Wellness for All the Southcoast Health Plan Offers All Employees Resources to Live Healthier Lives
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January 2 012 A not-for-profit, charitable organization. wellness fOR all The Southcoast Health Plan offers all employees resources to live healthier lives. s the new year rolls around, many of us pledge to do something to improve our health — get more a exercise, lose a few pounds, stop smoking, de-stress our lives, the list goes on. But sometimes it can be difficult to find the resources and support needed to turn these desires into realities. That is where the new Southcoast Health Plan comes in with even more wellness options — and all employees can use it. “The goal of the Southcoast Health Plan is to help create a not they purchase health insurance through Southcoast. culture of wellness throughout the organization,” said David “HealthQuest gives employees tools to help identify health DeJesus Jr., Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “Our aim risks and maintain or improve their health and well-being,” said is to help employees improve their health so they can be at their Kris Aimone, Wellness Coordinator. Offerings include: best both while at work and at home with their families.” • Free biometric health screenings. “Many employees think that the Southcoast Health Plan • HealthQuest Assessment. is health insurance and that only people who purchase their • Education classes. insurance through Southcoast are eligible to use its components,” • A personalized website. said Beth Barker, Director of Compensation & Benefits. “But health • Weight loss management programs. insurance is just a portion of what the Southcoast Health Plan • Quit smoking programs. offers. It also provides a wide variety of resources to all employees • Events and competitions. to help them lead healthier, more productive lives.” • Health programs. • Health coaching. HealthQuest Wellness Program • Incentives to motivate and reward healthy behavior. The HealthQuest Wellness Program is part of the Southcoast Visit the HealthQuest page of the intranet for more information. Health Plan and is open to all Southcoast employees whether or continued on page 2 CHARLTON THE INTERVIEW CHARITABLE Robert Caldas, DO TRUSTS PLEDGES $2 MILLION 5 8 Health Plan continued from cover The HealthQuest website — www.southcoasthealthquest.org — from the American Dietetic Association. They can help develop powered by WebMD, is a health portal that can be accessed at work a unique meal plan that considers personal preferences and or home, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any employee can lifestyle, and provide hands-on tools to make better choices in log on to the site and receive personalized and private health the supermarket, during meal preparation, while snacking and information, search for specific health topics and complete the eating out. HealthQuest Assessment (HQA). The site includes a health record Southcoast also offers employees resources to help achieve a where individuals can keep track of their health information healthy weight. Create Your Weight is the National Sodexo adult including immunizations, procedures, diet, exercise, blood pressure, weight management program that focuses on appetite awareness to weight and stress management. help users change their behaviors for permanent weight loss. The Nutritional Services page of the Southcoast intranet provides more Free biometric health screenings offered on site at many information on Create Your Weight. Southcoast locations take approximately 15 minutes and include Southcoast also offers the OPTIFAST® program, which utilizes total cholesterol, glucose, bloo d pressure and BMI. Biometric meal replacement, comprehensive lifestyle education and personalized screenings are expected to begin this month. support. Southcoast is offering a 50 percent discount on weekly Health Coaching is offered group sessions to Southcoast employees, physicians and volunteers. through WebMD to employees ** Visit www.southcoast.org/weightloss/optifast.html for details Helpful Contact Information who qualify based on their on OPTIFAST . HQA results and who exhibit a The Southcoast HealthQuest website also offers a weight Kris Aimone, Wellness Coordinator readiness to make changes to 508-679-7417 or 67-7417 management lifestyle improvement program tool that includes [email protected] via Meditech their lifestyle. It is free to eligible exercise and meal planners and educational material. participants and takes place Create Your Weight through strictly confidential, Employee & Occupational Health 508-961-5161 one-on-one phone conversations Employee & Occupational Health provide a broad spectrum of Employee Assistance Program with health coaches who are services to help keep employees healthy on the job. Services they Fall River: 508-679-7171 behavioral specialists with provide include care management for work-related injuries and New Bedford: 508-990-3772 degrees in health sciences. illness, ergonomic reviews of workstations, free flu vaccinations, Wareham and other areas: 888-543-4120 pre-placement physical examinations, tuberculosis screenings and One-on-One Nutritional Counseling Employee Assistance more. Refer to the Southcoast intranet for more information. Call Centralized Scheduling at 800-276-0103 Program (EAP) or 63-3900 to schedule a one-on-one EAP is a comprehensive, free Southcoast Health Plan - Insurance appointment with a dietitian. counseling benefit that is offered Southcoast Health System offers a top-quality health insurance OPTIFAST Program as a confidential resource to all plan that provides great flexibility and an extensive network of Stacy Medeiros, 508-525-3114 Southcoast Health System and physicians at the best possible value for our employees. Southcoast Southcoast Physician Services is self-insured and utilizes the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care network, employees and the family which administers the plan. Employees who work at least 24 weekly control hours are eligible to enroll in health insurance coverage. Finding a Primary Care Physician members who live with them. Appointments can be scheduled * Health insurance coverage includes both medical and prescription All Southcoast Health Plan - Insurance with licensed professional staff at benefits. Log on the www.southcoasthealthplan.org for more Members are required to designate a confidential locations in Fall information. Primary Care Physician. Subscribers can River, New Bedford and “It is important for employees to remember that they don’t log on to www.southcoasthealthplan.org Wareham. An EAP counselor have to be a member of Southcoast’s health insurance plan to take to elect or change their PCP. Employees is available by pager for advantage of many of the wellness programs we offer,” Barker said. looking for a PCP should consider the many emergencies, 24 hours a day. “As an organization, we want all employees to maximize their health Southcoast primary care physicians now for the benefit of themselves, their families and our patients.” accepting new patients. For information on Issues that can be addressed “As the leading health care organization and the largest employer Southcoast primary care physicians log on through the EAP include: in the region it is our obligation to set an example for healthy living to www.southcoast.org/sps/. Choosing • Stress. to our communities,” DeJesus said. “The many programs we offer a Southcoast PCP gives employees the • Relationship problems. help us along that path and we hope all employees will take advantage of having a physician that is advantage of them.” directly connected with other Southcoast • Parenting issues. • Financial difficulties. physicians and services to help provide more Southcoast Health Plan comprehensive care. In addition, employees • Elder care. Insurance(s) – for employees who purchase with Southcoast health insurance enjoy the • Substance abuse. Wellness – for ALL employees health insurance through Southcoast best rates for co-pays. • Work conflicts. HealthQuest Health insurance • Emotional or psychiatric issues. Employee/Occupational Health Prescription Plan No names or other identifying information is reported to Southcoast. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Dental insurance (purchased separately) Contact with the EAP is kept strictly confidential. Refer to the Southcoast intranet for more information. Weight Management Flexible Spending Account for Medical costs Health Coaching Personal Health Management Weight Management Weight Management** One-on-one nutrition counseling is a personalized approach to meeting nutritional needs. Southcoast’s outpatient nutrition * Refer to Employee Flexible Benefit Program for specifications. counselors are registered dietitians, most with graduate degrees and ** Beginning this month, Southcoast employees who have Southcoast health insurance and a body mass index of 30 or higher will be able to enroll in the Create Your Weight advanced certification in adult and pediatric weight management and OPTIFAST programs free of charge as long as they meet program criteria. COasTlInes 2 Tobey Hospital receives Baby-friendly Designation First community hospital in Massachusetts to receive prestigious designation obey Hospital became the first community hospital to receive Baby-Friendly T Designation from Baby Friendly USA, in June 2011, and only the third Massachusetts facility to achieve the prestigious goal . “Tobey Hospital met numerous requirements to achieve the the best care to our breastfeeding families. I see this as a Baby-Friendly Designation including the practice of ‘rooming in’ positive step forward for Southcoast Hospitals’ breastfeeding