According to Les C. Meyer, president and CEO of HPI Advisors, LLC, the Summit's producer, the Partnership's affiliation with the Summit is a natural fit. Meyer elaborates, "The vision of the Summit is to promote the notion that keeping people healthy in Minnesota is a good business strategy for government, business and individuals. This dovetails with their mission to maintain a high quality of life for all Minnesotans by ensuring the state's economy remains strong, globally competitive and its prospects for growth bright."

Summit attendees will learn from industry experts what works and what doesn't when developing and implementing health and performance improvement programs. Companies who will present their employee-centered strategies and evidence-based best practices include Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Carlson Companies, Employers Association, Inc., Hawaii Business Council, HealthPartners, Lincoln Industries, Medica, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and WellPoint, Inc.

Actionable learning includes the fundamentals of health and performance improvement (HPI) -- how to: impact employee health and job satisfaction to yield organization-wide results; receive the full benefit of value-based benefit design; understand the Governor's "Fit Workplaces" initiative; conduct an effective workforce HPI assessment and gap analysis; identify the critical elements and steps required to design and implement an HPI strategic plan; advocate for a more accountable health care system, higher quality of care, enhanced efficiencies and incentives and opportunities for all stakeholders; and identify the critical success factors that drive healthy living, healthy working and healthy performance outcomes (organizational success) that increase value for companies and employees.

Healthways, Inc., Mercer Health & Benefits, Pfizer, Inc. and sanofi-aventis are sponsoring the Summit. In addition to the organizations listed above, other supporting organizations include the Employee Benefits Planner and The Industry Radar.

About Minnesota Business Partnership
The Minnesota Business Partnership is composed of 100 chief executives representing some of Minnesota's largest companies. Collectively, they employ 1.9 million people, including 400,000 Minnesotans. Annually, member organizations distribute $15+ billion in wages and benefits, purchase $15+ billion of Minnesota goods and services, pay $1+ billion in state taxes and contribute well over $300 million to Minnesota's charitable causes. The interests of the Minnesota Business Partnership extend far beyond those of its member organizations. Since its founding in 1977, the MBP's mission has been to forge a partnership between the public and private sectors to improve the economy and quality of life for everyone in Minnesota. For more information go to: www.mnbp.com

About BHCAG
The Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) is dedicated to helping health care consumers get the care they need at the right time, in the right place, at the right price. Its mission is to recreate the health care system to focus on a collective goal of optimal health and total value. The BHCAG creates value for its members by pursuing strategies that openly challenge conventional practice and foster innovation; aggressively pursue performance improvement; actively influence the behavior of all stakeholders to achieve alignment in providing and purchasing health care; and proactively engage and connect members to initiatives that further a goal of optimal health and total value. For more information go to: www.bhcag.com

About HPI Advisors, LLC
HPI Advisors, LLC (health and performance improvement) is a think tank of national experts seeking solutions to the upward spiral of health care costs and downward spiral of the nation's overall health. The company's mission is to facilitate community-based, collaborative projects with employers and all stakeholders that are built around value-based benefit designs that pinpoint healthy living and working strategies, as well as designate healthy performance best practices to achieve better health outcomes and business performance results. For more information go to: www.healthandperformance.info

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.