Center for Healthy Living to open for in-person sick visits, employees reminded to get annual physicals

Beginning Oct. 12, the Center for Healthy Living (CHL) on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus will implement phase two of its reopening plan and open for in-person visits to sick patients. If there is any concern about bringing the patient into the clinic, the health care team may come to patient’s vehicle to perform any necessary testing and/or assessments.

Wellness exams will be conducted as normal.  

Aligning with the Protect Purdue Pledge, social distancing practices as well as mandatory mask wearing will remain in effect. Additionally, revised processes related to check-in, arrival and departure for patients and staff continue. They are as follows:

Requirements for CHL personnel and patients

• CHL providers/coaches/staff will wear masks when seeing well patients along with additional personal protective equipment (PPE) – such as face shields, gloves, gowns and goggles – when seeing sick patients.
• Patients will be required to bring their own mask and wear them while in the clinic, including during their appointment.
• Patients should not be in the waiting room unless they have moved from their appointment and need labs or if they are waiting for assistance at the front desk.

Patient arrival

• Patients will need to arrive 10 minutes early and wait in their vehicle.
• A CHL staff member will call the patient to review medical history and ask the following COVID-19 screening questions:
  • Do you feel sick or have any COVID-19 symptoms?
  • Have you been tested for COVID-19? If yes, what were the results?
    • Pending test result – A telehealth visit will be scheduled until results are received.
    • Positive test result – Patient can be seen via telehealth immediately; isolation guidelines must be met prior to in-person appointments.
    • Negative test result – Patient can proceed with in-person appointment.
  • Patient will be instructed to meet staff as the front door.
  • MA/RN will ensure that the patient is wearing their mask or face covering correctly
  • MA/RN will escort the patient directly to an exam room.

Note: If a telehealth visit is recommended, patients can download the healow app onto a smart phone for the visit. When setting up the app, patient code AJDJAD is required.

Patient departure

• Patients will be escorted from their exam room to the front desk (if applicable) to check out.
• Patients will be escorted to the door to ensure that social distancing protocols are followed.

As additional safety controls to help maintain a healthy work environment at the center, the CHL waiting rooms will not be used as such, and the community water cooler and coffee pot will not be available for patient use.

Reminder: Get a free physical, earn Healthy Boiler incentive dollars

As a reminder to benefits-eligible employees, a starting point to good health is information – the kind that comes from a physical with a health care provider. Due to the deadline extension of the 2020 Healthy Boiler Wellness Program, employees still have time to get their annual physical and biometrics screening, which will provide valuable health information as well as earn them a monetary incentive at the same time.

Those who complete a physical and biometrics screening and submit it via the Healthy Boiler Portal by Dec. 31 can earn $325 (employee only) or $650 (employee + spouse, employee + child or employee + family). Both the physical and biometric screening are provided at no cost to employees on all Purdue medical plans as preventive benefits. Physicals can be performed at the Center for Healthy Living (CHL) on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, the Campus Health Clinic on Purdue Fort Wayne’s campus or a community provider of choice. Purdue Northwest employees also have health care facility options on the Westville and Hammond campuses.

The annual physical is a comprehensive exam that is prevention focused, not problem focused. Typically, the primary care provider performs the exam and includes the following:

• Past medical, social and family history.
• Complete physical exam and review of body systems.
• Review of medications.
•  Immunizations.
• Counseling/anticipatory guidance/risk factor reduction interventions.
• Review of age/gender appropriate screening tests.

Biometric tests required include:

• Blood draw for cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, glucose, A1C and triglycerides.
• Blood pressure.
• Height/weight/body mass index (BMI).

See the Quick Reference Guide for details on submitting the incentive requirements for 2020.

The “Earn” tab in the portal’s top navigation details how to log activities to earn incentive credit as well.

Note: The information from the physicals and the results from the biometric screenings performed at the CHL will be used to provide employees with information to help understand current health and potential risks, and may also be used to offer services through the wellness program, such as, but not limited to health coaching, medication therapy or weight management. The only individual(s) who will receive personally identifiable health information are One to One Health physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, health coaches of dietitian in order to provide employees with services under the wellness program.

Questions

Any questions on the Healthy Boiler Wellness Program can be directed to Human Resources at 765-494-2222, toll-free at 877-725-0222 or via email at hr@purdue.edu.