The Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy (Durham, NC) is partnering with the Department of Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW) to incorporate the Does it Run in the Family? customizable toolkit into the Duke University employee healthcare program, LIVE FOR LIFE (LFL). Duke University believes that engaging and educating the public about the value of understanding family health histories is essential to the translation of genomics into healthcare. The advantages of such collaboration are an increased likelihood of long-term sustainability and a strong commitment to institutional genomics.

The LFL program was started in 1989 in the belief that the health of the individual is inseparable from the overall health of the organization. The preventative nature of the program can be seen in its promotion of health education, heath risk assessments, and most recently in its high health risk interventions. These intervention programs are developed to address key health risks formulated through exploratory staff Health Risk Assessments, thereby creating a healthier Duke employee population. In addition to focusing on higher-risk individuals, LFL programs are also developed to provide opportunities to promote and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors.

IGSP seeks to use the CCFHH toolkit to raise employee awareness about understanding their family health histories to live preventatively. By customizing booklets with targeted health stories and local resources EOHW hopes to encourage the collection of employees’ family health histories using Does it Run in the Family? as a guide. These booklets will be incorporated into LFL’s HealthCheck program, a free mobile health screening program led by a team of registered nurses that serves more than 3,500 patients.

By incorporating the toolkit into LFL, IGSP seeks to expand its health promotion and disease prevention programs by bringing additional direction to its in-person health assessments and online resources. EOHW and IGSP will begin by gathering information about employee health provider preferences, attitudes towards healthcare, and health concerns to utilizing the customizable online toolkit to increase personal relevance and community meaning. Eventually, Duke University hopes to fully integrate the CCFHH toolkit into their employee healthcare programs.