NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 2009-- Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY) today announced the appointment of William D. Novelli to the company's Board of Directors. Novelli most recently served as chief executive officer of AARP, an organization representing more than 40 million people 50 years of age and older. He is now a distinguished professor in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.

"Bill Novelli is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable and experienced individuals in the world in the fields of healthcare, social marketing and social change," said Ben R. Leedle Jr., Healthways chief executive officer. "He has enjoyed an extraordinary career that has benefitted millions of people and left an enduring mark on the American experience. We are delighted to welcome him to the Healthways Board and greatly look forward to the benefit of his knowledge and leadership.”

Prior to joining AARP, Novelli was president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a counterforce to the tobacco industry and its special interests. He still serves that organization as Chairman of the Board. Novelli has also served as executive vice president of CARE, the world’s largest private relief and development organization, where he was responsible for all operations in the United States and abroad.

Earlier, Novelli co-founded and was president of Porter Novelli, now one of the world’s largest public relations agencies and part of the Omnicom Group. He retired from the firm in 1990 to pursue a second career in public service. He was named one of the most influential public relations professionals of the 20th century by the industry’s leading publication.

Over the course of his career, Novelli has managed programs in cancer control, diet and nutrition, cardiovascular health, reproductive health, infant survival, pay increases for educators, charitable giving and other programs in the United States and the developing world.

"I strongly believe in the Healthways mission and business model, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be associated with an organization that is positively impacting the lives of so many people,” Novelli said. “Healthways has been visionary over the course of the company’s history in bringing to market programs and solutions that deliver solid results in terms of prevention, health promotion and chronic care management. The demand for those solutions will continue to grow, allowing Healthways to continue to drive improved health, well-being and productivity for millions of people around the world.”

Novelli, who resides in Bethesda, Maryland, serves on a number of other boards and advisory committees. He holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. from Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication and pursued doctoral studies at New York University.

He taught marketing management for 10 years in the University of Maryland’s M.B.A. program, where he also taught health communications. Novelli has lectured at many other institutions and has written numerous articles and chapters on marketing management, marketing communication and social marketing for journals, periodicals and textbooks.

His book, 50+: Give Meaning and Purpose to the Best Time of Your Life, was updated in 2008.

About Healthways

Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and well-being and, as a result, reduce overall costs. Healthways’ solutions are designed to help healthy individuals stay healthy, mitigate and slow the progression to disease associated with family or lifestyle risk factors and promote the best possible health for those already affected by disease. Our proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Healthways also provides a national, fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional healthcare system. For more information, please visit www.healthways.com.

Source: Healthways, Inc.

Healthways, Inc.
Todd Hastings, 615-614-5358
todd.hastings@healthways.com