Alan Dotts, senior director of information technology for the Center for Statistics and Survey Methodology, receives his flu shot from Licensed Practical Nurse Beverley Jones on Monday. The Employee Flu Shot Clinic, an example of a free, proactive strategy to stay healthy, continues through October 20 (weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at 1218 State Gym . Enter through the south doors of the building. Photo by Christopher Gannon.
One way to limit the impact of changes The university’s 2024 health care plan is for employees to prioritize self-care and use available resources. Every employee’s situation is different and meaningful changes may not be possible for everyone, but ISU Wellness Coordinator Stephanie Downs suggests starting with the Adventure2 self evaluation.
Questions
For more information on resources offered by ISU WellBeing or Adventure2, email wellness@iastate.edu.
“The assessment covers many areas, including job stress, finances, preventative medicine and a wide range of wellness,” she said. “It’s important to have an assessment of your real situation. It’s a great way to examine yourself and see where you are doing well and where you might be able to make improvements. There is change coming in the next few months and it is an important time, so it is a good time to take more care of yourself.
One of the keys to adapting to any type of change is setting structured goals, Downs said. Make sure the goals make sense and that you can realistically achieve them.
“Start small, stick with it, find ways to stick with it, but know that just because it works for one person doesn’t mean it might not work for you,” she said. “Some things seem basic, but it can be as simple as making sure we get enough sleep. That’s something we tend to overlook as a campus.”
Start with preventive care
Downs urges employees to take time between now and Jan. 1 to review a growing list of preventive health services authorized by the federal Affordable Care Act of 2010. Services listed will be fully covered with no co-pays or coinsurance in HMO and PPO plans. Starting in 2024, even the office’s copay is waived for these services, which include annual wellness exams, immunizations and many types of health and mental health screenings.
“Personal responsibility to make sure you’re taking advantage of appropriate screenings is important. These screenings help catch things earlier when they’re easier to treat,” Downs said.
Mental Health
Many factors contribute to our mental health. Employees who want to speak to a professional have that option – by phone, virtually or in person. THE Employee Assistance Program provides professional clinicians available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, at no cost.
“If you’re overwhelmed, angry or frustrated, this is a great place to vent and release some of that emotion,” Downs said. “This is a safe place that can help us solve this problem.”
Resource Advisors for Employees and Families are available to employees by appointment by calling 800-327-4692. Online options include online therapeutic assistance, which offers an online self-care option that helps users develop important skills. Workday Learning also offers several mental health training courses by logging into Workday and searching for “Mental Wellness for Faculty and Staff.”
ISU WellBeing also maintains a comprehensive list of mental health resourcesgoing from campus to across the country.
Financial health
Employees may have more expenses associated with their healthcare, but planning a little in advance can minimize the impact on a budget.
ALEX is a virtual advisor who can help faculty and staff navigate Iowa State employee benefit options when considering their choices. This free tool is an interactive guide that explains how the services work, analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the different offers, asks questions that can help clarify choices and offers personalized suggestions on the services to select.
Blue 365a Wellmark program, offers discounts on a wide range of health and wellness items such as fitness memberships, shoes, mindfulness e-subscriptions and food products.
ISU Extension and Outreach hosts financial wellness workshops twice a year as part of the financial wellness program at work. The fall virtual workshop (12 p.m.-1 p.m., registration required) has started. Extension also provides website and blog Spend wisely. Eat smart.which offers tools for eating healthily on a limited budget and making smart purchases.
Adventure2 also offers several useful tools focused on budgeting and financial wellness. Users can search “Explore Activities” by topic and select financial wellness activities.
