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Employee Handbook - Personal health

Employee Assistance Program

The HelpNet Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free and confidential assessment, counseling, and referral services to employees and their household members who are concerned about marital and family issues, addictions, emotional problems, relationships, and other significant personal problems. The EAP can also assist you with career-related and personal situations that may be affecting your work performance or you feel might begin to affect your work performance. The HelpNet Employee Assistance Program is available 24 hours a day, every day.

You can reach the HelpNet Employee Assistance Program at 372-4500 (local Kalamazoo) or 1-800-523-0591 (statewide).
See "Campus Employee Dispute Resolution Services" and "Office of the Ombuds" for information on other helpful campus resources.

Sindecuse Health Center

Sindecuse Health Center provides services for University employees, retirees, spouses and dependent children over age 12, as well as University students. The Health Center offers convenient, cost-saving services with an experienced, multidisciplinary staff dedicated to helping members of the University to improve their health. The Center also provides evaluation and treatment for a variety of illnesses and injuries, preventive health check-ups, and periodic health monitoring. There are also health promotion opportunities that enhance individual and community health (see "Health Promotion and Education").

Services at the Health Center include, but are not limited to:

Urgent care clinic
Preventive Health Services
Pharmacy
X-ray Services
Sports Medicine Clinic
Nutrition Counseling
Women's and Men's Reproductive Health
Occupational & Environmental Medicine
Laboratory Services
Nursing Services
Physical Therapy Services

Insurance benefits

Employees enrolled in a University health insurance plan have many additional benefits to using the services at Sindecuse Health Center. Human Resources or the Health Center can describe these benefits in detail. For employees with a University health plan, most charges are billed directly by the Health Center. Employees covered with other health insurance plans may use the Health Center services, but are responsible for payment.

For more information, contact Sindecuse Health Center by phone at 387-3287 or by email at SHC-HealthCare@wmich.edu. The Health Center also has a comprehensive Web site at www.wmich.edu/shc/.

Unified Clinics

"Unified Clinics" are the clinical programs attached to the departments and schools of the College of Health and Human Services. These specialty clinics offer services to the general public, including WMU employees, and are located in the medical and health sciences center (on Oakland Drive). Clinics include:

Vision Rehabilitation (optometry services)
OT/PT Clinic and Gym
Speech–Language Therapy
Audiology
University Substance Abuse Clinic
Geriatric Assessment Center
Activities of Daily Living
Enabling Technology Laboratory
Preschool Language Intervention Program
Voice and Respiration Clinical Laboratory
Children's Trauma Assessment Center

As a WMU employee, you can receive special discounts on audiology and optometry services, including the cost of eyeglasses. Contact the appropriate Clinic for more information.

Fitness and exercise—programs and facilities

The University is proud of the fact that it has been one of the leaders in establishing employee wellness programs, activities and benefits to promote better health for all employees. Running tracks, swimming pools, exercise equipment, and aerobic exercise classes are just a few of the health and wellness opportunities offered to employees through the Zest for Life Program, West Hills Athletic Club, Student Recreation Center (SRC), and the Office of Health Promotion and Education (Sindecuse Health Center).
Spouse and guest policies and fees vary for all programs and facilities; contact the appropriate service/facility for more information.

Health promotion and education

The Office of Health Promotion and Education offers workshops, interactive health resources, service learning, and personal appointments with an interdisciplinary team of health professionals to provide education to strengthen individual and community health. Resources are available on a variety of key health risks, including stress, depression, alcohol and other drugs, sexually transmitted infections, nicotine dependency recovery, nutrition, body image, and disordered eating.

Questions regarding health promotion programs for staff can be directed to the Office of Health Promotion and Education at 387-3263.

Zest for Life

Zest for Life is an employee wellness program that offers fitness classes, personalized fitness programs, nutrition and weight management programs, massage therapy, stress management programs…as well as other health promotion programs and activities. Examples of offerings include aerobics, water exercise, yoga, fitness testing, and exercise program development. Information is published and distributed to employees each semester.

Contact Zest for Life at University Recreation at 387-3543 for information on getting started and program offerings.

Gabel Pool and Lawson Ice Arena

Free open lap swim time at Gabel Pool is available during scheduled hours for employees with a valid Bronco Card. Open ice time at Lawson Ice Arena is available during scheduled hours at a minimal fee for employees and the general public. Schedules are published each semester with Zest for Life and are also available on a recorded phone line (387-3046). For more information, call 387-3050.

West Hills Athletic Club

West Hills Athletic Club is open to the general public and serves the local community. Employees and their spouses have several discounted membership options, which vary by access hours and cost. Limited access membership options only require employees to pay taxes for the value of the membership; full access membership may also be purchased at a discounted rate. Services and facilities include Microfit physical assessment, equipment orientation, fitness center, locker room, sauna and whirlpool, and towel service. Tanning, childcare, personal training, and tennis-related facilities and services are also available at a fee.

Questions regarding membership options, services, and facilities can be directed to the West Hills Athletic Club at 387-0410.

Student Recreation Center

The University's Student Recreation Center (SRC) is a premier, state-of-the-art University fitness center. Some of the facilities available include a recreational track, fitness/weight room, pool, saunas, climbing wall, aerobics room, and courts for basketball, volleyball, badminton, racquetball, walleyball, and tennis. Fitness classes and intramural sports are also offered.

Employees may activate a free membership which only requires employees to pay taxes for the value of membership. Spouses may purchase a membership.

Contact the membership desk at University Recreation for membership and other information at 387-3115.

Tours of the Student Recreation Center are available during regular business hours. Stop by the main office on the 2^nd level of the SRC.

Release time partnering

In support of the University's commitment to employee health and fitness, the University offers to partner with employees by providing a certain amount of release time when an employee chooses to exercise at University facilities.

The University will provide paid release time for 50% of work hours used to exercise at University facilities, up to a maximum of 1.5 hours per pay period.

For example, an employee with a one-hour lunch period works out at lunchtime for an hour-and-a-half, 6 days per pay period. Thus, the employee has used three hours of time, over and above lunchtime, to work out during the pay period. The University will provide paid release time for 50% of those hours (or 1.5 hours) and the employee claims the remaining 50% (or 1.5 hours) as annual leave.

Release time partnership is subject to limitations based on individual departmental schedules and staffing.

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