Knowing your biometric screening numbers can create awareness of potential health issues and help you target improved health goals, and a new UAB Employee Wellness program will help you do just that. My Health Rewards, a voluntary program beginning in 2015, will be offered to all benefit-eligible employees on an active UAB health plan.
“My Health Rewards is all about building a healthier UAB community,” said Meg Baker, director of Employee Wellness. “We’re going to offer specific initiatives, such as on-site biometric screenings and interventions, to reduce employees’ health risks and improve health outcomes.”
The program will begin by offering free biometric screenings at several locations across campus. The screenings will measure employees’ glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), height, weight, calculated body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure and pulse rate. Participating employees will receive a health-risk profile and targeted messaging to help them set and achieve their health goals.
“We’ve tried to make the screenings as convenient as possible,” Baker said. “We’ve spread them across campus so they’re just a short walk from all locations, and the screening itself will take 15 minutes.”
Screenings will be held Feb. 23-March 6, 2015, with the possibility of an additional week depending on demand. Employees will have to register online for the screenings beginning Jan. 26. A full list of screening sites will be available on the registration page.
Securing employee informationBaker said protecting personal health information is one of the most important considerations when implementing a biometric screening program. For that reason, Summit Health, an industry leader in on-site biometric screenings, will perform the screenings and ChipRewards will securely store employee health information.
“It’s important to note that UAB will not have access to protected health information,” Baker said. “We will receive only aggregate reporting on our population to establish a baseline from which improvements can be measured.”
| "It's important to note that UAB will not have access to protected health information. We will only receive aggregate reporting on our population to establish a baseline from which improvements can be measured." |
Baker said the baseline data will be used to create more specific initiatives.
“Before Employee Wellness can build and add additional programs and interventions, we first have to identify the health risks across the employee population,” Baker said. “The aggregate data will identify areas in which we need to direct our efforts.”
Benefits of participatingBaker said there are benefits to having a health and wellness program in addition to reducing health-care costs.
“When your employees are healthy, they are typically happier,” Baker said. “Having a program such as My Health Rewards can attract and retain talented employees, foster team-building and improve morale.”
Because the program is voluntary, there is no penalty for not participating. Employees who are unable to attend screenings and have had a recent physical, can participate in the program by having their physician complete and return a form. The form will be available in 2015.
In 2016, participating employees will be rescreened, and those who have maintained a healthy status or have improved their health will be eligible for an incentive. Details regarding the incentive will be announced in 2015.
Participants in the program will receive targeted messaging on ways to improve their health through Employee Wellness, Weight Loss Medicine/Eat Right Program, the Campus Recreation Center, Hospital Health Club and Employee Assistance and Counseling Center. Informational lunch-and-learn series will be offered to participants throughout the year. More information will be added to the My Health Rewards website in early 2015.
“UAB is committed to fostering a community that encourages healthy living,” Baker said. “We want to connect our employees to programs that can help them with their specific health goals. Prevention and intervention is key to staying healthy.”
