Global Healthcare Activist and CEO Publishes Book

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Donato J. Tramuto, CEO of Healthways, Inc., philanthropist and global healthcare activist, is now also a published author with the release of Life’s Bulldozer Moments: How Adversity Leads to Success in Life and Business .

The book, published by Hamilton Books, an imprint of Rowman and Littlefield, reflects the challenges Tramuto has faced throughout his life that have inspired him to succeed against all odds, beginning with the loss of his hearing as a young boy, which was only partially restored years later.  Tramuto illustrates how adversity can build character and highlights the events that instilled in him the drive to dedicate his life to making the world a more fair and just place for others.

“In the healthcare industry, individuals are typically defined by their physical health or their mental health, but we often overlook story health – the experiences that define and transform our lives,” Tramuto said. “In my case, my hearing loss, the death of my sister-in-law in childbirth due to a medication error, the tragic loss of my brother and nephew, and the loss of my friends on 9/11, are moments that struck the very core of my being and challenged me to get back up and live with purpose for another day. I hope that this book will inspire others to share their ‘bulldozer moments’ by recognizing their story health matters.”

Because of his severe hearing loss, Tramuto was bullied and ridiculed as a youngster and was later rejected by nearly every college to which he applied, stating his hearing loss ‘disability’ as the reason. However, his tenacity enabled him to not only gain admission, but to graduate with honors and pursue a successful career in healthcare. Life’s Bulldozer Moments chronicles three decades of healthcare industry changes, and includes Tramuto’s ten principles of leadership.

“Life’s Bulldozer Moments demonstrates the power of harnessing personal loss and adversity to drive professional success and the power of leveraging professional success to effect social change,” said Senator William H. Frist, M.D. of Tennessee. “Donato’s professional story illustrates the unpredictable trajectory of the healthcare industry over the past thirty years, while his personal experiences gave him an unwavering determination to succeed in business and to improve the lives of others.”

In 2001, Tramuto launched The Tramuto Foundation, which will receive all proceeds from the sale of the book. The Tramuto Foundation was established in 2001 to help individuals and organizations achieve their healthcare and educational goals. To date, the Foundation has provided more than 30 grants and nearly 100 scholarships.

Driven by a passion to share his success with others, Tramuto also created Health eVillages, an international charitable organization that has provided healthcare professionals with hundreds of state-of-the-art mobile medical devices to diagnose and treat patients in some of the most challenging clinical environments. The program, which is supported in partnership with Healthways, Inc. and Sharecare, Inc, has contributed to a reduction in infant and maternal mortality in developing countries.

Tramuto has been widely recognized for his more than three-decade commitment to social change.  In 2014, he was honored, alongside Hillary Clinton, Robert DeNiro and Tony Bennett, with the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope award.

“With this book, Donato Tramuto’s descriptive phrase, ‘life’s bulldozer moments,’ has entered the American lexicon,” said Kerry Kennedy, President of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. “Donato’s message is simple and profound: material success in life and business is best used as a means to end suffering and create a more just and peaceful world.”

Tramuto serves on several executive leadership boards, including Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Boston University School of Public Health, Livongo Health Foundation, Brown University Healthcare Leadership Board, Sharecare, Inc., and Safe Harbor Compliance and Clinical Development. 

For more information about the author and Life’s Bulldozer Moments: How Adversity Leads to Success in Life and Business , please visit: www.tramutofoundation.com .

About   Healthways, Inc. Healthways, Inc. is a leading provider of fitness and health improvement programs, with strong capabilities in developing and managing network solutions. Through its existing three networks, SilverSneakers® - the nation’s leading fitness program for older adults, Prime® Fitness and Physical Medicine, Healthways, Inc. is focused on targeted population health for those 50 and over. With more than 13.5 million Americans eligible for SilverSneakers, over 10,000 fitness centers in the Prime Fitness Network, and approximately 30 years of clinical and operational expertise in the management of physical medicine benefits including chiropractic services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and complementary alternative medicine (CAM) services, the company touches millions of consumers across the country and works directly with hundreds of healthcare practitioners and many of the nation’s largest payers and employers. 

About Health eVillages Health eVillages is advancing healthcare collaboration and education by providing state-of-the-art mobile health technology including medical reference and clinical decision-support resources to medical professionals in the most challenging clinical environments around the world. Visit http://www.healthevillages.org / for more information, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Contact: Cindy Wakefield cindy.wakefield@healthways.com