Health & Wellness
The Courier
PAGE 21
www.the-courier.org
a division of Independent School District 15 Community Education | St. Francis, Minnesota
January 2013 | Volume 20, Issue 6
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Update on ISD 15 NeoPath Health clinic David Lindberg Human Resources Director, ISD 15
Independent School District 15 embarked on an ambitious project over a year ago by setting aside seed money to open a physician staffed clinic for benefit eligible employees. The clinic, administered by NeoPath Health, has brought many opportunities to ISD 15 staff since opening in January of 2012. The city of St. Francis had previously denied a conditional use permit to locate the clinic in St. Francis High School. This created a tremendous opportunity for a local business partnership with St. Francis Physical Therapy, which now leases office space to the district, thus strengthening an already great partnership and providing opportunities for needed services. Settling the location of the clinic was punctuated by a lighted Neopath/Independent School District 15 sign on the St. Francis Mall exterior. The sign is not the only beacon for healthcare in the district. A new wellness program, “Staying Healthy 15,” is aiding in keeping healthcare at the forefront of employees’ minds. The committee seeks to engage ISD 15 staff in healthy choices for mind, body and spirit. The district is seeing encouraging use of the NeoPath Health Clinic. ISD 15 employees are using the service to help control chronic conditions and seek preventive care. From January 2012 to October 2012, 306 employees made 540 office visits. Over half of the employees eligible to use the clinic have been seen at the facility at least once. This is the fastest clinic adoption of all schools partnering with NeoPath Health. The 306 employees that have used the clinic avoided spending over $60,000 in prescription, lab, and office deductible expenses. It is very exciting to see the adoption rate of the clinic and how much employees are saving on services. Employees in the district have spent $360,000 toward their annual deductible for health insurance just in outside office visits and lab services. This indicates that extending NeoPath Health physician time would result in higher savings for employees. The district published an employee survey exploring adding dependent care to the service, saving more for families and the district. Employees favored the option for the addition of dependent care. District leadership will review the survey feedback and make a determination on the results in the next month.
Cedar Creek Community School fifth graders had a great time celebrating 12/12/12 by snowshoeing through the pine forest located on school property. sandy benson, CCCS Community Relations coordinator
Candidates sought to fill vacant school board seat The Independent School District 15 School Board will appoint a community member for service in the vacant school board seat until the 2013 November election. A tentative procedure pending board approval at the January 14 meeting is as follows: Any community member interested in serving on the ISD 15 School Board for the remainder of 2013 may submit a resume or personal information by Friday, January 18 to ISD 15 Central Services Center. A letter of interest from the candidate may also be requested. The school
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board will determine how to narrow the field of candidates also at the January 14 meeting. Minnesota Statute indicates that a school board will appoint a person to serve in a vacant position only until the next election. In November of 2013, ISD 15 will hold an election for four school board positions. Three of the seats will be fouryear terms; one seat will be a two-year term. The two-year term is the unexpired portion of the vacant seat.
January What’s Inside Schools in Action..........................................2 School Board Highlights.........................14 Community Education............................15 Community & Business...........................17 Health & Wellness......................................21 Money Matters...........................................28 Sports & Outdoors....................................30 Life..................................................................34