Spring 2022 ON YOU A health guide for members of our Northern Light Employee Health Plan Beacon Health Don’t neglect this important health tip Why is having a PCP important? You could have a health problem and not even know it—many conditions don’t cause symptoms at first. A PCP will monitor your health and look for conditions or diseases early, when they may be easier to treat. A prime example: high blood pressure. If you have it and it goes unchecked, it may lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Your PCP will monitor your blood pressure to make sure it stays within a healthy range and treat it if it gets too high. You might also need cholesterol checks and diabetes tests. Let’s talk cancer Cancer is often easier to treat before it causes signs or symptoms. Certain tests and exams help detect some types of cancer—such as breast, colon, cervical, and lung cancers—early, before you might notice anything is wrong. A few screenings can even help prevent cancer. For instance, a Pap test can detect precancerous cell changes in the cervix, which can be treated before they become cancerous. And during a colonoscopy, a doctor can find and remove growths (polyps) that often cause cancer. Lung cancer rates in Maine are 30% higher than the national average. Lung cancer screening helps find cancers at an early, potentially curable stage when patients show no signs or symptoms. The best way to reduce your risk of developing lung cancer is to quit smoking, but that’s not a requirement to receive a screening. Northern Light Health covers screenings at no cost to you if you meet eligibility and haven’t had any chest CT scans in the last 12months. Talk with your doctor about this and other important screenings. Which ones you need and when depends on your age and other factors. Your PCP can determine what’s best for you. Why a Preferred PCP makes good sense • $500 contribution to HRA (base and buy-up plans) for employee and spouse. Attestation forms can be found on intranet Infocloud. • Office visits are only $25. • Preventive care visits are 100% paid. If you don’t have a PCP, you can choose from different types of PCPs, including family doctors, internal medicine doctors, geriatricians, and nurse practitioners, on our website. Find a PCP and make an appointment today at employeehealthplan.northernlighthealth.org/Home/Search.aspx. Beyond tests and screenings Your PCP can also help you with vaccinations and other preventive care, such as: Losing weight. Figuring out an exercise plan. Understanding any diet changes you need to make. Quitting tobacco. Managing stress. Amy Bates, NP, checks a patient’s heartbeat.
Focus on You is designed to help the Northern Light Employee Health Plan work for you, our plan members. The information in this newsletter comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your healthcare provider directly. If you have questions about our health plan, call Customer Service at 855-429-1023. 2022 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Holistic healthcare By Onycha Carlson I’m a registered dietitian nutritionist, 200-hour level certified yoga instructor, and an outdoor enthusiast! In August 2021, I joined our Northern Light Beacon Health team as your nutrition specialist. I’m enjoying many opportunities to meet people, like Susan Slick, and support them on their lifelong journeys in health. Since every person has different health and wellness needs, I take a very individualized approach when providing care and support. With my educational background and training as a dietitian, I offer one-onone health coaching and nutrition/ dietary consultation. My inherent love for the great outdoors and many years of experience as a teacher and student of yoga continue to reinforce the importance of taking a holistic approach to health and wellness as well. If you wish to explore or improve your mental, physical, and emotional health, join me at our weekly virtual yoga class, which is held every Tuesday morning from 10 to 10:20 am. Or visit employeehealthplan .northernlighthealth.org/ wellness-services-network/ wellness-zoom-classes.aspx to find our other virtual classes. 2 | Focus on You By Susan Slick For the past few years, I’ve participated in our wellness program. I use both group and individual coaching. I work on time management, meal prepping, fitness, and meeting my nutritional needs as I age. I’d been making slow and inconsistent progress toward my goals, just plugging along. In March of 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer. I knew leading a healthcare team through COVID-19 and helping my family manage my dad’s care would require a lot of me physically and emotionally. I was never so thankful for my relationship with my health coach! From the work that I do in behavioral health, I know exercise and proper nutrition keep me healthy, provide me with the necessary energy, and help keep my emotions more manageable, especially during this challenging period in my life. I set goals to add exercise into my daily routine, figured out the best nutritional choices for my ever-changing schedule, and learned how to make sleep a priority. I joined a local gym, began attending group fitness classes, and hired a trainer for a couple of oneon-one sessions a week to work on my strength and functional fitness. Having encouragement both at work and at the gym was key. I surrounded myself with a great support network! I maintained monthly check-ins with my health coach, tweaking my goals and plan as needed along the way. Over the last 16 months, I managed to lose 26 pounds and ten inches. I also learned how to get my priorities into balance. Working with our wellness team has taught me how to incorporate a better work-life integration as a remote employee, encouraged me to take care of myself physically and emotionally, and helped me put lifelong habits in place. I feel better overall, which makes me a happier, healthier human being! I encourage everyone to take advantage of our wellness programs. Having someone look at my end goals and then help create a path to get there has been an invaluable experience! My wellness journey
Healthy Life Resources (HLR), offered through Northern Light Acadia Hospital, is a free and confidential mental wellness benefit for all Northern Light Employee Health Plan members and their families. HLR can help members find their way through any number of behavioral health challenges. Recently, Casey Harris, BS, community navigator, received an email from an employee looking for help after a family member had expressed suicidal thoughts. This person is an otherwise healthy, active, connected individual, engaged with their life. The employee was seeking immediate mental health counseling for their loved one, so the HLR team gathered information and connected the person to a mental health counselor the next day. “Although we were thrilled to intervene quickly to help this person, we knew they would require more in-depth, long-term counseling,” says Harris. “The pandemic has caused extraordinary waitlists, and staffing shortages have narrowed the path to help for those in need, but thankfully, we were able to find an appropriate counselor who was accepting new clients.” Community navigators provided this employee’s family with crisis and behavioral health resources, as well as helpful online tools. The employee who initially reached out emailed the HLR team to say the family was in a much better place and things were looking positive for the future! HLR has strong partnerships across the mental/behavioral health system that allow them to navigate the most holistic and direct path to wellness. “My personal mantra is this: If you are dealing with something that is affecting your mental wellness, we can help,” says Harris. “Even if we don’t have the answer, we know how to find them. Whether it is related to school issues, children, family or work stress, housing, food insecurity, or if you’re new to the area, a community navigator can help.” Need assistance? If you are or someone in your family is having difficulty dealing with an issue that is affecting your or their mental wellness and resilience, HLR at Acadia Hospital can help. To learn more and access this free, confidential service, contact Angela Fileccia, LCSW, HLR director, at 207-973-6446 or by email at AcadiaHLR@northernlight.org. Calling Work Force EAP is the best thing I did for myself By Brandi McEwen, RN, Northern Light Homecare and Hospice When I became a nurse 12 years ago, I did so because I had a calling to help people. The past nearly seven years, I’ve been doing admissions for homecare and hospice patients in the county. Doing this kind of work is a daily reminder to make the most of each day—to be positive and look for the best in people and in situations. Caring for people and losing so many during COVID-19 has been hard, but I was managing—still finding joy. Then I lost my best friend in September 2021. By October I realized I wasn’t coping well. It was affecting my work and my home life. I was overwhelmed with emotions and was just shutting down. One day I decided to call EAP. I think this call literally saved my life. I felt heard. I felt understood. I felt normal. In one hour, I made a connection and hung up the phone with a plan to help myself. I am open to living again. Accessing this service is easy. You can do it wherever, even from the comfort of your home. And the thing is, you don’t have to wait until things are so bad to call them. I won’t in the future! employeehealthplan.northernlighthealth.org | Spring 2022 | 3 Community navigators Helping employees (and their families) through difficult times Casey Harris, BS “One day I decided to call EAP. I think this call literally saved my life.” —Brandi McEwen, RN
Taking care of you We’re here to help Are you preoccupied and having difficulty focusing? Are you not sleeping great? Are you not eating as well as you know you should? You may be stressed out by COVID-19. It’s not unusual to be anxious during a disease outbreak— especially a pandemic like this one. But chronic stress isn’t good for your body or mind. It might be time to take some steps to ease the pressure on yourself. Recognize signs of stress How do you know if your mental health is suffering during this pandemic? You may be feeling stressed if you’re having: • Fearful thoughts about your health and the health of your family and friends. • Trouble sleeping. • Changes in your eating patterns. • Difficulty concentrating. • A worsening of chronic health problems. • A worsening of depression or other mental health conditions. • A rise in your use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. 797 Wilson St. Brewer, ME 04412-1000 Beacon Health Standard U.S. Postage PAID Northern Light Beacon Health Contact Customer Service at 855-429-1023. Or visit us online at employeehealthplan .northernlighthealth.org. In this issue Wellness programs that work Susan’s journey to better health with Northern Light. See page 2. Navigating difficult times Our community navigators are here to help. See page 3. We’re available Elements is here: Northern Light’s new well-being network! When life and work are in harmony, you feel it. Your energy seems unstoppable, and your goals feel worthwhile. That sense of purpose helps you achieve success, inspire others, and grow in all areas of your life. A good wellness platform can help you bring it all together with programs to support your health and wellbeing, wellness news to keep you informed and connection with community that lets you know you belong. Fundamental as earth, wind, water, and light, Elements is here to help Northern Light Health employees and spouses reach for what matters most to each of us individually, so we can feel good and live with purpose every day. With Elements you can also connect with Northern Light Health through up-to-date communications, surveys, and polls. The new Elements app will make it easy for you to stay informed while helping you connect socially and learn more about Northern Light Health’s benefits and resources. To register, just go to northernlight.limeade .com. We have experts available to help you take positive steps to feel better. Look inside to read testimonials and learn about available services.
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