What are the top priorities for your organization this year

At Pivot, our priorities remain firmly rooted in ensuring that we’re empowering individuals to achieve their wellness goals in a sustainable and long-lasting way. We’re proud to continue revolutionizing how people break free from long-lasting habits. While our flagship solution, Pivot Breathe, has already helped countless individuals quit or reduce their tobacco use, we always strive for more. 

It’s why our vision extends beyond tobacco cessation, first with the addition of Pivot Flex, our Mental Well-Being solution – and now with Pivot Clear. Pivot Clear is a groundbreaking solution that tackles the often complex and varying relationship that individuals have with alcohol. Leveraging Pivot’s three pillars of behavioral change – technology, coaching, and educational resources – individuals are empowered to reexamine their relationship with alcohol for the better.

In your opinion, how can employers best engage their employees in their health and well-being, especially when a majority of the workforce is still remote?

In today’s remote work environment, keeping employees engaged in health and wellbeing initiatives can oftentimes prove difficult. Dwindling engagement numbers have proven that traditional methods of communication and outreach have the potential to fall flat – and fast. But Pivot’s member marketing team success is living proof that not all impact comes from face-to-face interactions. Instead, we’ve seen powerful results thanks to a multi-faceted, modern approach focused on targeted outreach, compelling content, digestible information, and the flexibility and accessibility that comes with digital health solutions tailored for those at any and all stages of their journey.

What initiatives are you currently spearheading to improve health?

We are continuously working on improving our Pivot app experience, having recently released the latest addition to both the Apple and Android app stores.

Additionally, we’ve improved our Tobacco Cessation Program’s FDA-Cleared Breath Sensor, one of the most powerful levers in our member marketing campaigns, for increased engagement. Because we know that now more than ever, gamification is incredibly popular and something our members respond to well, we’ve added three new Breath Sensor games to crush cravings for good. That means the potential for increased results, less cigarettes smoked, and healthier members.

What necessary collaborations/partnerships have you established within and/or outside of your organization in developing your initiatives?

Pivot has founded like-minded organizations just as passionate about curbing the effects of some of today’s most persistent issues. Through partnerships with organizations like HealthPartners, Pivot is working alongside the best and the brightest hoping to change tobacco cessation trends.

HealthPartners is a consumer-governed nonprofit healthcare organization whose mission is to improve health and well-being in partnership with members, patients, and the community. Through new availability to 32,000 members with fully insured plans sponsored by small businesses, and plans to expand eligibility in the coming year – Our Tobacco Cessation Program, Pivot Breathe is well on its way to creating a future where individuals can breathe easier, free from the burdens of tobacco and all the chronic conditions it brings.

What is the link between mental health and tobacco usage?

Mental health and tobacco are incredibly intertwined. People with mental illness or a substance use disorder statistically smoke more cigarettes – so much so, that despite only representing 25% of the U.S. adult population, this cohort consumes 40% of the cigarettes sold in the country. That translates to two more packs per month than those without a mental health condition. 

And it’s no secret that living with a mental illness can be stressful. Some people turn to smoking as a way to cope with symptoms and handle stressful life events. Overall, 18 million people with mental illness use cigarettes at a higher rate than those without mental illness. 

But quitting smoking has transformative effects. Studies show that after six months, those who have quit smoking are less stressed than they were when they smoked. Quitting smoking can actually help rebuild your body’s dopamine levels, make your food taste better, put more money in your wallet, encourage activity, and lead to better health. Combined, that translates directly to a better mood, and the potential for increased mental health.