UK HR's Health & Wellness Program Receives Koop Award Recognition
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The University of Kentucky Health and Wellness Program was recognized on December 7, 2005 as one of several annual C. Everett Koop National Health Award winners. With this recognition, UK becomes one of only three universities to receive such recognition since the Koop Award program began in 1994 and is the first to be recognized for a broad-based health improvement initiative. Koop Awards are conferred each year by The Health Project, a private-public partnership that seeks to highlight programs that positively influence personal health habits and encourage cost-effective use of health care services. With this year’s Honorable Mention Award, the UK Health and Wellness Program was recognized specifically for its Healthtrac Rewards initiative, which has helped University employees take a more active role in improving their health. |
Health & Wellness Manager Jody Ensman and HR Operations Director Mary Ferlan with former Surgeon General C. Everett |
UK’s Healthtrac Rewards Program was designed to help promote healthy behaviors with a monthly financial incentive paid to each participating employee, with the goal of encouraging better health and containing the organization’s overall health care costs. The program, which was introduced in July 2003, has played an important role in helping UK employees achieve measurable health improvements, while also supporting efforts to limit the impact of rising medical costs.
Speaking of Healthtrac, did you know UK Healthtrac Rewards Program reached a major milestone in December by enrolling 7,000 UK employees, retirees and or spouses into the program? That means 38 percent of all eligible participants are currently participating!.
What's more, Healthtrac Rewards is key part of a successful multi-year effort by our Health & Wellness and Benefits teams to improve the health of our staff and faculty - while also containing health care costs.
Click here for a more complete overview of the HR's efforts in this area!
