How the Power of Community Drives a Leading Private School’s Employees to Better Health and a Culture of Wellbeing
Founded in 1833, Suffield Academy is a coeducational, independent secondary school in Suffield, Connecticut, serving a diverse community of more than 400 day and boarding students. Its more than 90 faculty members and administrative staff wear many hats outside their day-to-day roles on campus, including coaching teams, running school programs, and serving as student and dormitory advisors. Additionally, there are more than 40 staff employees that work hard every day to maintain Suffield Academy’s challenging but nurturing academic environment and world-class facilities.
The “why”?
Suffield Academy’s Chief Financial Officer Patrick Booth manages health insurance at the school. A firm believer in the WellSpark mantra “the health of your employees equals the health of your business,” he was familiar with WellSpark’s life-dimensional approach to employee wellbeing and its customizable programming through his spouse’s employer. So, he sought a compliance program for Suffield Academy that tied wellbeing program participation to a preferred health care premium for employees.
”I knew in my heart that working with WellSpark would be a good decision for the health of our people and, as a result, a good decision for the Academy’s culture,” said Booth. “It would incentivize our employees to take preventive care seriously, which in turn keeps them happier and healthier while also reducing everyone’s long-term health care costs.”
Suffield Academy formally partnered with WellSpark in July 2022. From the onset, the program’s goal has been to help
employees and their spouses be accountable for their health by completing widely accepted and effective preventive care screenings and providing support and guidance to those with chronic conditions.