Task Force on Health and Well-Being final report

Steps already taken

Student Health Plan (SHP)

• SHP prescription drug plan improved by eliminating the claims process.

• Deductible for medical coverage reduced from $250 to $200.

• Well-baby coverage significantly improved and eligibility for coverage under plan extended to same-sex partners.

University Health Services

• Priorities Committee provided almost $110,000 in additional funding for support staff personnel (1.89 FTEs); provost added roughly another .14 FTE to expand psychiatric consultation services.

Faculty/staff initiatives

• Faculty and staff (and their household members) have access to 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week employee assistance and work/life counseling program, at no cost to them, through Carebridge.

• University employee health care plans will expand coverage in January 2005 for mental health visits from 24 to 50 per year and for physical therapy, occupational therapy and cardiac rehabilitation therapy from 20 to 30 visits; and will expand eligibility for mammogram coverage.

• Amount available under Staff Educational Assistance Plan increased from $3,000 a year to federal limit of $5,250 a year.

• Excelling at Princeton skill-development program for bi-weekly staff extended and expanded.

• Dependent child care fund created by Office of the Dean of the Faculty to cover costs of dependent child care for full, associate and assistant professors attending learned society meetings, other conferences, workshops and professional development opportunities.

Fitness programs

• Building Services identified more than 70 steps to improve cleanliness and make long-deferred repairs in Dillon Gym: some already completed or under way, while others prioritized and set for review as part of major maintenance process.

• Faculty/staff permit fee for Dillon in 2004-05 not increased so task force could continue considering a fee scale based on ability to pay.

Nutrition

• Dining Services made extensive information about nutrition available online.

• Frist Beverage Lab converted into Healthy Eating Lab; now more than 400 customers a day; lab added evening hours to its initial lunchtime schedule.

Child care

• Alison Nelson, manager of benefits and compensation in the Office of Human Resources, designated as University's interim coordinator for child care matters.

• University removed limitation on support awarded to graduate students by the University League Nursery School from funds that the University provides for scholarship assistance; school provided almost $24,000 in scholarship support to University families, as compared to about $6,000 a year ago.

• Provost's office reserved one slot per class (a total of six slots) at the U-Now Nursery School for University families who arrived too late to participate in school's regular application process.

One change already in place is the new Healthy Eating Lab on the Frist Campus Center's 100 level. The space was redesigned over the summer after feedback collected by the University's Task Force on Health and Well-Being indicated that members of the campus community sought more healthy eating options and that the former Beverage Lab was underused. The new eatery offers a range of salads, soups and other fresh menu items, including sushi being prepared here by Zaw Thant. It opened this fall for lunch, and has already added dinner hours.