Thousands of Faculty and Staff Are "In the Know" About Their Health	Print Issue
December 18, 2012, Volume 59, No. 16

Do you have high blood pressure? Are your cholesterol or glucose levels in the danger zone? Thousands of Penn faculty and staff now know these answers, thanks to our “Be in the Know” wellness campaign which began in October (Almanac October 9, 2012).

Over 4,200 faculty and staff members learned their key health biometrics (blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar) by participating in free and confidential on-campus screenings that ran over a four-week period. Health professionals from AreUFit, a third-party provider of workplace wellness services, conducted the screenings and met with each participant privately to review the results and recommend what next steps the individual should take, if any.

While Penn will never see individual screening results, AreUFit’s initial feedback revealed that nearly 100 participants had seriously elevated blood pressure and/or glucose levels. Some were advised to contact a physician while others sought immediate medical attention and even made a trip to the emergency room. 
What’s more? Everyone who participated in a health screening was entered into a raffle and will receive a $75 cash award in their December paycheck. Congratulations to our two raffle winners—Ming Li (systems analyst, Perelman School of Medicine) and Sasha Renninger (administrative assistant, Penn Museum)—who each won an iPad for participating.

If you didn’t participate in an on-campus screening, there’s still time to “Be in the Know” (and be rewarded). You have until January 2, 2013 to submit documentation of a health screening and be eligible for the $75 cash award (which you’ll receive in your February paycheck). For complete details on how to participate, visit the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/worklife/healthy/know

—Division of Human Resources