Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues:
As President Monaco noted in his recent message to the community launching the fourth annual Trek to Talloires , dedication to health and wellness is an important aspect of Tufts’ culture, informing both our academic work and the life of our university community. I am now pleased to announce that we will take a major step forward in supporting our staff and faculty with the opening of our first on-site Health and Wellness Center (The Center) in spring 2013. This new Center will be located in the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center on the Medford/Somerville campus and will be open to all university employees, their spouses and qualified same-sex domestic partners.
In addition to this dedicated space in Medford, we will also be providing onsite wellness services on the Boston and Grafton campuses. New health coaching services will be available on a weekly basis at Posner Hall in Boston and at the Central Services Building in Grafton. These services will also launch in the spring. Details on the hours for the Boston and Grafton services, as well as the Medford Health and Wellness Center are available in an FAQ available on the HR Benefits website.
The new Center will provide all employees, spouses and qualified same-sex domestic partners with accessible new healthcare options for primary care and preventative care as well as personal coaching to help you meet your goals. I am particularly excited about the opportunity the Center offers us to provide primary and acute care services on campus. This initiative puts us in a leadership position among peer institutions in supporting the health of our faculty and staff.
One benefit of receiving care at the Center and using the health coaching services is that these services will be provided at no cost to you. Additional benefits include little or no wait time for appointments and care by healthcare professionals who will have ample time to spend with each patient. Use of these services is entirely voluntary: you will have the option of receiving care at the Center, continuing to see your primary care physician, or combining both in the manner that is most convenient and effective for you.
The Center will be operated by Marathon Health, one of the nation’s leading providers of worksite healthcare. Marathon Health will provide care very similar to that of a family primary care provider. Services will include care for common illnesses and injuries, lab draws, routine physical exams and health coaching. Health coaching services will address lifestyle health risks such as smoking, stress, diet, and inactivity, as well as, disease management for chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart problems, and asthma.
It is important for you to know that the care you receive from Marathon Health is completely confidential. All personal health information is protected by HIPAA regulations, and it is against the law to share this information with anyone without your written consent. All of your personal health information is stored in a secure Personal Health Record (PHR) and will not be shared with Tufts University.
Please review the FAQ on the HR Benefits website for more information on the new Center and health coaching services. For additional information about Marathon Health please visit www.marathon-health.com and click on "Individuals." This section of the website includes information about services and video success stories from people who use Marathon Health. If you have additional questions regarding the new Center or health coaching services that will be offered, please contact Kathy Hewes, Senior Wellness Manager at 617-627-2680 or kathleen.hewes@tufts.edu .
I look forward to keeping you updated on university-wide health and wellness initiatives in the coming months, including an upcoming Biometrics Fair and Health Care Risk Assessments on each campus. Participation in all of these events and services is voluntary, but I encourage you to take advantage of them and hope you will find it helpful. Tufts’ faculty and staff are one of our greatest strengths, and we believe offering meaningful, personalized services is among the best ways we can help keep everyone strong and healthy.
Sincerely,
Patricia L. Campbell
Executive Vice President
