Renae Coombs works as a Human Resource Manager and has implemented a strong wellness program that has steady participation rates at 98% companywide for the last five years. She works at SAIF Corporation, an Oregon workers’ compensation company that has just under 1,000 employees. Their wellness programs include activity tracking devices and platform, annual biometric screening and health assessment, and an onsite health clinic. She has created an incentive and engagement program that has worked and has the metrics and data to support it. As participation skyrocketed at SAIF and her budget costs tripled as a result, there was a lot of internal debate on whether or not the cost was worth the results. After many years of steady measurements, record high engagement, and a big budget, she has a lot of philosophical opinions on when incentives hurt and when they help.

Every wellness professional is looking for the key to engagement in improving health, and not just trying to pay someone to participate in a program to get an incentive and stop. Renae has created a local networking group with 300 other Oregon employers and has consulted and worked with them for the last four years to try and make Oregon a healthy state. Through her own programs, and working with the experience of others, she brings a true practitioner perspective and insight.

In her personal life, she is married with three kids and is a true Oregonian. Her family hikes, backpacks, camps and spends time outdoors (even when it rains).