4J BENEFITS AND WELLNESS NEWSLETTER
Prepared by Julie Wenzl • 541-790-7682 • wenzl@4j.lane.edu • November 6, 2018 • Issue Number 307
NEWS FROM THE 4J WELLNESS CLINIC
‘Tis the season for unplanned viruses and flu shots.
The 4J Wellness Clinic is staffed and ready to address all your ailments and provide high quality healthcare for all your needs. As you may know, our two seasoned practitioners Silvia and Anna have moved on to new adventures. We know that all transitions provide certain challenges, but with those challenges come new opportunities and we are excited to announce our new care team! Your new Nurse Practitioners are Thor Hauff, FNP and Michelle Davila, FNP. These providers are incredibly talented and committed to providing the convenient access to the highest quality care that you’ve come to expect.
You are cordially invited to an Open House on November 14, 2018 at the 4J Wellness Clinic from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Join us to meet your wonderful new providers and to get to know your wellness team.
We are excited for you to meet and develop strong and positive provider relationships with Michelle and Thor. Developing relationships with trusted primary medical providers lead to better outcomes and more effective preventative care. We hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity!
Let’s start this process with a little background information about our new team members:
Thor Hauff, FNP-C
Thor’s training has been through the military and he is retired from a 26-year military career that included Army and Air Force service. He has worked as an RN in emergency care, medical/surgical, telemetry, outpatient, long term care, home health, and labor and delivery. He received his FNP through USUHS, the health science university of the U.S. federal government, in August of 2009. His last job was at Eugene Urgent Care for three years (some of you might know him from there). Throughout his time in urgent care his love for primary care and that relationship with his patients was dearly missed. Thor’s medical approach is science and evidence based. He believes in improving the overall health of his patients and not just focusing on the symptoms. Thor is married with four children ages 19, 16, 14, and 12 years old. His spouse, Nicole, is a stay at home mom and a photographer. Thor enjoys fishing, hunting, skiing, golf, tennis, and other “lifetime” sports. Thor and his family are thankful to be settling down in the Willamette Valley to do what he loves, caring for patients.
Michelle Davila, FNP
Michelle and her family have lived in Oregon for six years. She has previously provided primary care at two federally qualified health centers (FQHC), one of which was a school based health center. Prior to this experience she worked with adolescents and young adults at a youth academy and a college health center. Michelle earned her BSN from UT Health Science Center, her MSN from Texas A&M University and her DNP from the University of Colorado. She enjoys working with individuals to optimize health through nutrition and daily activity. She likes seeing pediatric patients, especially adolescents. Although her own adolescent cringes to think her mom will be taking care of her teachers, Michelle is thrilled to have this opportunity to better the health of the 4J community. Michelle enjoys hiking, jogging, reading and knitting in her spare time.
We hope to see you on November 14th at the Open House. We are confident that you’ll see what we see in these excellent new providers.
TAX-SHELTERED ANNUITY (TSA) VENDOR FAIR
You are invited to attend a 403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA) Vendor Fair. This drop-in style format event will be a great opportunity to gather information on tax deferred retirement savings plans. This event will take place in the Ed Center Auditorium between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 13, 2018.
There will be experts on hand from many of the vendors who work with 4J employees, all together in one place. If you have been meaning to start your TSA, now is the time. If you already have a TSA going and have questions, this is a great opportunity to connect directly with your vendor.
All 4J licensed employees are eligible to set up an account under the 403(b) Plan with any vendor who is on the District list of approved vendors: http://www.ncompliance.com/guest_employervendors.aspx?EmployerID=12
4J Retirement Plan A eligible employees (hired into a licensed position before July 1, 1998 and continuously a bargaining unit member) do not receive a TSA contribution from 4J.
4J Retirement Plan B eligible employees (hired into a licensed position on or after July 1, 1998) are eligible to receive a TSA contribution from 4J:
- First year of eligibility – $50 / month
- Third year of eligibility – $75 / month
- Sixth year of eligibility – $100 / month
- Tenth year of eligibility – $150 / month
- Thirteenth year of eligibility – $175 / month
SICK LEAVE BANK
The Eugene Education Association manages the Sick Leave Bank (SLB), the purpose of which is to grant hours to eligible members in cases of long-term absence necessitated by illness or injury.
During the SLB fall 2018 enrollment period (August 28 – October 31), 127 licensed employees made a donation of one or two days, sixteen of them for the first time. Three donors donated the maximum allowed (16 hours) despite the fact that each works less than 1.0 FTE. Thank you SLB donors!
The Sick Leave Bank provides relief for members who are dealing with serious health conditions. Unfortunately, the SLB has had to provide support more frequently than in the past, so the support of donors has become more critical than ever. To maintain active membership, a minimum donation of one day (prorated for part-time members) must be made every two years. For those of you who donated during this fall’s enrollment period, your next required donation will be in the fall of 2020. However, members are allowed to donate a maximum of 16 hours per school year.
There will be a second SLB enrollment period this school year from February 1 – April 5, 2019. E-mail reminders and donation forms will be sent at that time.
HOW ABOUT A WORKOUT BUDDY?
Trying to get more physically active? You don’t have to go it alone. How about working out with a little help from your friends? When you work out with a partner, you’re likely to:
- Feel more motivated. When you and your buddy encourage each other, you’ll work harder (and get better results!). And there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition.
- Be more adventurous. It’s easier to try new things with a buddy. You may just find an activity you love, one that feels more like fun and less like a workout.
- Be more consistent. When someone else is counting on you to show up, you won’t want to let him or her down.
To enjoy all these benefits, you’ll need the right workout buddy. Look for someone with the same goals, schedule, and commitment you have. Look for someone who makes you feel positive and inspires you to hit the trail or treadmill on a regular basis.
How do you find the right fit? Talk to friends, co-workers, neighbors, or people at the gym. You might even find a buddy closer to home: what about a hike with your dog, who thinks every walk is the best walk ever? Now quality time can also be fitness time.
You very likely already have your phone with you. Why not make it work? Try a social media workout app to connect with friends and others that share your goals and can help keep you motivated.
Even if you like to work out alone, changing things up with a buddy every once in a while can help you work out harder and learn new things. You can switch back to solo workouts any time.
LEMONS QUICK TIP
Want twice as much juice from your lemon with half the effort? Before you cut it, roll it back and forth on the kitchen counter, pressing down firmly with the palm of your hand.
The information in this newsletter has been summarized. It is presented as information – not advice or counsel. In all instances, the benefits, conditions, and limitations as outlined in the 4J Master Contracts prevail over this representation. Please refer to your Benefits booklet or master contracts available at the District offices for additional information regarding your benefits plans.
