Martin-J. Sepulveda, MD is the recipient of the 2010 Global Leadership in Corporate Health Award acknowledging his achievements as a leader in innovations in workplace health and employee well-being, according to a recent press release.

The award, sponsored by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH), honors the achievements of individuals who demonstrate excellence and leadership in implementing programs that improve the health and productivity of the workforce.

Dr. Sepulveda is recognized as a leader in his field as evidenced by his external, global recognition of IBM's innovations in workplace health, his extramural appointments on scientific advisory boards, Institute of Medicine work groups, professional and employer associations and numerous articles on employee health.

Martin-J. Sepulveda, MD, FACP,FACOEM is one of the world's most outstanding medical directors, a global corporate health and productivity visionary, a leader in anti-obesity efforts at IBM and a driving force in the nation for making primary care the cornerstone of a reinvigorated health care system. He is responsible for implementing IBM well-being programs that are proactive and relevant, as well as effective in meeting the highly complex and ever-changing health and safety needs of IBM's employee benefit participants in the U.S. and around the world. His team at IBM is internationally recognized as leading in health benefits and clinical care process innovation and performance, total health management systems, and global occupational health and safety systems/services design and administration.

While at IBM, Dr. Sepulveda has also worked to address the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and its implications for businesses. "Employers are at risk of inheriting a future workforce with a high prevalence rate of obesity and early manifestations of obesity related conditions," said Dr. Sepulveda in an article he wrote for the March 2010 issue of Health Affairs. A key component of IBM's strategy has been to direct its efforts at the entire family, instead of solely targeting the IBM employee.

In 2007, IBM launched its Children's Health Rebate program to promote healthy weight behavior. The family-centered program provides parents with incentives for changing family patterns such as eating too much fast food and living largely sedentary lifestyles that lead to weight gain. It opts instead for family activities in food preparation and management, exercise, and addressing the issue of personal screen time. Enrollment is voluntary, and using Web-based technology, families develop their own action plans and assess their improvements in the areas they have identified.

Dr. Sepulveda is a graduate of Yale University and the Harvard Medical School, Harvard University. He trained in the Epidemic Intelligence Service of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and completed residencies in internal medicine at the University of California-San Francisco Hospitals and Clinics, and in occupation medicine at the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health. He also completed a fellowship in internal medicine at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He is board certified and holds the rank of fellow in both the American College of Physicians (internal medicine) and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (occupational medicine).

Nominations for the 2011 Global Leadership in Corporate Health Award are open. For nomination forms or to learn more about the award visit www.acoem.org/global. For more information, call 847-818-1800.