Story by Audrey Callaway Scherer, senior reporter
How challenging would it be to find one location offering chair massages, retirement education and mammograms on the same day? CNM non-student employees don’t have to look far this year for these services and more.
Although skipping a few years leading up to 2018, CNM’s Employee Health and Wellness Fair is normally annual and returns in 2019 for the second year of its resurrection, said Benefits Director René Yoder. The plan moving forward is to continue it every year.
The 2019 fair is scheduled for Friday, April 5th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Smith Brasher (SB) Hall and focuses on employees’ physical, mental and financial health.
The fair should include almost 30 vendors and has been organized to provide opportunities for educational information and general health and welfare checks through its employee-centered presentations and activities, she said.
“Anything we can do to help employees improve their health in any of those three areas is good for everyone. And we try to make it fun,” said Yoder.
Although the fair was designed specifically for CNM employees who are not students, anyone may visit the information tables or grab a snack from the snack area and hydration station if they’re passing through, she said.
The Employee Benefits team, hosting the fair, likes to keep it similar from year to year but also adds change so that each year is different, she said.
As they register this year, employees will be given a type of Bingo card relating to the stations they visit and be eligible to enter a raffle.
A couple presentations offered will include three 15-minute talks on Bone Health and three 30-minute College Savings Plan workshops. The fair’s organizers understand how financial health connects to physical and mental health, she said.
Visitors can also spend time with Southwest Canine Corps’ NM Therapy Dogs, watch a Stretch Testing and Exercise Demo, speak with vendors such as acupuncturists and chiropractors, or do screenings for blood pressure, glucose or cholesterol levels, and bone density.
The little check-ups are intended to match those of regular annual exams and give participants information they could use however they see fit, which includes bringing it to their doctors.
Although the clinicians on site will be able to talk about the numbers and answer questions or concerns, one goal is to get more people in to see their primary care physicians, she said.
With pre-registration, employees and family listed on their insurance plans can get biometric exams or 3D mammograms done. These services are considered preventative health care, so if the employee is part of CNM’s insurance plan the examinations are done for free – otherwise, registrants are welcome to participate with their own health insurance, she said.
Benefit and pre-registration information can be found at the Community Insights webpage, which is generally only available to employees who can sign in, but if anyone has questions they may also contact benefits@cnm.edu.
Yoder said she was unaware of any similar events for students but pointed that she works strictly in the employee benefits programs. Representatives from the student activities office were also unaware of similar student events.
