Collegiate Times

Correction: This story has been modified from its original version. — This article has been modified from its originial version. The fair will actually be taking place in the Squires Commonwealth Ballroom and the walk will take place on the Drillfield. The Collegiate Times regrets this error.

Virginia Tech faculty and staff can look to the newly initiated Hokie Wellness program for health and wealth of the mind, body and soul.

Hokie Wellness is designed to deliver programming and information that focuses on four main aspects of living healthy lifestyles: physical, work-life, emotional and financial. With these categories combined, the program hopes to increase employee health and productivity.

"What Hokie Wellness has tried to do is take all of the different parts of a lot of different resources that have already existed on campus," said program coordinator Theresa Conti, "and package them into one overarching concept of wellness."

President Charles Steger commissioned a task force in 2008 to create a program that would build upon the existing resources for employee wellness.

The task force put forth the idea of Hokie Wellness in April 2009, and Steger approved the concept immediately.

"Hokie Wellness was developed to address both physical health and emotional health, anything that kind of contributed to an employee's well-being while at Virginia Tech," Conti said.

A small budget went into effect July 1, to initiate the program on campus.

Conti described Hokie Wellness as a new concept that builds upon an old program in order to broaden its basis to include alternate avenues and concepts of wellness.

It offers university employees a variety of resources to stimulate healthy lifestyles and acts as a direct link to alternate programs that assist faculty and staff members in everyday life.

The program is represented by organizations such as Virginia Tech Work-Life Resources, the Americans with Disabilities Act Office, the Women's Center, Employee Benefits, Health and Wellness, and Employee Relations.

Hokie Wellness offers blood pressure checks as well as seasonal flu shots to employees at multiple locations on campus.

Conti guessed the program will see close to 1,000 employees take advantage of the flu shots being offered this fall on campus for convenience reasons alone.

They are free to those faculty and staff members covered by the state's health insurance.

Cathy Jacobs, director of Work-Life Resources, explained the program's sense of wellness is seen "as a comprehensive, holistic picture of the person," defined as more than just the physical aspects of being a healthy individual.

Conti explained that employee health is primarily based on not only an employee's productivity and ability to perform their jobs, but also on the sense of satisfaction that they get when they are completing their daily tasks in the workplace.

According to Jacobs, the program's concept of work and life balance broadens the idea of wellness and will seek to assist the employee in being better able to do his or her job.

Hokie Wellness also connects employees with childcare providers, support groups, yoga classes, financial planners and counseling resources, in addition to providing online literature to promote healthy lifestyles.   

Counseling resources in particular have benefited from the enhancements of the employee wellness program.

Case manager Wanda Osburn said she is available to personally speak with employees in need during a crisis situation.

"We've never had someone available like that for employees on campus, so that's a big help," Osburn said. "Anyone at the university can pick up the phone and get me."

Conti hopes to expand the program even more by developing a network called Wellness Ambassadors that would give each academic department a wellness representative to stimulate growth within the program.

She looks forward to the foundation of a walking program initiated by Hokie Wellness. Pedometers will be provided to any interested faculty or staff member.

Hokie Wellness will host a kick-off fair on the Drillfield on Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Steger will be speaking at the event, and a one-mile wellness walk will take place following his speech for any interested faculty and staff members.

Benefit representatives for health, retirement and savings programs, as well as numerous wellness organizations on and off campus, will set up booths to offer informational materials.

Recreational sports will also be demonstrating fitness classes, and the Hokie Bird will be in attendance.

Formerly, CommonHealth, a Virginia state program, was the primary contributor to employee wellness.

The university no longer has a direct link to CommonHealth, as there is no longer an employee from the program on campus. However, employees are still able to take advantage of its resources.