HUMAN RESOURCES
NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2022
SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO & WIN! Submit a photo to be featured in the monthly newsletter. Each month, the person whose photo is selected for the front cover will win a $25 gift card! SUBMIT TO SUBMITNEWS.ADAMSPG.COM.
Sunset Over Lake, Upper Peninsula of Michigan Carissa Petherbridge
AskHR!
Have a question, but don’t know whom to ask? The Human Resources staff is listening! You can always send an email to Ask HR if you have questions or concerns. Emails will be kept confidential and, if we print your question in the APG newsletter, we will not use your name. Questions may be emailed to AskHR@adamspg.com or sent interoffice to your regional HR representative.
DON’T KNOW WHOM TO CALL? CONTACT HUMAN RESOURCES. FAITH HOCHANADEL
APG Vice President of Human Resources faith.hochanadel@adamspg.com 865.981.1101
DEB BROOKS
HR Manager – APG West dbrooks@skagitpublishing.com 360.416.2187
GWEN DAVIS
HR Manager - East gdavis@apgenc.com 252.366.8139
HEATHER MCCALMONT
HR Manager - Southern Wisconsin Group hmccalmont@adamspg.com 608.755.9442
MICHELE WATERS
HR Director, APG Chesapeake/Ohio/Michigan mwaters@adamspg.com 410.770.4159
THÉRÉSE ZADNIK-KLECKER
HR Manager , APG Central therese.zadnik-klecker@adamspg.com 763.712.3559
HUMAN RESOURCES
AT-HOME COVID TESTS DELIVERED BY EXPRESS SCRIPTS® PHARMACY GETTING CARE AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Your benefit plan may cover up to 8 at-home COVID-19 tests every 30 days, per member. This means you’ll pay a $0 copay for covered tests. You can use your benefit to get your tests at a participating retail pharmacy or order for home delivery.
AT-HOME COVID-19 TEST & REIMBURSEMENT Getting tested for COVID-19 should be easier. As of January 15, 2022, your health plan administrator may have started covering at-home COVID-19 tests. If they have, you are eligible to receive 8 tests every 30 days for each person on your plan. If you are covered by Medicare, Medicaid or CHIP, you will not be able to order athome tests at this time. Also, if your plan has opted out of this coverage, you will not be able to order at home tests at this time HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECEIVE THE AT-HOME COVID-19 TESTS I ORDERED THROUGH EXPRESS SCRIPTS PHARMACY? Due to high demand, it may take 4 weeks to receive your tests. HOW DO I USE MY AT-HOME COVID-19 TEST? Most at-home COVID-19 tests use a gentle self-collected anterior nasal (nares) swab sample to determine a positive or negative COVID-19 result. The swab is swirled in a reagent solution and applied to a test strip. Follow the specific instructions on your test for accurate results.
HOW TO GET FREE AT-HOME TESTS: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT With the help of the United States Postal Service (USPS), households can request a total of four (4) tests to be delivered for free. To learn more and order at-home tests, visit www. covidtests.gov RETAIL PHARMACY If your plan has chosen to cover athome COVID-19 tests, you can pick them up them from local participating pharmacies. Purchase your tests at the pharmacy counter and offer your benefit information for a $0 copay. If you pay for the tests out of pocket, ask for a pharmacy receipt. Log in for instructions on how to submit a reimbursement claim. EXPRESS SCRIPTS® PHARMACY Eligible members can order up to 8 at-home COVID-19 tests every 30 days from Express Scripts® Pharmacy. Log in or register to place your order. Please note that in the short term there will be limited supplies and tests may take up to 4 weeks to arrive.
FEBRUARY MOVIE NIGHT CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FEBRUARY WINNER SIERRA CIVIN, SPECIAL SERVICES COORDINATOR FOR THE PORT CHARLOTTE SUN The Questions Were: In “Never Been Kissed,” what is Josie’s profession? The Answers Were: Copy Editor for the Chicago Sun-Times 2
MOVIE NIGHT NOW PLAYING: NEVER BEEN KISSED
SAFETY
TEXTING WHILE WALKING: SAFETY IT’S MORE DANGEROUS TIPS THAN YOU THINK ARE YOU GUILTY OF WWD? “WALKING WHILE DISTRACTED”
“They’re so clumsy they can’t walk and chew gum at the same time!” It’s an old joke, but distracted walking is becoming an increasingly concerning problem -- of course, the problem is more often texting and walking than chewing gum and walking. Expert organizations from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons to the Governors Highway Safety Association have expressed concern about distracted walking, with texting being one of the reasons people are distracted while walking.
THE MULTITASKING MYTH: ARE
WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?
STAY SAFE WHILE WALKING
No matter who you are, the answer is “no” because the human brain is simply not made to multitask. When you’re doing more than one thing at a time, your brain is simply switching between tasks quickly. You can only focus on one thing at a time. That means when you walk and text, you aren’t fully paying attention to either activity. And, though it may seem like you don’t need all of your brain power to walk, consider just what a complex action walking is. Walking requires your brain to process visual information, while also controlling your feet and legs. How high you lift your knee, the length of your stride -- watch out for that puddle! -are all part of the deceptively simple act of walking. In some ways, you’re already multitasking when you walk, so adding your phone to the mix makes things really difficult.
Pedestrian deaths are on the rise, while fatalities due to other traffic accidents are down. Distracted walking may well be playing a role in that increasing death toll. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons cites a study that observed 20 intersections in Seattle, where people who were texting displayed “unsafe crossing behavior” four times more often than other people.
You can do some simple things to limit your risk of getting hurt while walking. For instance, practice focusing on your setting while you walk. Actively pay attention to the people, obstacles, and sounds in your surroundings. If you need to use headphones, keep the volume low enough that you can still hear the sounds of traffic around you. When you absolutely must make a call or send a text, stop walking while you do so. You probably already do this while you’re driving, so training yourself to stop walking while you use your phone should be easy. When you’re walking in an urban area especially, be sure that you look up when you’re crossing intersections or approaching stairs or escalators.
YOU AN EXPERT MULTITASKER?
The risk of injury is dramatically greater if you walk and text than if you simply walk. You’re more likely to trip, bump into something or someone, twist your ankle, or step into traffic if you’re distracted while you walk. Cuts, bruises, sprains, and even fractures are a few of the types of injuries experts are seeing an increase.
MOVIE NIGHT NOW PLAYING: SPIDER-MAN (2002)
For your chance to be the lucky winner of an APG Swag and Movie Bag, answer the trivia question below correctly:
IN THE 2002 MOVIE“SPIDER-MAN,” WHERE ON PETER’S BODY DOES THE SPIDER BITE HIM? All answers should be submitted to AskHR@adamspg.com. The winner will be drawn on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. 3
MOVIE NIGHT
MOVIE NIGHT NOW PLAYING: SPIDER-MAN
For your chance to be one of two lucky winners of an APG Swag and Movie Bag:
FIRST CHANCE TO WIN:
SEARCH THE NEWSLETTER AND TELL US WHO WON THE MOVIE TRIVIA QUESTION LAST MONTH FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THIS MONTH’S MOVIE.
SECOND CHANCE TO WIN:
SEARCH THE NEWSLETTER FOR THIS MONTH’S MOVIE TRIVIA QUESTION AND SEND US THE ANSWER. *Contents of winner’s prize pack may vary.
All answers should be submitted to AskHR@adamspg.com. The winner will be drawn on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
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