Purdue invests in the health of its employees and their families
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is striving for healthier, happier and more productive employees through a program that provides free health screenings, health-risk appraisals and personalized health coaching.The Healthy Purdue program is designed to foster a greater sense of well being and to help control the increasing costs of health care by helping employees and their spouses engage in preventative care.
"Purdue University recognizes the vital importance of promoting the physical, mental and emotional health of its key resource — employees," said Mindy Paulet, director of WorkLife Programs. "Purdue's vision is to make this university the employer of choice for a most highly qualified and diverse work force."
Paulet said Purdue's wellness program differs from others because it is designed to actively reach out to employees and become incorporated into their daily lives. Purdue offers its employees and their spouses each $100 to receive the free screening and fill out a personal health report. The report is used to identify high-risk conditions and behaviors, provide written feedback and advice, and, if desired by the participant, launch voluntary, ongoing coaching by a health professional.
"Changing behaviors about your lifestyle and moving beyond barriers is the first step to a healthier you," said Julie Huetteman, a wellness specialist at WorkLife.
Purdue expects at least 70 percent of employees and spouses to participate in Healthy Purdue prior to the April 14 deadline to enroll. Comprehensive information is available at the program's Web site.
Paulet said Purdue's investment is expected to create healthier employees and that in the long term will contain the need for costly healthcare.
"We are emphasizing prevention because healthier employees have greater resources to devote to their professional and personal lives," she said. "When we reach one member of the family, we know that we will have an impact on the family as a whole."
Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@aol.com
Sources: Mindy Paulet, (765) 494-8522, paulet@purdue.edu
Julie Huetteman, (765) 496-2861, jhuettem@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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