SPRING 2021 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 2
IN THIS ISSUE Get Fit Financially Lettuce Turnip the Beet: Nutrition Tips Colorful Choices Nutrition Program Wellness Heroes + PHA Winners UI Campus Safety Committee: Calm Before the Storm
staff
UI WELLNESS
UI Wellness is a unit of UI Human Resources.
Megan Hammes
Senior Director, UI Wellness megan-hammes@uiowa.edu 335-5424 • E119 CRWC
Ilona Lichty
Health Coach ilona-lichty@uiowa.edu 467-0192 • E119 CRWC
Carla Melby-Oetken
Health Coach carla-melby@uiowa.edu 353-2975 • E119 CRWC
Allison Hugo
Health Coach allison-hugo@uiowa.edu 353-2973 • E119 CRWC
Sandy Stewart
Well-Being Specialist sandra-stewart@uiowa.edu 353-2973 • E119 CRWC
Year over year, liveWELL carefully studies the latest well-being trends and looks for feedback on concerns that might prevent you from being your best self at work or home. In 2020, 32% of employees reported on the Personal Health Assessment that financial stress was a productivity barrier, and 78% reported they do not eat enough fruits and vegetables daily. To improve, we must first identify small, realistic changes that are within our control and fit our lifestyles. Studies show that small changes practiced over time lead to habits and larger overall change. Whether you are trying to eat one more serving of veggies or save a little extra each month, the same principles apply. Start simple and small and build your way up. Pages 4-11 of this issue are filled with tips from UI experts on ways to improve or maintain your financial and physical well-being. liveWELL offers content all year long to inspire one small, healthy step, one day at a time.
Melanie Cuchna
Well-Being Specialist melanie-cuchna@uiowa.edu 353-2973 • E119 CRWC
Jean O’Donovan
Melanie Cuchna, MPH, CHES Well-Being Specialist UI Wellness/University Human Resources
Secretary jean-odonovan@uiowa.edu 353-2973 • E119 CRWC
Mary Heath
Secretary mary-heath@uiowa.edu 353-2973 • E119 CRWC
Diana Kremzar
Family Services Director diana-kremzar@uiowa.edu 335-3558 • 121 USB
Cover photo by Bonnie Kittle on Unsplash Layout and Design by Student Life Communications Printed by UI Printing Services on recycled paper
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liveWELL inspires a culture of well-being and campus excellence, providing employees with the opportunity to thrive.
IN THIS ISSUE
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8 GET FIT FINANCIALLY: FINANCIAL WELL-BEING TIPS
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12 COLORFUL CHOICES NUTRITION PROGRAM
WELLNESS HEROES
LETTUCE TURNIP THE BEET: NUTRITION TIPS
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PHA WINNERS
UI CAMPUS SAFETY COMMITTEE: CALM BEFORE THE STORM
University Human Resources provides leadership in shaping an equitable and inclusive culture that drives diversity, excellence and innovation by supporting talent, engagement, and the employee work experience.
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Jon Garfinkel is a Henry B. Tippie Research Professor of Finance at the University of Iowa. He earned his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Florida in 1994, and he’s published in several financial journals. He serves the University of Iowa as co-chair of the Funded Retirement and Insurance Committee (FRIC) and is a member of the UI’s Retirement Fund Investment Committee (RFIC), which holds fiduciary duties regarding the menu of investment options in the University’s retirement plans. 4 liveWELL
Financial well-being can have an impact at all stages of life – whether you are just getting started with a savings plan, paying down debt, or investing and saving for retirement. liveWELL teamed up with Jon Garfinkel in the Tippie College of Business to learn useful strategies that UI employees can implement right now to start improving their financial well-being. liveWELL: Jon, at the University of Iowa, 32% of faculty
and staff reported on their Personal Health Assessment that financial stress got in the way of them being able to do their best work. What are key points you’d like for young adults who are getting started in the workforce to hear regarding their long-term financial health? Jon Garfinkel, PhD: It’s an old adage but starting the savings process as early as possible is something that we constantly emphasize. The UI helps with this by introducing new hires to the university’s retirement plans during orientation.
We also offer two views (as does the UI through the structure of their retirement plans) on the following recommendation: set a plan and then kind of ignore it. The first view is to set up your paycheck-withholding (for retirement) at 5%. Do that as part of your orientation paperwork process. Outof-sight savings (where the money disappears from your paycheck before you see the direct-deposit monthly payment into your bank account) is a recommendation from behavioral research. You get used to seeing the direct deposit amount, and so you kind of forget that you could see more money arrive in the bank account if you weren’t saving so much via the pre-tax retirement contributions. You get used to “living with” the observed amount. The way the UI helps encourage this is with their matching of such (pre-tax) retirement contributions. So, the UI helps you save even more via matching, but it’s the UI’s money adding on to the employee’s contribution. The second view on setting a plan and ignoring it is tied to one of the key investment vehicles that employees can choose as a location for their retirement savings, agebased mutual funds are an example of this. I like to say
that these funds are built to “do the wise investing for you.” They adjust how much money is in riskier vs. less risky investments as you get older and approach retirement. These adjustments are based on a lot of research about reasonable risk taking through your lifetime. Moreover, the investments made (by such age-based mutual funds) are welldiversified. This is also an important thing to do according to much finance research. All of these recommendations carry along an underlying benefit as well. It’s known as “dollar-cost-averaging” in the finance profession. If you put the same amount of money away each period (month for example), you buy fewer units of the assets when the assets are more expensive, and you buy more units of the assets when those assets are cheaper. Implicitly, you’re following the wellworn recommendation of “buy-low.” So overall, start saving right away through the mechanisms that the UI offers. Then try to let it run on autopilot. liveWELL: Credit Card debt
is not something people like to talk about, but we know it exists. It becomes so easy to rack up debt and then so difficult to pay it off. Aside
from “don’t go into credit card debt that you can’t pay off,” is there anything you can offer on how to get out of this hole? Jon Garfinkel, PhD: A popular method for paying down debt is the Snowball Method. It suggests that you “tackle” one particular debt at a time, while still making sure that you meet the minimum payment requirements on all your debts. In other words, throw every extra penny that comes your way towards the debt you plan to tackle. After you’ve fully paid off that first one, roll that (say) monthly dedicated amount towards paying off the next one. Keep going until debts are paid off. How do you choose the rank ordering of debts to pay off? Some suggest you pay off the smallest debt (in $ terms) first, in order to give confidence and momentum. That’s behavioral finance. I personally suggest you pay off the highest interest rate debt first, then next highest, etc. That’s financially sound. Just be sure to keep going until all credit card debt is paid off. liveWELL: We hear that
student loan debt and the cost of housing/living can be especially big stressors for people. Any advice on how to manage these stressors? Jon Garfinkel, PhD: As usual, I recommend developing a plan to address it (or each), and then stick to the plan. liveWELL
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Part of developing comfort is simply knowing that you’ve done the best you can. I talk more about this below in response to your last question. Some of this planning happens naturally. A house purchase involves a mortgage, and one of the payment options on a mortgage is “fixed rate” which also leads to fixed monthly payments (in most vanilla mortgages). So, if you found the monthly payments affordable, it’s highly likely they will remain affordable since the required (amortization) payments don’t change. Of course, the key is to not over-reach on the mortgage amount or (highly) relatedly, the price of the house you buy. Make sure you count all of the house-related payments (mortgage + escrow for insurance and taxes + any PMI). The total monthly payment (to the bank) usually bundles all of this together. Then, try not to have this monthly payment be more than 25% of your monthly take-home pay. When it comes to student loan debt, that must be paid too (like a mortgage, or there can be negative consequences). So, this is certainly part of the above consideration. You don’t want to have zero wiggle room in your monthly 6 liveWELL
budget. If your student loan payments are a big chunk of your monthly take-home (the direct-deposited amount into your bank account), recognize this for the constraint that it is. Get it taken care of (fully paid off) and then you will have more flexibility. liveWELL: Finally, on our
campus, we have a very well-educated population, but personal finances and long-term investing and savings can be very complicated. It’s hard to admit we don’t always know all of the avenues and options for planning, saving, and also managing debt. Do you have any resources you recommend to read, listen to, follow, etc.…? Jon Garfinkel, PhD: Don’t let questions or uncertainties become the biggest part of the fear. Ask knowledgeable people (for example investment advisors). Even if you’re a top-flight academic, that doesn’t mean you are supposed to know finance. Everyone is expert in their own way, but no one is expert at everything. I ask my wife about science and medicine all the time. She turns to me with finance questions.
Free Financial Coaching with Horizons Financial Health and Wellness The University of Iowa offers free, confidential appointments to discuss financial-management concerns like credit card debt or loan repayment. Employees are eligible for up to three one-on-one financial coaching sessions at no cost. Contact fhw@horizonsfamily.org or 319-653-3123 to learn more or schedule an appointment.
Financial Well-Being Offerings for UI Faculty and Staff Financial well-being classes and events are held throughout the year on a variety of topics ranging from paying off student loans to maximizing your retirement assets. Visit hr.uiowa.edu/well-being/ livewell/health-and-wellbeing-resource-guide/ financial-well-being for the most up-to-date information on these events and how you can schedule a FREE, one-on-one appointment with an advisor from TIAA.
Professor Garfinkel’s reading recommendation: The Bogleheads’ Guide to Investing
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TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Members FINRA, distributes securities products. Annuity contracts and certificates are issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), New York, NY. Each is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. ©2020 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 MT 1234950 141036862
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(07/20)
Nutrition is the foundation of my active life and joy for living. I am a two-year survivor of stage II melanoma and have lived 28 years with multiple sclerosis (MS). I learned about eating well, getting active, and reducing stress. As a result, I was able to regain my wellness, complete a master’s in nursing, and become a critical care nurse. Knowing how important nutrition was for me and my patients, I decided to finish my PhD in clinical nutrition. I am now an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and nutrition researcher. 8 liveWELL
Nutrition and healthy eating are important for physical, mental and emotional well-being and overall quality of life. Fueling our bodies with whole, nutrient-dense foods impacts how we live meaningful lives and adapt in the face of challenges. The latest trends show that fruit and vegetable consumption in the US is declining, and we must act now to change the trend. liveWELL interviewed Dr. Ruth Grossmann, a nutrition expert, for quick tips on how employees can improve their nutrition and their well-being and specifically, eat more fruits and vegetables. liveWELL: Dr. Grossmann, maintaining good nutrition has
been recommended throughout the pandemic to help manage stress and stay healthy. How does healthy eating help us manage stress and contribute to our overall mental well-being? Dr. Ruth Grossmann, RN, MNHP, PhD: Stress depletes the body of energy and causes damage to the structures that make up
the body. Just as driving more miles means that we need to stop for gas more frequently, clean out the car, keep up with repairs, etc.; increased stress means we need to stop and care for our bodies more frequently. Food is important because it supplies both the physical energy and the structural nutrients to rebuild the body. We need both at this time. Food is also amazing because it provides comfort and connection. We miss sharing a meal with our close friends because a meal signifies fellowship and spiritual connection. We go to our favorite comfort foods to give ourselves a “hug” when we are sad. The sugar in many comfort foods does increase our feel-good hormones making us feel better in the short-term. A few suggestions for managing stress and stay healthy:
Make a plan to include foods that give you comfort. Work either small amounts of high-calorie or healthy versions of comfort foods into a daily eating plan. It gives us something to look forward to, and we need the comfort right now.
Meet with friends and family outside or through electronic means. We need connection more than
ever right now. Focus on physically distanced, NOT socially distanced.
Seek out other ways to care for our stressed-out hearts. Some of the things that work for me include going outside for 20 minutes without my phone and spending time in nature, having a hot drink and looking at photos of times with friends and family, going for a physically distanced walk with a good friend (either in-person or on the phone), listening to loud music and dancing around the kitchen, taking a hot shower or bath, and cuddling with my furry cat friends. liveWELL: What foods
are the best medicine for boosting our immunity to help us fight COVID-19 and seasonal illness such as common colds and the flu? Dr. Ruth Grossmann, RN, MNHP, PhD: The best medicine is a balanced diet filled with fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein (plant or animal), nuts, and seeds. A good dietary pattern is the Mediterranean pattern. Great immunity is supported by eating colorful fruits and vegetables. An important nutrient to our immune systems is vitamin D. I mention vitamin D because it is difficult to get adequate amounts from our diets and very few of
us are getting vitamin D from sun exposure right now. Most adults are at their lowest vitamin D levels in the winter. I highly encourage healthy adults to supplement with 10002000 IU of vitamin D each day. If you have any health concerns, ask your primary care provider about a healthy dose for you. liveWELL : Dr. Grossmann,
at the University of Iowa, 78% of faculty and staff reported on their 2020 Personal Health Assessment that they do not eat the recommended 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day. What advice do you have for UI employees on small changes that they can make to incorporate more healthy foods into their lifestyle? Dr. Ruth Grossmann, RN, MNHP, PhD: Americans eat 1.5 servings of vegetables and 0.9 servings of fruit per day. We can all improve our health by adding more variety and quantity of fruit and vegetables to our diets.
Add a healthy choice to your breakfast. No matter what time of day you break your overnight fast, choose something that reminds you of your commitment to care for the amazing body you have been given. This is a sign to yourself that you are committed to adding healthy habits to your life. liveWELL
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For example, drink a large glass of water, eat a cup of berries, don’t add sugar to the first cup of coffee you drink, and eat high quality protein.
Have a fruit or vegetable at breakfast. Make it easy! Grab a handful of baby carrots, an apple, or add some spinach to your eggs.
up the volume” of any meal by adding frozen vegetables to it. Recently, I have eaten more takeout foods. I like to add a package of frozen vegetables to my meal. It improves my nutrient intake, and I eat less of the take-out. liveWELL: Are there other
Add a piece of fruit to a snack or at the end of lunch. Have grab-and-go fruits and vegetables ready to eat. I like to make my refrigerator look like a grab and go for healthy snacks. When foods are in easy reach, we eat more.
“Pump up the volume.” An easy way to add vegetables and reduce calorie intake is to “pump
things you are seeing in your nutrition research that employees should be aware to improve or maintain their well-being? Dr. Ruth Grossmann, RN, MNHP, PhD: Make good decisions for your future self, so that you can remain strong and active throughout your life. Recently, I have had the opportunity to work with older individuals who have fractured a
hip. Hip fractures and osteoarthritis are more likely in individuals who do not eat a well-balanced diet and who do not exercise (walking 30 minutes per day). If someone does have a fracture or joint replacement, nutrition before and after surgery improves quality and length of life. To maintain your well-being, I encourage you to think of caring for your future self. It is as simple as going for a walk and having a serving of fruits and vegetables at every meal.
For more resources on nutrition, visit: hr.uiowa.edu/well-being livewell/health-and-wellbeing-resource-guide/ nutrition-and-weightmanagement
ASPARAGUS
KIWIFRUIT
RADISHES
APRICOT
Find this veggie at its peak freshness throughout April and May. It is filled with vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate. Enjoy this vegetable grilled, roasted, or steamed. Add to salads and pasta dishes.
A great source of vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Blend in smoothies, top on yogurt, or keep it simple and eat by itself! Eat the skin for added fiber.
A healthy source of fiber and vitamin C. Eat them raw or you can bake, boil, steam, or slow cook with other vegetables.
Eat plain, add to trail mix with your favorite nuts, or switch up your yogurt parfait.
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Find more ways to increase your fruit and vegetable intake and recipes:
fruitsandveggies.org
For additional support increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, join liveWELL this spring for Colorful Choices, a simple four-week nutrition program that runs from April 12–May 9, 2021. No measuring or calorie counting, just tracking your fruit and vegetable intake. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables of all different colors is important for physical health, immunity, stress management, and boosting energy.
How do I participate? • Track your daily fruit and veggie intake and aim for 4-5 cups each day. • Receive weekly emails with tips and resources for eating more fruits and vegetables, buying on a budget, vegetable filled recipes, and more. • Submit the weekly bonus code to earn liveWELL Points. hr.uiowa.edu/well-being/livewell/ programs-and-services/livewellpoints-and-wellness-store
What counts as a cup? • 1 cup chopped raw or cooked vegetables • 2 cups raw leafy greens such as spinach, kale, romaine or dark green leafy lettuce, watercress, endive • 12 baby carrots • 2 celery stalks (11" to 12" long) • 1 cup fresh or frozen cut up fruit • 1 small apple (2 ¼" diameter) or large orange or peach • 1/2 cup dried fruit • 32 seedless grapes • 1 banana (8" to 9" long) Find more examples at www.myplate. gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate.
Register at:
HR.UIOWA.EDU/EMPLOYEE-WELL-BEING/LIVEWELL liveWELL
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WELLNESS Nominate your Wellness Hero! HR.UIOWA.EDU/LIVEWELL/WELLNESS-HEROES
Elliott Sohn
Wellness Heroes is a program to recognize faculty and staff members who are practicing healthy behaviors that are inspiring others in the workplace. To acknowledge their efforts, a Wellness Hero will be awarded a certificate and a prize. liveWELL hopes to have our pages filled with Wellness Heroes in each newsletter! Any faculty or staff member can nominate any other faculty or staff member.
Ophthalmology & Visual
Jeremy Reiland
Nominated by the Retina Fellows: Razek Coussa, Tim Boyce,Aaron Ricca, and Chris Bowen
Custodial Services
Dr. Sohn inspires physical well-being by encouraging regular exercise and supports trainees by organizing bike rides. During clinic he remains calm and steady even when there is chaos. He stays grounded and emanates curiosity instead of judgment. He uplifts and never degrades others. He encourages and supports thought-provoking research and analysis of questions. This keeps the mind active and motivated to provide the best care for patients.
Jeremy is always offering to go for a run with staff, coworkers, neighbors and family. He constantly pushes those in his area to be and eat healthy and live active lifestyles.
Andrew Storm
Jason Wilbur
Sonatina Fernandes
Nominated by Ellie Fishbein
Nominated by Hussain Banu
Nominated by Hellecktra Orozco
Andrew always makes time for himself despite a hectic schedule as an ob/gyn intern. He keeps up with his peloton, calls his grandma, and frequently practices his chess skills. He also loves cooking and yoga.
Dr. Wilbur exercises throughout the year, walking with his spouse, running, and biking. Busy clinical/ residency duties or in-patient work do not stop him from devoting his time to exercise. He deserves the hero award as he is a model to those who want to change their lifestyle for good health and happiness.
Sonatina has an invigorating and uplifting attitude that is contagious. She motivated me to incorporate a walk during my lunchtime, which has been very beneficial for my overall health, and it serves as an energy booster for the remainder of the day. She has given me her free passes to go check out the fitness programs/ classes at the CRWC, which I joined.
Graduate Medical Education
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Family Medicine
Nominated by Scott Smart
University Human Resources
Take Your Personal Health Assessment
$250 WINNERS! Amy Milder
Assistant Nurse Manager, Geriatric Psychiatry, UIHC
“What a nice surprise! I plan to save the money to use on a vacation with my family when travel is safe. I’m blessed to work on 2JPE at UIHC with wonderful nurses, nursing assistants, clerks and other staff/volunteers. Thank you!”
Jackie Nelson
Associate Director, UIHC-Nursing Service
“Thank you so much. It is very exciting to be a winner. I would like to spend the winnings on a new Fitbit with more functionality than my existing device. ”
Carrie Taylor
Revenue Cycle Representative, Patient Financial Services, UIHC
“I want to use the money towards a new home office chair (for better posture) and night gear for when I walk my dogs.”
Samantha Daly
Patient Access Specialist, VPMA Patient Access Center
“Yeah! I am so excited. I am planning on using my earnings towards a treadmill! I have been saving up for one since the beginning of the pandemic! I can socially distance and be active this way. Thank you so much!”
Laura Corbett
Nursing Manager, UIHC-Nursing Service “Thank you so much for the award! My children have been asking for new hiking shoes for a few months now. With the help of this money, I can now surprise them with hiking shoes that actually fit!”
Vanessa Murillo
Nursing Assistant, UIHC-Nursing Service “I’m using the money for my summer vacation.”
TAKE YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! Access your 10-minute survey at your Employee Self-Service website. The PHA is available to faculty and staff in 50% or greater, regular positions.
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As spring weather moves into eastern Iowa, thunderstorms and tornados become an expectation in Iowa. In 2020, Iowa experienced 28 tornados and one derecho event. Though there were no deaths or injuries related to tornados, the derecho event in August took the lives of three Iowans and injured countless number of Iowans in its path. The Midwest derecho is the single most costly severe thunderstorm event the US has ever seen. Many individuals rely on “the sirens” to inform them of a pending tornado. However, the sirens are designed as an outdoor warning system to inform individuals outside to seek shelter and additional information. As a result, the outdoor warning system is set off for more than just tornados. The Johnson County Emergency Management Agency has set guidelines to activate the Outdoor Warning System if a tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS). They also activate the system for what the National Weather Service (NWS) classifies as an enhanced thunderstorm warning. This is a thunderstorm predicted to contain winds of 70 mph or greater (which is what we experienced with the 2020 derecho), or 1.75inch (golf ball-sized) hail or larger. The Outdoor Warning System is not activated for severe weather watches. When the Outdoor Warning System is activated for one of these two reasons, the sirens will sound for three minutes. 14 liveWELL
Definitions of Severe Weather SEVERE THUNDERSTORM A thunderstorm that produces a tornado, winds of at least 58 mph, and/or hail at least one-inch in diameter SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH Conditions are favorable for the development of a severe thunderstorm SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING • Severe thunderstorm is indicated by NWS radar, or • A trained spotter reports a thunderstorm producing hail one inch or larger in diameter and/or winds equal to or greater than 58 mph • Can produce tornados with little to no warning TORNADO A violently rotating column of air, usually pendant to a cumulonimbus cloud, with circulation reaching the ground. It nearly always starts as a funnel cloud and may be accompanied by a loud roaring noise. TORNADO WATCH Conditions are favorable for the development of a tornado TORNADO WARNING • Tornado is indicated by NWS radar, or • Tornado is sighted by a trained spotter When severe weather watches are issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), they are communicated to the public through local news outlets. Individuals should take note of the location and duration of the watches and continue to monitor the sky, news outlets, and other legitimate weather-related mobile apps (Weather Bug, The Weather Channel, Weather.com, etc.). When severe weather warnings are issued, or a watch is upgraded to a warning, individuals should seek shelter, and again, monitor news outlets and legitimate weather-related sources. In the event a tornado warning is issued, you should seek shelter in the lowest level and interior area of a building and avoid windows if possible.
Useful Links www.weather.gov/dmx/iators2020 www.weather.gov/dvn/summary_081020 www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=13187
Refer to the severe weather policies outlined within the University of Iowa operations manual:
OPSMANUAL.UIOWA.EDU/COMMUNITY-POLICIES/EXTREME-WEATHER-PROTOCOL liveWELL
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CAMPUS WELLNESS SCAVENGER HUNT COMING SOON! June – August This year’s annual hunt will once again feature art works on campus that have a link to diversity, equity and inclusion connected by artist or subject matter. In addition to physically visiting each work of art, faculty and staff can also earn liveWELL points for learning about each piece. We will be connecting you with resources for a deeper learning and understanding of the art.
Upcoming
liveWELL TRAININGS liveWELL offers online courses on a variety of wellness topics at no cost to UI faculty and staff. APRIL • The Four Pillars of Planning for Retirement • Protecting Your Financial Future: Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response
MAY • Juggling it All: Health Coaching for Busy Families
HR.UIOWA.EDU/LIVEWELL/LIVEWELL-TRAININGS
Stay tuned for the launch of this program in May by following @UIowaLiveWELL on Facebook or Twitter. We will also be communicating the program through our Wellness Ambassador network.
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