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Healthy OHIO is an employee well-being program managed by WellWorks, with support by human resources, that offers a number of wellness programs – such as the free biometric health screenings, which occur in the fall, until Nov. 30, on the Athens Campus. Screenings are offered on the regional campuses in the spring. The program is offered to benefits-participating employees and their benefits-enrolled spouse or partner and pay $60 each for participating.

A biometric health screen includes your blood glucose, A1C, cholesterol, BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure. These are typical health screenings you might already receive annually with your regular doctor, but only through the Healthy OHIO program you can earn $60 for completing this screening.

“Knowing your numbers can really help you stay on track with your well-being. If you can intervene with any slightly elevated or lowered numbers at an earlier phase, it’s going to be a lot easier down the road. There’s also a fair number of unknown additional benefits available to employees and their spouses that we can help connect you with. If you come in and have questions about your results and you really want help and support, there are all sorts of benefits-related programs that people can take advantage of,” Annie Laurie Cadmus, of WellWorks, said.

There are three options for completing your biometric screening. You can go to your own physician and have them complete and fax a physician screening form (please do not email them); you can go to the Athens WorkHealth Clinic at the Castrop Center for a 15-minute appointment, or you can one of the . Because of the ongoing pandemic, employees are urged to consider the first two options to help reduce population during the campus events.

“If you have any pre-existing conditions, if you choose option one with your physician, they might not tag it as a preventive exam and therefore it won’t be free. If you want it for free you should make sure your doctor codes it as preventive, or just go to Athens WorkHealth,” Cadmus said.

Results from the screening will be available through your Virgin Pulse account, and $60 will be added to the paycheck of the benefits carrier for each benefits-enrolled patient screening.

“We are working on ways to offer an additional immediate referral option for employees. So, if I have elevated A1C and could be considered pre-diabetic, then I can sign a quick form during my screening at the on-campus event and immediately get referred to the diabetes institute,” Cadmus said.

Screenings on the regional campuses occur in the spring, but you can download a physician screening form today and take that to your family doctor to complete your screening at your convenience. The forms, however, will not be accepted – and repayment is not available - until the spring (beginning Jan. 15). If you work on the regional campus and happen to be in Athens, you can make an appointment for Athens WorkHealth and they will hold that information for you until the spring.

“We try really hard on the wellness team that everything we offer to Athens we offer something reciprocal to our regional campuses. Because Athens OHIO employees get three options, we’re trying hard to offer those three options to regionals as well,” Cadmus said.