As a part of the study the committee adopted a well campus initiative and formed a plan to include the following ideals:
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Keep healthy people healthy
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Help unhealthy people change their behavior to become healthier
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Support people with serious health issues
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Enable people to be more productive and satisfied in their life and their work.
The mission of the committee can best be stated as:
Wellness of all employees is of great importance to the continuance of the mission of Lee University. We can encourage employees to focus on a healthier lifestyle by implementation of a wellness program that pertains to all parts of the body from the physical to the spiritual and by providing tools to make better decisions in regard to physical exercise, weight control, mental health and personal wellness.
As a result of the study and the initiatives it is important to consider what changes will impact the Lee University family
a. Living well
i. Mental and Spiritual Health – Life Balance
b. Exercising well
i. Physical strengthening
c. Eating well
i. Weight control
ii. Considering health issues
d. U are special
i. We are concerned with everyone’s personal wellness
The following four areas of change were addressed and are presented as ways to make significant changes in your health.
The first area of concern is to determine each employee’s current health. This is done by an annual health assessment which includes both the employee’s personal self-assessment and a physical assessment done by a health provider.
Completion of the self-health assessment through the BlueCross BlueShield Blue Access website is done as a first step. A future date is set aside for each employee to attend a clinic to evaluate their physical condition through taking vital statistics such as, blood pressure, weight, height, cholesterol, etc. A fitness evaluation is included as part of the physical assessment.
Within the first week a personal counseling session with a professional is held to set wellness goals both short term and long term. During this counseling session a plan is written by the professional and the employee with clear steps to reach the goals set.
The second area of concern is provide education to help all members be successful in achieving a healthy lifestyle. During the goal setting meeting a recommendation may be made for the employee to enroll in the Healthy Lifestyle classes offered through the Health, Exercise Science and Secondary Education curriculum which includes portion control, eating out options, and choosing good exercise options.
Additional changes in lifestyle choices may be required. An anonymous employee assistance hotline for personal lifestyle issues is provided through the Employee Connect program.
Mentoring and accountability are recognized as excellent tools to assist employees stick to goals. With this in mind, a team environment is part of each employee’s plan. Assessment of goals accomplished, progress of individuals and challenges to include spiritual as well as emotional support is evaluated. Evaluations are done in six week periods.
The third area of impact is exercising well. Not only is there a need to consider eating and living well but increasing strength is a step to better health. To entice employees to consider changes to increase strength, rewards are offered for success with an exercise plan in five distinct levels. Participants in all levels must attend wellness events within each six week period.
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Level
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Title
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Wellness Events
required
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Points
(25%strength)
|
Award
|
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Entry Level
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White Oak
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(2)
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50 pts (12)
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T-Shirt
|
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Novice Level
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Chilhowee
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(3)
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125 (32)
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T-Shirt & $10 gift
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Intermediate
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Great Smoky
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(5)
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250 (64)
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T-Shirt & $25 gift
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Advanced Level
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Mt. McKinley
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(6)
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400 (100)
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T-Shirt, $50 gift, & drawing entry
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Expert Level
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Mt Everest
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(8)
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600 (150)
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T-Shirt, $75 gift, & drawing entry
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**25% of your points must come from strength points