states in 2020.”

The need for such legislation arose after concerns were raised by dermatologists and reports in the national media about students being required to bring a note or prescription from a physician in order to possess or use sunscreen, which is classified as an over-the-counter drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Preventive Services Task Force both believe that children should have access to sunscreen and other sun-protective measures in order to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

To learn more about SUNucate, visit https://asds.net/SUNucate.

About ASDSA

With a membership of 6,400+ physicians, ASDSA is a 501(c) (6) association, dedicated to education and advocacy on behalf of dermatologic surgeons and their patients. For more information, visit http://asds.net/ASDSA.

Follow @ASDSAdvocacy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

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Sarah Jaquez Wins the Fourth Annual InsurTech Scholarship


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Sarah Jaquez is the winner of ITC’s 2019-2020 InsurTech Scholarship

Insurance Technologies Corporation (ITC), a provider of website, agency marketing, rating and management software and services, announced today Sarah Jaquez as the recipient of the 2019-2020 InsurTech Scholarship.

Jaquez, a full-time student at the University of Texas at Dallas, won the $1,500 scholarship prize for her excellent essay, academic achievements, and intent to pursue a career in the insurance industry. Jaquez first became interested in insurance after getting a part-time job at local insurance agency Quantum Alliance.

“Congratulations to Sarah Jaquez, the winner of the InsurTech Scholarship, from all of us at ITC!” said Laird Rixford, CEO of ITC. “We are pleased to award her this year’s scholarship and look forward to the impact she will have on the industry.”

Scholarship applicants submitted a 1,500-word essay about why they want to work in the insurance industry.

Vaquez is a junior majoring in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in business communication and currently works at Quantum Alliance, a managing general agency in Texas, as an executive assistant and accounting specialist.

“I have acquired so much knowledge from Velma and Chuck here at Quantum,” said Vaquez. “But there is still so much more to learn as an underwriter in the excess and surplus lines sector of the insurance industry.”

Jaquez expects to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in 2020 and plans to continue working at Quantum Alliance after graduation.

Information about the 2020-2021 InsurTech Scholarship will be available soon. Check http://www.InsurTechScholarship.com for updates.

About ITC

Insurance Technologies Corporation (ITC), founded in 1983, provides website, agency marketing, comparative rating and management software and services to the insurance industry, including independent agents and insurance carriers. Headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, ITC is the largest provider of insurance agency websites in the United States and powers more than two million auto and home quotes through its comparative rater TurboRater. The company helps its customers across the United States grow their businesses and become more efficient through the philosophy of providing quality software and services. Currently, ITC serves more than 200 insurance companies and more than 7,000 agencies. For more information, visit us online at GetITC.com or follow us on Twitter.

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On-Target! Recognized as Top Marketing Agency by the Greater Houston Builders Association


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2019 PRISM Awards for Website and Brochure of The Year

The Greater Houston Builders Association recently held the 2019 Houston’s Best PRISM Awards banquet at the George R. Brown Convention Center to recognize the top homebuilders, developers, remodelers, Realtors, and marketing professionals in Houston.

On-Target!, a Houston digital marketing agency, focuses on helping all types of companies serving the residential real estate market: developers, builders, remodelers, building materials and builder service companies, maximize revenue and profits.

This top Houston advertising agency helped award-winning master-planned communities, Lakes of Bella Terra, Long Meadow Farms and Falls at Imperial Oaks to outpace competitors over the last decade with digital marketing strategies designed specifically for the residential real estate market.

At the 2019 Houston’s Best PRISM Awards, On-Target! received awards for both Website and Brochure of The Year, for work on homebuilder services companies, Allpoints Group and DPIS Builder Services, respectively.

“It’s gratifying to see our ability to refine how businesses serve their customers better through digital initiatives get recognized by leaders within the industry. We’re honored to have worked with Allpoints and DPIS, and are excited about the awards, but we’re even more excited about the results these projects generated,” says Scott Steiner, President of On-Target!.

About GHBA’s Houston’s Best PRISM Awards

Houston’s Best PRISM Awards, hosted by the Greater Houston Builders Association, recognizes the industry’s best in the categories of People, Product, and Promotion. Entries are judged by an independent panel of industry experts from across the nation. The PRISM distinction has long been synonymous with the industry’s highest caliber of excellence.

About On-Target! Agency

Our mission is to “Make Sh*t Happen.” As an often-recognized top advertising agency, On-Target! Is known for making all kinds of amazing things: websites, digital advertising campaigns, videos, sales collateral, traditional advertising, brochures, logos, marketing campaigns, yada, yada. It’s the approach taken to craft strategies and tactical plans that address real business problems that drives this unique company. All the amazing, award-winning sh*t is created with the core purpose to “Make Profits Happen.”

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Catalent to Debate Logistics of Delivery and Transportation of Cell and Gene Therapies at HPCLC


Catalent, a global leader in clinical supply services, today announced that Ann McMahon, Program Director, Clinical Supply Services and Drug Product Technologies Integration, will participate in a panel session titled “Cell and Gene Therapy Logistics” at the upcoming Health and Personal Care Logistics Conference (HPCLC), to be held at the Gwen Hotel, Chicago, on Oct. 28-30, 2019.

The panel session, on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 8:30 a.m., comes at a time when there is an increasing focus on individualizing patient care, and panelists will discuss the critical logistics of delivery and transportation as patient care changes; and as cell, gene and biologics therapies constitute an ever-increasing share of treatments. The panelists will also explore future transportation demands.

Ms. McMahon has over 17 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Catalent, she was Manager, New Product Launch at West-Ward Pharmaceuticals, and also Boehringer Ingelheim. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology/biochemistry from Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio; and a master’s degree in clinical pharmacology from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

For further information, visit https://www.hpclcnet.org/.

To arrange a meeting with Ms. McMahon at the event, contact Richard Kerns at NEPR – richard@nepr.agency.

About Catalent

Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, gene therapies, and consumer health products. With over 85 years serving the industry, Catalent has proven expertise in bringing more customer products to market faster, enhancing product performance and ensuring reliable global clinical and commercial product supply. Catalent employs nearly 13,000 people, including approximately 2,400 scientists, at more than 35 facilities across five continents, and in fiscal year 2019 generated over $2.5 billion in annual revenue. Catalent is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.catalent.com

More products. Better treatments. Reliably supplied.™

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The Next Billion Dollar Fintech Opportunities at the 4th Annual FINTECHTALK™ Conference on October 23rd and Host iValley Announces the Launch of SpaceTechTalk


FINTECHTALK

Themes at FINTECHTALK

The next billion dollar startups in fintech will be in space technology, climate financing and sustainability. SpaceTech is the next trillion dollar business that requires new models in financing, insurance and payments

iValley Innovation Center, a corporate focused FinTech accelerator will host its annual FINTECHTALK™ covering a broad range of topics on the next generation of fintech and financial services.

“Fintech is becoming more mainstream and we are seeing more verticalization as it matures. While there are still opportunities in the first generation of fintech areas such as payments, lending, challenger banks and such we see the next wave of fintech innovation in emerging areas such as SpaceTech, Climate financing and Sustainability. SpaceTech is the next trillion dollar business that requires new models in financing, insurance and payments that are moonshot fintech opportunities,” said Paddy Ramanathan, founder and managing director of iValley Innovation Center.

FINTECHTALK™ this year will explore perspective from fintech unicorns, financial services and startups ranging in topics from fintech areas like consumer lending, payments, challenger banks to what’s next in crypto-currencies and how Blockchain is disinter-mediating lending and securitization. “Blockchain is changing the world of finance and Provenance is leading the way. As the largest production blockchain, we are executing global transactions with improved efficiency, reduced risk and fewer third parties. With the successful demonstration of quantifiable savings, we expect the adoption of blockchain technology by financial institutions to accelerate at an increasing rate,” said Zev Shimko – Director, Provenance.io at Figure who is delivering one of the keynote addresses.

Several startups will be pitching to a panel of venture capitalists and corporate innovators as part of the Startup Launchpad segment, a platform to connect with investors, partners and mentors.

“FinTech is a hotbed of innovation with a number of startups and established companies launching strong, differentiated offerings to the marketplace. But one big challenge for companies across the board is to transform this innovation into a repeatable and scalable go-to-market motion. I look forward to sharing a proven playbook on how to thoughtfully drive a go-to-market motion across the areas of awareness, acquisition and advocacy for long-term success,” said Chandar Pattabhiram – CMO of Coupa who is delivering one of the keynote addresses.

At the event, iValley will launch http://www.spacetechtalk.co, a platform for Space Technology in the East San Francisco Bay Area. The platform will include a space asset registry- a foundational blockchain based registry of space assets, and an event in the fall of 2020 that intersects space, internet and fintech.

“There is an economic boom about to happen here in the East Bay as the last frontier left in the Bay Area. Space technology is going to play a key part of this boom as we see humanity create sustainable, prosperous and enlightened civilizations here on Earth and wherever humanity ventures outside the Earth,” said John Cumbers – CEO, Synbiobeta who is delivering one of the keynote addresses.

The Inclusive innovation track which is part of iValley’s mission to broaden the participation of minorities, women, veterans and neuro-diverse populations in the innovation and startup economy will see a former US Marine Corps leader (Special Operations), and a two-time team USA Olympian speak about how their training and background helps their current employer in fintech. The track also features neuro-diverse populations or differently abled individuals and their propensity to do well as entrepreneurs.

More than 30 industry leaders are speaking at the conference. The full list of speakers and agenda can be viewed at http://www.fintechtalk.co,

The event will be held in the Roundhouse Conference Center in Bishop Ranch office park in San Ramon in the East San Francisco Bay Area.

ABOUT iValley

At http://www.ivalley.co

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Colin T. Stevens’s “Coachable” is a brimful tome that allows the reader to understand the parallelism of basketball to real-life especially in the spiritual part.


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“Coachable”: a fundamental guide in learning new tactics and the basic principles of the game like teamwork, defense, and leadership. “Coachable” is the creation of published author Colin T. Stevens, a founder and CEO of Manzer Basketball Academy and F2 Basketball. He is also devoted to inspiring a better life to all of those around him.

Stevens writes, “Something we appreciate most about sports are the lessons that we learn in a competition that can be applied to everyday life. In Coachable, Colin makes several parallels between basketball and life, not just any part of life but the deepest most foundational part of life—the spiritual part.

In this book, the reader will gain an understanding of the game of basketball and how leaders and coaches impact their teams and their organizations. Fundamental principles like teamwork, defense, and leadership will be unpacked and discussed how the best coaches and teams operate and why they are so good.

We all have people who we learn from. People who have coached us and taught us in more than just basketball. The people we learn from and follow are the people who shape us into the coach, parent, friend, colleague, and person that we become. There is no greater coach that we can learn from than God himself. He created us, he knows us, and he knows how we can grow and develop into what he has called us to be . . . people who love him and want to impact this world for the better.

So, dive into the thoughts and secrets of some of the best in the game. Then open your heart and your mind to the idea that just as you want to develop players and create a fantastic team and organization, God wants to develop you into a major contributor on his team.”

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Stevens’s new book shares a remarkable message enabling the readers to realize that God is the greatest coach in life one could ever have.

With this book, the author tries to convince the readers that every rules and tactic in every game could also be applied in real life.

View a synopsis of “Coachable” on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase “Coachable” at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about “Coachable”, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.

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Banc Intranets Introduces New 4.6 Version of DirectorsLink® and BancWorks® with Enhanced Features, Functionality and Security


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DirectorsLink and BancWorks are powerful technology solutions that can deliver tremendous benefits to organizations.

Banc Intranets, a provider of secure, web-based enterprise content management solutions, is pleased to announce the latest 4.6 release of its DirectorsLink® board portal and BancWorks® employee intranet products.

The latest version of DirectorsLink is equipped with document management enhancements that include important data loss prevention features. For example, the module allows organizations to turn on/off user-side file download and print capability to minimize the potential loss of data. It also presents documents in a preview window and prevents them from being auto downloaded with the ability to search the document, view thumbnails, and add personal bookmarks.

DirectorsLink also offers additional upgraded functionality for both users and administrators. Key features for users include a dashboard view that shows Favorite, Recent and Most Viewed documents, the ability to be notified about changes to documents, and sharing and social capabilities. Enhanced administrator features include the ability to drag and drop files from the desktop, auto convert files to PDF, check in/out with version control with historical versions, combine documents into Zip files for easy offloading, use website annotations for the edit/review process, and restore deleted documents/folders with one click.

The new version of BancWorks contains all of the document management enhancements, along with an advanced site search tool. The updated site search features allow administrators to better manage the modules that the system will search, add an eform that users can submit to report on unsuccessful searches, set how long previous search results are kept for reporting, and add/manage stop words that should be ignored with search terms.

In addition to the expanded document management and site search features, BancWorks is receiving new enhancements to its Kudos employee recognition tool. The upgrade to Kudos is in the final testing phase and should be available for release in October. Kudos’ revamped version will include the ability to submit multi-user Kudos, comment or like Kudos, see a dashboard view on the Kudos approvals page, and provide a Kudos submission link from the contact card in the address book. The employee recognition tool will also feature a variety of administration options that control how Kudos are edited and displayed.

“DirectorsLink and BancWorks are powerful technology solutions that can deliver tremendous benefits to organizations,” said Banc Intranets Founder and CEO Mark Anderson. “We are excited to offer enhanced versions of these products to bring our clients even more features, functionality and value.”

The recent updates to DirectorsLink and BancWorks are warranted and timely, considering the growing trend for companies to focus on leveraging the benefits of digital solutions like DirectorsLink and BancWorks. Both products use innovative technology to enhance access to information and improve efficiency while saving time and reducing paper and printing costs. The DirectorsLink board portal solution, for example, allows organizations to compile, organize and manage meeting materials online, where directors can access them quickly and conveniently. The BancWorks intranet solution lets employees use a web browser to get immediate access to policies, procedures, products, services, pricing and other corporate information.

About Banc Intranets

Established in 2002, Banc Intranets, LLC is a leading provider of secure, web-based enterprise content management solutions for financial institutions. Its technology provides a single point of access across multiple devices for information and centralizes employee onboarding and training, streamlining day-to-day operations for bank directors and senior managers. In addition to increasing efficiency and productivity, Banc Intranets’ solutions are developed by financial industry professionals, providing comprehensive reporting that is critical to maintaining regulatory compliance. For more information, visit http://www.bancintranets.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City Selects Altruista’s GuidingCare Platform for Care Management


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We needed a strong, innovative partner with Blues experience to unify multiple care management functions onto one member-centric platform. Raelene Knolla, DO, Department Vice President and Senior Medical Director for Blue KC

Altruista Health, an innovative provider of care management technology solutions for health plans and provider organizations, today announced that a comprehensive vendor evaluation process by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) concluded with the choice to use Altruista’s technology platform, GuidingCare®, for care management of its 1 million members.

Blue KC serves 32 counties in Missouri and Kansas and has a strong community focus as the largest locally based plan in their market. Blue KC looked for a single platform to integrate care management, utilization management, pharmacy, reporting, and coordination with members and providers. They found it in GuidingCare.

“We needed a strong, innovative partner with Blues experience to unify multiple care management functions onto one member-centric platform,” said Raelene Knolla, DO, Department Vice President and Senior Medical Director for Blue KC. “Having a 360-degree view of the member meshes well with our community-based approach to care.”

The GuidingCare technology platform seamlessly brings together all the information needed for comprehensive care plans that serve vulnerable members.

“We are delighted that a values-driven organization like Blue KC sees the potential to leverage GuidingCare on behalf of their members and providers,” said Ashish Kachru, Altruista’s chief executive officer. “Our commitment to innovation resonates with their desire to break new ground in creative, thoughtful ways.”

GuidingCare integrates preventive and acute care, chronic disease management, behavioral health, long-term care and community services. This patient-centered model of care is portable through the award-winning Mobile Clinician app and is particularly well-suited for Blues plans trying to engage members who may be transient or who live in rural areas.

About Altruista Health

Altruista Health delivers care management and population health management solutions that support value-based and person-centered care models. Our GuidingCare® technology platform integrates care management, care coordination and quality improvement programs through a suite of sophisticated yet easy-to-use web applications. GuidingCare is the largest and most widely adopted platform of its kind in the United States. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, Altruista Health has grown into a recognized industry leader, and was named twice as one of the Top Population Health Management Companies to Know by Becker’s Healthcare. Health plans and healthcare providers use GuidingCare to transform their processes, reduce avoidable expenses and improve patient health outcomes. For more information, visit altruistahealth.com.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Missouri and the only not-for-profit commercial health insurer in Kansas City, has been part of the Kansas City community since 1938. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City provides health coverage services to more than 1 million residents in the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and 30 counties in Northwest Missouri. Our mission: to provide affordable access to healthcare and to improve the health of our members. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information on the company, visit BlueKC.com.

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eDriving Launches FNOL Crash Reporting Module as part of Mentor Smartphone Driver Safety Program


eDriving Launches FNOL (First Notice of Loss) Crash Reporting Module as part of Mentor Smartphone Driver Safety Program

Mentor by eDriving guides driver performance and provides feedback on risky behaviors such as harsh acceleration, braking, and cornering, speeding, and phone distraction.

This update to the Mentor app is a significant development in driver risk management.

The optional toolkit allows drivers to complete and submit to all key parties the information and photographic support required to report an “event” (Collision, Incident, Near Miss or License Violation) directly from within the Mentor app with the fleet owner’s permission. This assists both the repair process and claims management process, and also enables prompt manager intervention with drivers following an “event”.

Once reported, event details with up to eight images can be submitted directly to the relevant accident/ fleet management company for the initiation of vehicle repairs, as well as the insurer/ broker for the initiation of the claims process. Event details/ images can also be used for causation analysis, professional coaching activities with driver/ management and risk scoring (DriverINDEX®).

Mentor is eDriving’s smartphone-based driver risk management program that combines the company’s patented, proven, continuous improvement methodology for driver risk reduction with a unique smartphone app. Using sensors in the smartphone, Mentor collects data and analyzes driver behaviors most predictive of risk including phone distraction. It helps to improve driver behavior by providing engaging, interactive micro-training modules (3-5 mins.) directly to the driver in-app.

“This update to the Mentor app is a significant development in driver risk management in that it provides fleet operators with a tool that can be used by the driver immediately after an event to aid the risk management process and help drivers avoid similar events in the future with the correct coaching,” said Ed Dubens, CEO/ Founder of eDriving. “A number of studies have shown that if a fleet can start their claims process with their insurance partner in under 30 days the total claims cost can be reduced by up to 40 percent!”

In addition to the new FNOL tool, eDriving has launched a Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) optional feature that prompts drivers on, and collates data about, their daily walk-around vehicle checks, with key fault alerts being automatically notified to leasing companies.

Media Contact

Julie Farmer

julie.farmer@edriving.com

About eDriving

eDriving helps organizations to reduce collisions, injuries, license violations and total cost of fleet ownership through a patented driver risk management program. Mentor by eDriving’s comprehensive solution provides actionable behavioral insights to help organizations build a total view of driver risk within a company-wide crash-free culture® to ensure all drivers return home safely to their loved ones at the end of each day.

eDriving is the global risk management partner of choice for many of the world’s largest organizations, supporting over 1,000,000 drivers in 96 countries. Over its 23-year history, eDriving’s programs have been recognized with 75+ awards around the world. For more information visit http://www.edriving.com.

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New IESP White Paper Provides Strategies for Reducing Employee Turnover and Tools for Calculating ROI


Reducing Employee Turnover, measuring ROI

“When looking at employee turnover, you’re not just looking at why one person leaves and what it costs to replace that person, you’re looking for bigger trends or issues the company can address to reduce turnover across the organization,” Brant Dolan

Studies show that on average, 27%, or nearly a third of employees, voluntarily leave their jobs each year resulting in their employers having to spend up to 20% of a person’s annual salary to replace each employee.* The new white paper from the Incentive Engagement & Solution Providers (IESP,) a Strategic Industry Group of the Incentive Marketing Association, provides step-by-step guidance and eight downloadable calculator tools to help managers develop strategies for reducing employee turnover, track the costs, and understand the ROI.

Brant Dolan, CPIM, director business development, Quality Incentive Company, and IESP board member and past president; says when incentive solution providers are helping employers design programs to improve employee retention, we often help them look at the entire picture, not just the reward and recognition components.

“When looking at employee turnover, you’re not just looking at why one person leaves and what it costs to replace that person, you’re looking for bigger trends or issues the company can address to reduce turnover across the organization,” Dolan said. “Employers need to understand what employees like about working there, but also what frustrates or disappoints employees so they can address system-wide improvements as well,” Dolan explained.

The IESP white paper “Strategies for Reducing Employee Turnover and Tools for Calculating ROI” includes eight downloadable calculator tools to help managers measure everything from the costs of turning over each employee such as advertising the job, hiring, and training to the costs and ROI of the turnover reduction strategies such as reward and recognition programs.

*Data from 2018 studies by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Center for American Progress as cited in the white paper.

About the Incentive & Engagement Solutions Providers (IESP)

The Incentive & Engagement Solution Providers (IESP), a strategic industry group of the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA), is a trusted resource for business leaders globally in helping their organizations achieve results through engagement and incentive solutions.

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