UTHealth’s employee well-being fair showcases the 6 elements of health
Laura McKenna and a few office mates went for a morning walk Thursday, before practicing yoga together and enjoying a chair massage.
McKenna, a clinical case manager with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in the Department of Pediatrics, was one of more than 350 UTHealth employees who attended the employee well-being fair in the James T. Willerson, MD, Discovery Hall, Fayez S. Sarofim Research Building, home of The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases.
The fair included more than 20 vendors providing health screenings, food samples, fitness assessments, chair massages, giveaways, and fitness demos. Organized by Employee Assistance Programs in conjunction with Auxiliary Enterprises, the fair was held next to the newly constructed butterfly garden, and the building’s water feature enhanced the festive spirit of the event and offered employees an opportunity to enjoy moments of social connection in the workplace.
The event highlighted existing services and programs offered to UTHealth employees year-round.
“Employees don’t have to wait for another year or for a specific event to get access to all these wonderful resources,” said Mudita Upadhyaya, DrPH, MPH, senior program manager of Wellness at UTHealth. “The well-being fair was a way to showcase a sampling of the great programs and services offered to UTHealth employees, but they are available throughout the year.”
McKenna said she enjoyed getting out of the office for a bit and working physical activity into her day, but her favorite part of the fair was learning about MDLive, a new health benefit offered through UT System that provides online on-demand doctor visits for employees, without a co-pay.
“That's wonderful,” she said. “You can use the service anywhere in the United States, and if you need a prescription, they can call it in to a local pharmacy.”
MDLive is one of five new benefits offered by UT System, beginning this year. A list of new benefits can be found online.
Carrying cards resembling bingo cards, participants went from booth to booth gathering stamps and learning about services offered at UTHealth and through its vendors. The resources represented the six elements of well-being: mental, physical, financial, occupational, environmental, and spiritual.
“I think this event is great. There are a lot of benefits I didn’t know about,” said Angelica Gomez, an animal care technician. “I think my favorite part was going around getting the stamps.”
Gomez said she works a physical job, and was excited to hear about benefits offered in the realm of pain management. She was also interested in learning how to make her workspace more ergonomic from UTHealth’s Office of Safety, Health, Environment, and Risk Management.
Carmen Middleton, human resources assistant, said getting a chair massage was the most fun part for her, but she also learned about the risk factors for stroke and waited in line to have her carotid artery checked by an ultrasound technician.
“It’s better to know than not know, so you can take preventive measures,” Middleton said. “This has been a great event.”
Sandra Grant said she enjoyed her time at the fair, as she waved to friends across the foyer. The grants and contracts specialist at UTHealth School of Public Health said she came to the fair to see if there were fun activities to participate in, and would up doing leg lifts to win the chance for a free membership to the Auxiliary Enterprises Recreation Center.
“I’d like to go to the rec center because I haven’t been there in a long time,” she said. “And, I got to see some old friends today. This has been really nice.”
Organizers said the event was a success, and hope to offer the fair annually.
“I recognize the importance of employees having access to the services they need, and I’m also very pleased we can encourage our employees to look at all dimensions of their well-being,” said Monica Guidry, executive director of the Office of Employee Assistance Programs and Wellness.
Guidry said the wellness team is working on expanding the event next year.
“We recognize there were a number of our employees who were unable to get to the location,” she said. “We are considering transportation options for next year, regardless of where we have our next wellness fair.”
Employees with questions about vendors and resources presented at the fair can reach out to Wellness@uth.tmc.edu.
Employees who were unable to attend the fair can find a list of new benefits offered through the UT Benefits website.