Working on our wellness

Results from the annual UF-UF Health Wellness Event show how healthy we are

For the fourth consecutive year UF Health and UF teamed up to host our Wellness Event series in April. The monthlong initiative at various UF Health facilities throughout Gainesville encouraged employees to make simple, positive changes to improve their health and wellness.

Wellness staffers provided free biometric screenings and assessed 3,434 benefits-eligible faculty and staff across UF Health — an increase of more than 450 participants over last year. Participants reviewed their results during a one-on-one meeting with a wellness expert, enjoyed a complimentary boxed lunch from SweetBerries eatery and were entered to win a variety of prizes. Additional incentives were available for tobacco-free participants and those who received their flu vaccination.

Thanks to our employees’ willingness to participate, each year we can assess the general wellness of employees at UF Health, report our findings and offer resources to improve the health of our workforce. In this edition of News&Notes, we will showcase the positive changes in the overall health of our staff, examine our top risk areas and highlight some of the options available to help every staff member lead a healthy, active life.

Wellness Score: 78

“Our overall UF Health wellness score remained the same this year and we’ll continue to pursue our goal of 80 or higher. We were pleased that many participants reported positive lifestyle changes since last year’s event and we encourage everyone to join us on our wellness journey to reach our goal.”

Denise Huggins
UF Health Shands Human Resources Benefits manager

Some of our greatest risk areas (of 3,434 faculty and staff surveyed):

Weight 70%
Nutrition 65%
Diabetes 64%
Blood pressure 52%

The Percentages above are based on the number of people who scored borderline or high risk in each area.

Click here to learn about a variety of wellness programs offered to employees.