Clark University Tops Highest Step School RankingsAlmost 580 faculty and staff from 17 colleges, universities, and secondary schools participated in this year’s edHEALTH “Walk This Way” Walking Challenge. This represented a 28.9% increase in participation over last year. Employees achieved remarkable results over the four-week challenge that positively affect their health and wellbeing:148.5M steps walked, 40.5M more than last yearAverage of 260,407 steps walked per walkerWeekly and Grand Prize WinnersFor every week of the walking challenge, participants were eligible for a “Walk This Way” gift card based on steps walked.5,000 steps per day or 35,000 steps per week - 72 employees received a $50 gift card7,500 steps per day / 52,500 step per week - 70 employees received a $75 gift card10,000 steps per day/ 70,000 steps per week - 70 employees received a $100 gift cardThe top stepper fr...

In the spring, edHEALTH initiated its first ever annual strategic reviews with our first 13 member schools. These meetings gave edHEALTH, each school, and their advisor an opportunity to review financial trends, initiatives, data insights, and benchmark comparisons. The comparisons helped to identify strategic opportunities.“These forums provided a great opportunity to meet one-on-one with the original member owners of edHEALTH to discuss their success, savings, and programs,” said edHEALTH President, Tracy Hassett. “By meeting with the schools individually along with their advisors, it helps ensure we all are on the same page.”Our customized reports provided valuable insights for these discussions:edHEALTH financial results since becoming a member-ownerBenchmarking on working rates and stop-loss ratesA savings analysisSelf-insured retention level analysis Per member per month (PMPM) ...

October 2021 | October 2021 edHEALTH newsletter.pdfHow moving to self-insurance and edHEALTH will benefit the College of Holy CrossWhy employers must focus on employee mental healthWhat’s next for the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan mergerHow edHEALTH is involved in the search for a new president of the Vermont Captive Insurance AssociationWhich forums you won’t want to missSeptember 2021 | September 2021 newsletter.pdfHow a mobile ambulance service provided terrific care at low costs to one of our member school employeesWho is speaking at this year’s annual member-owner meetingWhy the clinical intervention program is effectiveWhich conferences edHEALTH is speaking atHow edHEALTH’s website has been enhancedAugust 2021 | August 2021 edHEALTH newsletter.pdfHow the First Annual Strategic Reviews Will Inform Future InitiativesWhy it Takes a Systemic Approach to Ensure He...

Do you want to reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently? Add strength training to your exercise regimen. Lean muscle mass decreases with age and strength training helps you offset this loss. According to Mayo Health, strength training can also help:Increase bone density and reduce risk of osteoporosisLose or manage weightImprove balance and protect joints from injuryReduce signs and symptoms of depression, arthritis, back pain, heart disease, and diabetesImprove thinking and learning skillsYou may think you have to go to a gym to practice strength training. It’s true that if you want to use weight machines or cable suspension training, such as TRX, a gym will have a variety of equipment. However, you also have options at home:Barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, and kettle balls: Look for sales at a sporting goods store, online, many department st...

The edHEALTH Walking Challenge ended Sunday, July 4, but you’ll want to keep walking long after the program’s conclusion.  A brisk walk provides multiple benefits according to Harvard Health Publishing:Promotes weight lossReduces stress and tensionPrevents or manages conditions including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and type 2 diabetesStrengthens bones and musclesImproves muscle endurance, balance and coordinationEnhances cardiovascular fitnessIncreases energy levelsImproves mood, cognition, memory, and sleepStrengthens immune systemOne way to boost these benefits is to work your way up to faster walking. Another option is to practice interval training where you pick up the pace, drop down to a more leisurely pace, and then pick up the pace again. You can use a stop watch or markers on your route, such as the next side street, to keep you on track.See our Share-...

edHEALTH’s President and CEO, Tracy Hassett, has been an avid football fan since she was young. It’s a sport she’s shared with her dad over the years. They watched games on television together when she was a child. As an adult, they share it by phone. Every time the New England Patriots score a touchdown, they call each other. “There’s a lot of aspects about football that I apply to our work at edHEALTH,” said Tracy.Keeping it FunOne of Tracy’s favorite football traditions is the buildup to a game. She equates every Sunday to a holiday. “You listen to interviews with the players all week, figure out the food you want to cook and which team clothes you’re going to wear,” she said. Similarly, she likes to keep it fun at work. Even on Zoom, she knows how to keep it light so that the business of work is a pleasure. “It’s a joy to work on a project with our team, member schools, and busine...

Although it’s cold, walking is a safe exercise option during the pandemic so the edHEALTH team is making a point of getting outside. We’re finding it’s good for our minds and bodies. “Walking has kept me sane,” said edHEALTH President, Tracy Hassett. “Between feeling the fresh air and actually seeing people, it’s been liberating.” Executive Assistant Claire O’Sullivan says walking helps clear out the cobwebs, and Operations Manager, Cindy Bartelson, enjoys feeling the sunshine when it’s out. Marketing Communications Strategist, Cindy McGrath, welcomes the opportunity that walking provides to safely catch up with friends in person. “Exercising is a great distraction from the pandemic,” said Nancy McConaghy, Business Development Executive.Three of the five of us like walking in the late afternoon, although Claire prefers early morning when it’s warm out. Weather permitting, she walks at...

Dear Colleagues,Finally, it’s 2021!What a challenging year 2020 was for the education industry. COVID-19 placed immense financial burdens on educational institutions as student and on-campus housing enrollments declined, costs associated with COVID testing and online learning increased, and other revenue streams dried up. Finance and Human Resources departments were on the frontline in helping to bring costs down. Furloughs, layoffs, early retirement incentives, and benefit cuts were considered or implemented.Pivoting to Support MembersAppreciating the strain our member institutions were under and that schools interested in joining edHEALTH didn’t have the bandwidth to do so, edHEALTH pivoted from a growth to a member support mode. We strove to support members and their faculty and staff financially, strategically, and emotionally – and the collaboration was a balm for all of us.Colla...

One of edHEALTH’s strategic initiatives is population health – working together to improve our member schools’ faculty, staff, and family health outcomes to bend the healthcare cost curve. Almost three years ago, we contracted with HCMS, our data warehouse now called Workpartners, to provide a person-centric clinical program for patients with complex healthcare needs. This year, Workpartners began analyzing edHEALTH’s data for plan design purposes. These initiatives are translating into quantifiable results for our member owners and their employees.“What started as a need for data warehouse capabilities has grown into a strategic partnership for making data-driven decisions,” said A. Tracy Hassett, edHEALTH’s president and CEO.2021 Plan Designs Informed by In-Depth AnalysisIn the spring, Workpartners conducted a deep dive into edHEALTH’s suite of plan design options. This analysis com...