With the number of UVA BeWell participants reaching 5,000 enrollees, chances are you have been seeing more University of Virginia employees and their spouses in your clinics this year. BeWell participants are required to have a preventive care exam as part of this employee wellness initiative, and they must do so prior to April 28 to fulfill the program requirements and be eligible for a monetary reward.
Your recommendations during this initial exam give UVA BeWell Patient Advocates a road map to help your patients establish realistic, attainable health goals and follow through on prevention and lifestyle modifications that can have a significant impact on their physical and emotional wellbeing. “Access is key,” says Novella Thompson, manager of the BeWell Patient Advocacy Program. “We want to continue to develop a relationship with referring physicians and partner with them to encourage our employees to take better care of themselves.”
There is no obligation for the employee to participate in BeWell, however those who do receive the following benefits and incentives, all covered by the UVA Health Plan:
- Up to $500 (possibly more) for taking part and achieving health goals they set.
- A personal health coach to help set and meet realistic goals
- Six free sessions with a licensed professional counselor or social worker to help overcome anxiety, depression or any behavioral health issue
- Free consultation with a pharmacist
- Access to a BeWell nurse, yoga therapist, exercise physiologist or dietitian
- Access to a diabetes prevention program, if needed
- Fruits and vegetables provided (participants must meet certain criteria to take part in the Fresh Farmacy prescription program)
- Medications delivered to their work desk
First-year results from the invitation-only pilot program have exceeded expectations, according to Thompson. As a result, BeWell will be open to all 20,000 people insured under the UVA Health Plan beginning January 2018.
“BeWell was created by Dr. Richard Shannon [Executive Vice President for Health Affairs], and our chief development officer, Charlotte Perkins. The program focus is to take better care of our team members and in turn enable them to take better care of themselves,” says Thompson. “ The goal is to not just talk about our employees being our greatest asset but to really put the rubber to the road and prove it.”
If you have any questions about the BeWell program, please call 434.243.6388 or email BeWell@virginia.edu.