GHN’s Wellarama event highlights UofL’s health and wellness resources

Did you know there are health and wellness coaching opportunities available at UofL? Or that you can get biometric screenings to gauge your cholesterol and blood pressure levels?

Did you know there are mindfulness sessions available if you need a moment to decompress? And that UofL has nutritional, spiritual and financial experts available if you need them?

UofL is a standard-bearer when it comes to employee health and wellness and Get Healthy Now’s Wellarama 2018 will illustrate why. The all-day event on April 26 will feature more than 30 interactive booths showcasing many of the health and wellness resources available for UofL employees, spouses/QAs and affiliated campus partners.

According to Patricia Benson, AVP for Health, Wellness and Disease Management, this event is an opportunity to educate employees about the breadth and depth of resources on campus, and the timing is perfect.

“Now is an important time to let the campus know these resources are here. These are tough times and people are stressed,” she said. “There are many opportunities where we can help our Cardinal family, but they have to know about them in order to take advantage of them.”

Benson added that wellness efforts are increasingly being integrated into organizations nationwide because employers now realize the benefits of having healthier employees.

“We’re catching this at the right time. We’ve been around since 2005 and we’re not a young incubator anymore; we can bring value to the table and that is what we intend on doing at this event,” Benson said. “We want people to discover the constructs of our campus where they can tap into physical and mental resources, and we want to make sure we build a culture at UofL that supports those dimensions.”

Agenda

The Wellarama event is April 26 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the GHN Wellness Center, 601 Presidents Blvd. The event includes massage therapy, healthy snacks, interactive activities, fitness classes, presentations and more.

Organizations that will be on hand include the American Heart Association, Fidelity, Institute for Sustainable Health and Optimal Aging, Interfaith Center, Kentucky Cancer Program, LGBT Center, Livongo, Mealtless Monday, Metro Parks & Recreation, New Roots, Scheller’s Fitness & Cycling, SPHIS, Trive Center, TIAA, Touching Lives LLC, School of Dentistry, UofL Physicians Health Management Services and the Women’s Center.

The agenda includes:

• 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Interactive activities and booths
• 11-11:45 a.m.: gentle chair yoga; ‘Hula” hooping demo; KORU Mindfulness and Meditation session
• 11-11:45 a.m.: Presentation, “Movement Mindset”
• 11-11:45 a.m.: Presentation, “Importance of Health Screenings”
• 12-12:45 p.m.: Fit in 30!; Pilates
• 12-12:45 p.m.: Presentation, “National Minority Health Month: Partnering with for Health Equity”
• 12-12:45 p.m.: Presentation, “Nutrition”
• 12-12:45 p.m.: Presentation, “Why Organic Foods?”
• 12-12:45 p.m.: Presentation, “Navigating a Complex Healthcare System”
• 4:15-5 p.m.: Gentle chair yoga; “Hula” hooping demo; Moment of Mindfulness
• 4:15-5 p.m.: Presentation, “Importance of Health Screenings”
• 4:15-5 p.m.: Presentation, “Heart Health”

Employees can use their 30-minute SLV wellness break to participate in the Wellarama event. A shuttle will be running continuously from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the following pickup/drop off sites:

• Belknap: At the Thinker on the Oval, 2301 S. 3rd
• HSC: Health Science Building, 505 S. Hancock St.

Additional Information about the event is available online.