Where weaknesses are postulated, it must be taken into account that the review Task Force is very critical, that no programs are perfect, that the Award Winning programs have been selected from over 300 candidate programs and represent the very best, that the materials reviewed may have been incomplete, that suggested deficiencies may have resulted from incomplete understanding of the program by the reviewers or that any problems may have been corrected since the time of review. The program is comprehensive, well-managed, and is being applied in multiple sites. The smoking program has had a long-term effect. The lactation program deserves high praise and was very successful. There are high participation rates.
Programs are comprehensive and include mental health.
There is a good program planning process of five steps with fine corporate goals and strategies. There is development of a centralized data base and use of multiple existing data bases such as personal claims and medical data for evaluation purposes. Data on health care cost reduction and relation to smoking habits is powerful. Program budget is generous. Evaluation plan is a model for the industry.