MHealthy launches its two largest programs, Rewards 2011 and Active U, on Tuesday. LaVaughn Palma-Davis, senior director of University Health & Well-Being Services, says both programs are designed to help faculty and staff take charge of their health and get in the habit of reviewing their health status annually.

“Programs like Rewards and Active U can help you understand your current status and motivate you to make simple changes like eating more vegetables, getting more sleep, or being active for 15 minutes most days,” Palma-Davis says. “Making a small commitment like this can have long-term, positive effects on how you feel and your overall well-being.”

Rewards 2011

MHealthy has made a number of significant changes to the 2011 Rewards program. Qualifying benefits-eligible faculty and staff now will be able to use their U-M unique name and Kerberos/Level-1 password to access a new secure website where they can easily navigate to the confidential health questionnaire, view and register for activities and check their completion status.

Rewards participants will receive a personalized health report by completing the 2011 annual health questionnaire by March 9 and earn a $50 before-tax Reward. The personal report assesses current health, potential risk areas and provides information and resources to help minimize or even prevent future health problems. Those who completed the health questionnaire in 2009 and/or 2010 will be able to compare their results year to year.

To earn an additional $50 incentive, Rewards participants can choose to complete one Rewards-eligible health and well-being activity by July 29. While eligible programs have changed in 2011, there are still more than 20 activities that qualify, including:

• Active U

• Weight Watchers and MHealthy Weight Management programs

• Individual and group stress management programs

• Tobacco treatment programs (these programs are eligible for a higher incentive through the MHealthy Tobacco Independence Program)

• Fitness and nutrition consultations

• New department-level activities focused on nutrition and physical activity

• Online educational programs

“The 15,000 people who participated in Rewards 2010 will be pleasantly surprised by the new look and simplified process,” Palma-Davis says. “Our hope is that they all return to see how their health score has changed over the year. For those who didn’t participant last year, we hope these improvements encourage them to give it a try and take this simple step to learn more about their health.”

Active U

Registration opens Tuesday for the sixth annual Active U program, the 12-week physical activity challenge and charity fundraiser. Active U is open to all university faculty, staff, graduate students and retirees. Participants can sign up as part of a team or as an individual.

“We know one of the things people love about Active U is being able to participate with their co-workers and getting that extra motivation from their teammates,” Palma-Davis says. “Because many of us spend the majority of our waking hours at the workplace, they also appreciate being able to work on improving their health while here.”

Several improvements and new features have been added to this year’s program, including a new look to the online activity tracker and the addition of tracking minutes using a Smartphone or calling in from any touch-tone phone.

“We want to make participation and tracking as easy as possible and having three ways to log your activity minutes significantly improves accessibility and convenience,” Palma-Davis says. “We have six years of experience and we have improved the program by listening to feedback we receive from participants in Active U.”

Popular program features, such as weekly and grand prize drawings, blogging, donating to local charities and earning a T-shirt for successfully completing Active U, remain with the program.

Up to six local charities will benefit from donations made by participants during Active U registration and throughout the program. At the end of Active U, one team and individual participant from each university campus will select a charity to receive a portion of the donated funds. Last year nearly $14,000 was raised.

Palma-Davis says Active U registration was aligned with MHealthy Rewards to make it easier for eligible employees to participate in both programs. “Most of the 11,000 people who signed up for Active U last year are also eligible for MHealthy Rewards,” Palma-Davis says. “Once you’ve signed up for Active U, take 20 minutes to complete the health questionnaire, view your health report and earn $50. Once you successfully complete Active U, you’ll earn another $50.”

To sign up for Active U, go to www.MHealthy.umich.edu/activeu by Feb. 15.

MHealthy Rewards is open to qualifying benefits-eligible faculty and staff. To take the 2011 health questionnaire and register for eligible activities, go to www.MHealthy.umich.edu/rewards. The health questionnaire closes March 9.