Faculty and Staff: Tools To Maximize Your Health & Well-being

Tools To Maximize Your Health & Well-being

As a GW employee, you have access to a number of different resources and tools that make it easier to maximize your health and well-being. Explore the tools below under the 4 dimensions of well-being - physical, financial, emotional and social.
 

Physical

• Real Appeal is a free weight-loss support program available to eligible employees and their adult dependents covered on a GW medical plan with a BMI of 23 or greater. This virtual program uses live online coaching, group sessions and highly interactive weekly internet videos to drive small behavior changes. Participants receive a welcome kit that includes recipes, a portion plate, food scales, and more.

• GW employees are eligible for discounted gym memberships from the Active&Fit Direct™ program. Gain access to a network of 12,200+ standard fitness centers and/or 5,700+ premium gym options across the U.S.
• Join the GW Lerner Health and Wellness Foggy Bottom Campus Gym at a reduced membership rate available to faculty and staff. Members have access to classes, spacious free weights, weight machines, and cardiovascular fitness areas, as well as a suspended jogging track, a lap pool, and basketball and racquetball courts. The center’s multipurpose room can be used for aerobics, dance, yoga and other activities. If you choose, benefit-eligible employees may pay for the discounted gym membership via payroll deduction.
• Quitting can be easier when you get the help you need, exactly when you need it. Whether you smoke, use e-cigarettes or something else, the Aetna Tobacco Cessation program can help you say goodbye to tobacco or nicotine. Your wellness coach will be there for you at every step. Together you’ll work on proven ways to quit, spot and manage your triggers for tobacco and nicotine use and find healthy ways to replace the feeling you get from nicotine.
• Skip the waiting room with CVS Health Virtual Visits, available through your Aetna medical plan.
• Gain convenient access to a doctor from a mobile device or computer. During a Virtual Visit, a healthcare provide can diagnose and treat a wide range of non-emergency conditions as well as write prescriptions (if needed), which you may subsequently pick up at your local pharmacy.
• GW employees covered by a University medical plan can continue to receive preventive services at no cost—just be sure to go in-network.
   

Financial

• Fidelity and TIAA offer monthly educational programs to support your financial well-being journey. Boost your financial IQ with free webinars (both live and recorded) and other resources on topics such as Budgeting, College Planning, Family Finances, Retirement Planning, Social Security and many more. Visit the Fidelity and TIAA websites to register today.
• Schedule a virtual 1:1 meeting with retirement consultants from Fidelity and TIAA to check in on your savings progress. Gain assistance with enrollment, account balances and savings plans.
• Bike and save! Benefits-eligible faculty and staff are eligible for a discount on Capital Bikeshare, metro DC's bikeshare service. Enjoy an annual membership of only $25 (regular price: $85) for less than 50 cents a week.
• Take advantage of exclusive GW discounts and save. Visit the HR Well-being and Discounts page for a comprehensive list of wellness programs, resources and discounts available to GW employees and their families.
• The healthcare system can be tricky to navigate. As a GW employee, you are automatically enrolled in Health Advocate at no cost regardless of whether you are on a GW medical plan. With your health advocate, resolve claim questions or issues,schedule appointments, receive clinical advice, and more. Health Advocate calls are unlimited, available 24/7, and are completely confidential. Call (866) 695-8622 or visit healthadvocate.com/gwu to get connected to an advocate.
   

Social

GW offers Bright Horizons Enhanced Family Supports™ for our family care benefit that includes:

• Expanded in-center back-up care at Bright Horizons centers*.
• In-home care for children and adults through Bright Horizons.
• An Elder Care program to assist you in developing care plans for aging relatives.
• A Sittercity membership at no cost.
• Assistance with full-time nanny placement for a discounted cost.

*Each benefit eligible employee is provided up to 10 days of back up care per calendar year.
 

Emotional

• The GW Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides five counseling sessions (per issue) at no cost to benefits-eligible employees and their household members. You can also receive work-life support from specialists who will help find solutions such as childcare searches. 
• Headspace, the mindfulness app, is available at no cost to benefits-eligible faculty and staff. The app offers meditation, sleep, exercises and kids programs. 
• Your behavioral health benefit through Aetna includes Virtual Visits. They provide quick and easy access to behavioral health professionals from your mobile device, tablet or computer in the comfort of home. Costs and coverage may vary.
• Managing cancer is difficult. If you or a family member has been diagnosed or has risk factors for cancer,  the Aetna One Choice clinical program is available at no cost to assist through the GW PPO and HSP medical plans. The program is designed to provide you and your family with compassionate guidance, resources, and access to experts for navigating treatment options and specialized facilities as well as provide access to hospice services and palliative care, education for survivors on prevention of future cancers, and end-of-life care transition and support for survivors. This program can also assist with many other clinical conditions.