health information and wellness health information and wellness task force final report december 15,...

Health Information and Wellness

Health Information and Wellness Task Force

Final Report

December 15, 2006

Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more

necessary because health is worth more than learning

-Thomas Jefferson


Task Force Members:

Wendy Dodd (Co-Chair) Mike SlocumWarren Hills (Co-Chair) Dave StevensBritta Dahlberg Steve StrattonSusan Davis Paul SullivanKim Hancock Allen SutherbyTom Liszewski Shelly VandePanneDenise Mitten Joe VivianoBill Papo Kevin WalshMarcy Parry Brenda WaltonZack Potter Glen Zobel


1. How do we help employees be aware of the benefits available to them?

2. How may we best use services available to the University community both on-campus and in the community?

3. What would be considered University standards for health and wellness?

4. How do we create a campus culture of wellness?

5. How do we raise campus awareness of health issues?


Best Practices – Other Universities/Colleges

Cornell

University of Kentucky

University of Miami

University of Pittsburg

Pepperdine University

http://www.pepperdine.edu/wellness/

http://www.pepperdine.edu/wellness/


Best Practices – Michigan Universities/Colleges

Grand Valley State University

Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Central Michigan University

Western Michigan University

Oakland University

http://www2.oakland.edu/wellness/

http://www2.oakland.edu/wellness/


Current On-Campus Resources

•Student Recreation Center, University Recreation – Students are members, discounted employee memberships, public memberships, equipment rental, health/fitness classes, ropes course, aquatics program, outdoor trips, weight and fitness center.•Racquet and Fitness Center – Student memberships, discounted employee memberships, public memberships, health/fitness classes, tennis, racquetball, and walleyball courts, equipment rental, and a pro shop.•Wink Ice Arena – Ice rental, skate repair and sharpening, figure skating and hockey events and organizations.


Current On-Campus Resources (cont.)

•Katke Golf Course – Discounted employee and student memberships, public memberships for golfing with pro shop.•College of Allied Health – Dental Hygiene Clinic.•College of Optometry – Optometry Clinic.•FSU Dining Services – On-line health information, Registered Dietician on staff.•Birkam Health Center – Wellness-health counseling, immunizations, mental health counseling, employee workers’ compensation services.•Minority Student Affairs – Virtual Women’s Center.


Current On-Campus Resources (cont.)

•FSU Human Resources – Annual Benefits Fair, HR Benefits website, benefit provider counseling and information sessions, employee assistance program, ergonomic evaluations, safety training.•Academic Classes in Health, Wellness, Physical Education and Nutrition.•On-campus committees include Social Norming, Academic Senate on Health Information and Substance Abuse Prevention and several Registered Student Organizations.•Residence Life – Resident Advisors are required to provide Health & Wellness programs as part of their programming requirements each semester•Residence Life – Health, Wellness, & Substance Free Housing – Miller Hall.


On-Campus Websites

Counseling Center FSU Human Resources

FSUS Class Website Dental Hygiene Clinic

Virtual Women’s Center Optometry Clinic

Birkam Health Center FSU Dining Services

Univ. Recreation, Racquet/Tennis, Katke


Off-Campus Resources

•Big Rapids Department of Recreation – Health/wellness classes and groups, volleyball leagues, community pool.•Mecosta County Medical Center – Speciality clinics and education, out-patient physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition counseling.•PT Plus – Exercise equipment, health/fitness counseling, physical therapy, corporate (FSU) discount memberships.•TNT Gym and Tanning - Exercise equipment, health/fitness counseling.•Holiday Inn – Health center memberships, pool.


Health/Wellness Websites of Interest

http://www.SPARKPEOPLE.com – Health information, fitness/dietary planning.http://www.acha.org/info_resources/hc2010.cfm - American College Health Association (ACHA) site for reporting national college health objectives and access to “Healthy Campus 2010” report.http://www.acefitness.org/ - American Council on Exercise

http://www.sparkpeople.com/


For Benefits-Eligible FSU Employees

http://www.mibcn.com - Michigan BCBS Community Blue Networkhttp://www.messa.org – MESSAhttp://www.priority-health.com – Priority Health HMO

http://www.mibcn.com/

http://www.mibcn.com/


Consensus Recommendations

1. An easily identifiable link on the FSU home page to a separate Health and Wellness site, with one click presence. 2. A separate Health and Wellness web site that is a “one-stop shopping” guide to all University (and community) health related services and facilities. 3. A link on the University Events Calendar to Health and Wellness events. 4. A hard copy, one page (front and back), newsletter published bi-monthly discussing employee health coverage and wellness issues affecting students and staff.


Consensus Recommendations (cont.)

5. Provide recognition and awareness of health related services and facilities in the new employee orientation, i.e. brochures.6. Heighten promotion of health and wellness activities at the annual health fair.7. Assess the current state and needs of employee wellness. 8. Hire a Health and Wellness Coordinator on campus. 9. Establish funding for Wellness incentives and programming on campus.


Charge 1 Recommendations: “How do we help employees be aware of the benefits available to them?"

* Evaluation and publication of the effects of the incentive activities as they relate to employee health insurance premiums, absenteeism, student visits to the Birkham Health Center and any other measurable factors. * Regular notification to each employee of the cost of his/her wage and benefits package. Individual benefit costs and aggregate totals to be delineated.* Continued use of University Wide Notices.


Charge 2 Recommendations: “How may we best use services available to the University community both on-campus and in the community?”

* Define organization for on-going health/wellness responsibility and support – includes establishing who is responsible (single or multiple persons), reporting structure, and budgeting.* Develop methods to evaluate on-going success of health/wellness project(s).


Charge 3 Recommendations: “What would be considered University standards for health and wellness?”

Proposed Definition of Wellness:“Wellness is a quality of optimal health and well-being that includes the whole person and a way of life that reduces the need for remedies or interventions. Wellness emphasizes personal responsibility for making lifestyle and self-care decisions that improve quality and length of life and prevent disease. Wellness includes the following six dimensions: physical, emotional, intellectual, environmental, social, and spiritual health.”

Proposed Health/Wellness Standards:

•The University shall promote a wellness and optimal health lifestyle that recognizes and enhances the personal, professional, and academic well-being of students, faculty, and staff. •The University will support ideas and practices which promote optimal health of the campus community and investigate practices that discourage wellness on campus.

•Campus health and wellness promotion must include the idea that while the University can positively influence and promote well-being, individuals must take responsibility for improving their own health and wellness.

•The University will address wellness by creating and developing goals and objectives that promote optimal health among university members along all “six dimensions of wellness.”

•Physical health standards address body mass index (BMI), body composition, nutrition, tobacco cessation, substance abuse, dental health, physical activity, and recreation.

•Emotional health standards address stress and depression, good mental health in university activities, classrooms and residence halls settings, sexual assault prevention, and good communication practice in all university settings.

•The intellectual dimension of wellness, directly related to the mission of the University, includes the need to continually research, recognize, and implement optimal learning and teaching methods in and outside the classroom to develop the whole (person) student.

•Environmental health standards address injury prevention, work and classroom safety, hazardous materials, and communicable disease.

•The social dimension of wellness will be addressed in terms of improving and enhancing good communication and interpersonal relationships between and among individuals and groups on campus.

•The spiritual dimension of wellness will address the meaning or value of life, as well as understanding and expressing ones purpose in life. It addresses values and ethics as well as nurturing your mind-body.

Proposed Health/Wellness Goals:NUTRITIONBMI (body mass index) for the average person (non-athlete/body builder) should be 18-25.

Daily intake of 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables is highly desirable.Eat foods in their natural state, when possible, avoiding highly refined, “engineered” foods.

Eat more whole-grain foods, instead of white rice, white flour, white noodles, etc.

Drink clean water, free of harmful chemicals.

• Fat intake should not exceed 30%of total daily calories, with more unrefined, plant-based fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil ) preferred over animal fats and highly refined oils. Saturated fat intake should be limited. Trans-fats and partially hydrogenated fats should be avoided as much as possible.

• Offer more vegetarian entrees in cafeterias, with use of beans, nuts and seeds as protein sources, instead of meat and dairy foods.

• Avoid high-fructose corn syrup, foods laden with preservatives and chemical additives, excessive salt or caffeine, and genetically modified foods.

•Fat intake should not exceed 30%of total daily calories, with more unrefined, plant-based fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil ) preferred over animal fats and highly refined oils. Saturated fat intake should be limited. Trans-fats and partially hydrogenated fats should be avoided as much as possible.

•Offer more vegetarian entrees in cafeterias, with use of beans, nuts and seeds as protein sources, instead of meat and dairy foods.

•Avoid high-fructose corn syrup, foods laden with preservatives and chemical additives, excessive salt or caffeine, and genetically modified foods.

TOBACCO CESSATION•It is desirable for everyone to stop using tobacco.•Discourage smoking in all public areas of campus.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE•For persons of legal age alcohol intake should not exceed 2 drinks/day (one

drink = one 12 oz. beer or wine cooler, one 5 oz. glass of wine, or 1.5 oz. of 80 proof distilled spirits).•The use of illegal substances, or use of another person’s legal scheduled

(regulated) drugs is prohibited on campus.

DENTAL HEALTH•Good daily dental hygiene (brushing, flossing, decreasing sweets) is advised.•Regular dental check-ups are advised.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY and HEALTH•Incorporate exercise into daily routine, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking the car farther away, walking or biking instead of driving, taking evening walks after dinner, getting together to exercise instead of eat.•Provide incentives for yearly screenings.•Cardiovascular exercise is recommended 4-5 days/week, 30-minute sessions.•Strength-building exercises are recommended 2-3 days/week, 20-30-minute sessions.•Stretching exercises are recommended 4-5 days/week, 10-15-minute sessions.

INJURY PREVENTION AND SAFETYEveryone should have a safety mindset, understanding that actions we take can affect the safety of others.Use of safety equipment, when appropriate, is imperative.Report potential hazards to supervisory personnel.Personnel working in manual labor jobs should be taught how to lift properly.

EMOTIONAL HEALTHImprove mental health, increase the proportion of students obtaining mental health services and ensure access to appropriate quality mental health services.Maintain a workplace free of harassment. Promote a home free of abuse.

SPIRITUALOpportunity for all people to express their beliefs in a safe environment without academic or workplace reprisal.


Charge 4 Recommendations: “How do we create a campus culture of wellness?”

•Expand upon healthy dining alternatives in dining centers.•Administrative support, role modeling and leadership are required. •Create a walking culture on campus.

•Encourage walking meetings•Less parking on the interior of campus.

•Encourage and set aside 60 minutes a week for employee wellness activities.•Charge a “Twinkie tax” on unhealthy choices to subsidize healthier choices. For example, catering could charge more for a cookie platter and less for the fruit platter.


Charge 4 Recommendations: “How do we create a campus culture of wellness?”

•Enhance the current Health and Wellness objective in FSUS classes to include a set curriculum based on a program at Kansas State University.•Move ash trays the correct distance from doorways.•Provide vending machines containing “healthy” foods and drinks.•Allow bikes on campus in the winter.•Emphasize current standard of 25 feet away from all campus buildings, working with Physical Plant for proper placement and regular cleaning of ashtrays.•Order healthy foods for meetings and functions on campus.


Charge 5 Recommendations: “How do we raise campus awareness of health issues?”

* Promote campus awareness of health and wellness issues through advertising and marketing methods that utilize on campus professionals and students.

- Incorporate educational health and wellness chalking into community service work.- Place clear informational placemat holders in stalls and above urinals in bathroom- Place table tents in dining centers, coffee shop, lounges and food places. -Secure a monthly page in the Torch to dedicate to health issues.

- Create a position of ‘Health Editor’ to coordinate issues.- Send weekly e-mails to the campus community encouraging

exercising and healthy eating.


Charge 5 Recommendations: “How do we raise campus awareness of health issues?” (cont.)

* Offer competitive on campus fitness challenges, i.e thermometers, maps, and graphs.

* Add weekly health polls on a centralized health web page.


Charge 5 Recommendations: “How do we raise campus awareness of health issues?” (cont.)

* Present Health and Wellness information during student and employee orientations.

- Include brochures in information sent to students- Set up a table at freshman orientation to provide parents

and students with health and wellness information.- Give employees information about campus and community

resources available to them.

*Inform and utilize current on campus committees to share above initiatives.- Faculty Senate- Social Norming- Student Government


* Adopt a General Education requirement of one credit hour in either physical education or health awareness for baccalaureate graduation, effective for the entering class of Fall 2008. * Create incentives to encourage students to take existing health, physical education & wellness courses.* Create a master plan by month dedicated to a single health and wellness topic.* Continue hosting an annual health & wellness week on campus.


Conclusion“As a University, we have many on campus resources, facilities, students and staff to assist in a collaborative effort to bring awareness to health and wellness issues. The Task Force found that there are several departments currently offering wellness programming and activities on campus. Programs and activities range from Wellness Wednesday’s, an employee Poker Walk, and our current speaker series theme ‘A Wealth of Knowledge about Health in College.’ These events have seen limited response from employees. Campus supervisors need to be encouraged to promote and accommodate participation in these events.


Conclusion ContinuedA health assessment has recently been conducted on our students. A similar assessment should be done on our FSU employees. A common “best practice” among all other campus programs mentioned is an on campus contact person to coordinate group efforts and provide programming and personal training. Another “best practice” would be to have funding available for groups wishing to promote health and wellness initiatives and campaigns. A well designed program with strong organizational leadership could be a powerful tool to encourage, educate, and support healthy, productive employees and students.”

“Our health always seems much more valuable after we lose it.” -Anonymous

health information and wellness health information and wellness task force final report december 15,...

Documents

wellness health information

health wellness programs

separate health

mental health counseling

wellness current

wellness site

priority health hmo

campus culture of wellness