MHealthy has launched its annual Rewards program, an opportunity for benefits-eligible faculty and staff to review their health and take action to maintain or improve it.

By completing the confidential Staywell health questionnaire, which takes about 10 minutes, individuals will receive a personalized report with recommendations and will earn $50. Then, for successfully completing a qualifying activity like Active U or one of a dozen more healthy programs, individuals can earn another $50.

“Each New Year, many of us make a resolution to improve our health and achieve a health goal,” says LaVaughn Palma-Davis, senior director of University Health & Well-Being Services. “The Rewards program is a great first step.”

When Richard Gonzalez, professor of psychology, statistics and marketing, decided to attend a Rewards wellness screening in 2009, he experienced firsthand how the program can make a life-changing impact.

“When the technician first took my blood pressure during the screening, he said, ‘Let’s take that again,’ so we took it a second time,” says Gonzalez, who also is a research professor for the Research Center for Group Dynamics and the Center for Human Growth and Development. “After the measurement was still high, we waited 10 minutes and took it a third time. But my blood pressure was still very high. He urged me to see my doctor immediately.

“It had been a few years since I had a checkup. I went and my physician ran several tests and eventually a tumor was found on my kidney. Before the MHealthy Rewards screening, I just thought I needed to lose a few pounds. I didn’t realize I had hypertension and I didn’t know I had cancer.

“The tumor was relatively small and a few months later I had surgery to remove half my kidney. This July, I will be five years cancer-free. The reason I had the checkup in the first place was because of the MHealthy screening. Who knows what would have happened had I not participated.”

While all faculty and staff are encouraged to have regular checkups with their health care providers, the annual MHealthy Rewards Program encourages individuals to reflect on what they can do to prevent health problems. This year’s program consists of the following: 

• Complete the confidential health questionnaire by March 13 to get a personalized health report and earn a $50 before-tax reward.

• Also complete one qualifying healthy activity by June 26 to earn an additional $50.

StayWell Health Management, a national provider of health improvement services, is again administering the confidential health questionnaire. The personalized health report includes useful information and resources to help minimize or prevent future health problems.

Participants can then develop an action plan to achieve their personal health goals. Those who have completed the questionnaire in the past also will be able to compare their health results from year-to-year.

Among the more than a dozen healthy activities that qualify for Rewards, and the additional $50 incentive, are:

• Active U 2015

• Stress management programs

• Weight Watchers

• MHealthy’s Ready to Lose

• Nutrition consults

• Personalized exercise sessions

• MHealthy exercise and relaxation classes

• Alcohol management programs

• Online educational programs

Gonzalez says he now participates in the Rewards program annually and it was the first step in changing his behavior long term. 

“After the surgery, I was about 40 pounds overweight,” Gonzalez says. “I started an exercise plan and became enamored with bike riding. I started commuting by bike and within a few months, was biking 150-200 miles a week.

“I now bike commute to work year-round and have started running. I also watch what I eat — eating smaller portions, more vegetables, and less fried foods. And now my whole family is eating healthier.”

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• MHealthy