Just for the Health of It

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Dealing with her own health challenges, Kelly Price was looking for a way to make better lifestyle choices more consistently. So, when she heard that Life and Work Connections (LWC) was looking for a UA FM Health and Wellness Ambassador, she volunteered, seeing it as an opportunity to become more focused on her own health, but also as a way to encourage fellow employees to get a better handle on their health. 

Wellness Ambassadors are "employee volunteers who play a key role in promoting workplace wellness and strengthening a culture of well-being at the University of Arizona. Serving as liaisons between individual units and Life & Work Connections, Wellness Ambassadors are able to guide and energize wellness initiatives on the local level. Wellness Ambassadors provide their units with:

• Regular communications about wellness initiatives, opportunities, and resources.
• Assistance in generating and developing ideas to meet local wellness needs and interests.
• Support in the coordination and implementation of wellness activities (e.g., walking groups, health challenges, mindfulness breaks).
• Encouragement to co-workers interested in participating in University wellness initiatives.

In the past, Kelly had been involved with other workplace health and wellness committees and efforts and was aware of the issues involved and
what it takes to get people involved in managing their own health. She says that LWC has great programs and services for UArizona staff, like: 

• Free Flu Shot Clinics,
• Preventative Health Screenings, 
• ComPsych short-term mental health services, 
• Back-up care for employee dependents, 
• Health Impact Program (HIP) and Virgin Pulse App 

Managed by the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA), "the Health Impact Program (HIP) is an award-winning well-being program designed to help you make small, everyday changes to experience better health. All benefits-eligible employees can participate in the HIP program." It uses the Virgin Pulse App to track participation in healthy habits and initiatives to gain points towards up to $200 per year in incentives.

Kelly says that UAFM employees, while probably being more physically active than most, still face the same stresses of too much to do in the allotted time. This can lead to poor diet choices and inadequate rest and relaxation. Early morning work schedules sometimes make it harder to maintain a good diet and fitness habits before leaving the house each morning. She sees the Virgin Pulse App as a way to be reminded periodically about the importance of such habits.

^{Reprinted from Facilitator, November 2023, Volume 126, University of Arizona - Business Affairs, University Facilities Services}