Now more than ever, UVA Health System is committed to making its environment the safest place to receive and give care. Ensuring the health and well-being of the those who make up the UVA team and their spouses is paramount to reaching this goal.
That’s why UVA has adopted the new BeWell wellness initiative. Covered by UVA’s health insurance plan, the program aims to help UVA colleagues and their loved ones make lasting health changes. How? With one-on-one, personalized coaching every step of the way.
The BeWell journey begins with a visit to a primary care provider. Starting in January, community-based providers like you could see an influx of patients requesting a wellness visit. Based on your recommendations from this office visit, your patients will then work with a UVA BeWell Patient Advocate to follow through on your prevention and lifestyle modification instructions.
As the program progresses, BeWell Patient Advocates will provide each participant the education, encouragement and guidance needed to access community resources, overcome obstacles and make healthy choices. At the end of the pilot in December 2017, they’ll be rewarded monetarily if their personal health goals are achieved.
“Our goal is to be the healthiest place to work,” says Daniel F. McCarter, Medical Director, Well Virginia ACO. “If we can give our employees the support they need to adopt a healthy lifestyle, then there is a very good chance we can impact the health of entire communities as that knowledge and awareness spreads through families and beyond. We hope that referring providers will partner with us to ensure their patients can take advantage of this unique program.”
How You Can Help
UVA appreciates all you do for its employees and their families, and it is the desire of UVA Health System that these patients remain in your care. Should your UVA-employed patients wish to participate in the BeWell program, take a look at the following helpful tips:
- BeWell participants will require an initial wellness exam at the start of the program to establish a baseline.
- Exam results must be documented on the BeWell form, which should be provided by the patient, but can be found on EpicCare Link.
- In most cases, the initial BeWell consultation can be billed as a preventive visit and will not require a copay. Should the patient require additional labs or testing, these items should be billed separately and may incur a fee. (Documentation of these test results will be required.)
- The 2017 BeWell Phase II will run from January 3, 2017-April 15, 2017; a wellness exam must be completed within that timeframe in order for participants to receive their reward.
- Participants may require a follow-up exam at the end of the program depending on the goals they set.
- Primary care providers are encouraged to discuss BeWell health goals with their patients and make recommendations, such as tobacco cessation or weight loss.
Through BeWell, UVA is working to build best practices and prove that personalized wellness coaching works. For this phase of the program, UVA will invite 3,000 employees and their family members from across UVA Medical Center, UVA School of Medicine, UVA Physicians Group, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, UVA School of Nursing and the University of Virginia to ensure they are addressing a variety of healthcare needs.
If you have any questions about the BeWell program, please call 434.243.6388 or email BeWell@virginia.edu.