Case Western Reserve’s expanded wellness initiative kicks off this fall with a new medical director and two measures designed to help employees improve their health.
“The well-being of our community directly affects our ability to achieve our academic mission,” President Barbara R. Snyder said. “The better that faculty, staff and students feel, the more vibrant and dynamic our entire campus will be.”
Starting today, faculty and staff can complete free and confidential online Health Risk Appraisals (HRAs) by visiting www.case.edu/hra. The appraisals ask participants questions about smoking, drinking, diet, exercise and other factors that influence well-being. Each individual who completes the appraisal will receive confidential, personalized feedback regarding the results.
While no one at the university will see any single person’s responses*, officials will receive aggregated data to identify trends and opportunities involving the campus community.
The closing date to complete an HRA is Saturday, Dec. 15. The overall results will be shared publicly in early 2013.
The university also will offer free health screenings at the benefits fair next month. Those who participate in the screenings before completing the Health Risk Appraisal can enter the information they glean from the screenings on their HRAs. The screenings include measures of blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose, among other factors, and will be offered on a walk-in basis throughout the benefits fair.
These two initiatives are among several that Elizabeth Click will help lead as the university’s new medical director. An assistant professor in the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Click possesses both scholarly and experiential knowledge of wellness promotion and management. Click’s scholarship and service at Case Western Reserve and, previously, at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, have focused squarely on factors that influence individuals and groups to change behaviors in positive ways.
In addition, Click spent 12 years as manager for wellness training at Progressive, one of the nation’s largest auto insurers. Progressive was among the country’s first major companies to launch a comprehensive wellness program, providing Click with firsthand understanding of the practices most likely to engage communities in adopting healthier behaviors.
Click earned her undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster and her doctorate in nursing from Case Western Reserve University.
As medical director for wellness initiatives, Click will work with the campus community to identify opportunities to encourage faculty and staff to adopt behaviors that contribute to enhanced health. The university already offers a handful of wellness initiatives; as the university receives additional aggregate data regarding employee health, Click will collaborate with university leaders to address additional needs and opportunities.
Meanwhile, those who complete an HRA have the opportunity to win prizes like Visa gift cards, 1-2-1 Fitness Center memberships, and iPads. Watch The Daily for more information about these award opportunities.
For more information regarding wellness at Case Western Reserve, contact: wellness@case.edu or visit case.edu/wellness.
*This is an IRB-approved effort at the University of Michigan. The university’s data warehouse is maintained in a secure environment. All data is de-identified to further ensure confidentiality.