Longview Independent School District (ISD) at a glance
This Texas-based school district has 1,200 employees and 41 domestic partners and spouses. They’re located near
the Texas and Louisiana border with 87% of their student population is economically disadvantaged. With the impact of the pandemic and teaching profession crisis, Longview collaborated with Personify Health to implement a health and wellness program for its employees.
Drivers for an impactful health & wellbeing program
- Provide resources that improve total health & wellbeing
- Encourage good health decisions and support their culture of health at work and home
- Establish Longview ISD as an example in the region for other districts
- Lower medical costs and switch to self- funded in the future
- Motivate members to increase their physical activity and steps
Opportunities
With the goal of increasing support for their employees, Longview ISD sought to build an inclusive health and wellbeing program filled with resources that supported an employee’s whole-person health and wellbeing and create a sustainable culture of health that lasted from work to home. Inclusivity is especially important to a strong culture of health, so Longview prioritized activities that encouraged participation among their cafeteria, transportation and maintenance staff.
LISD Pro Tip: Leverage Personify Health to increase active monitoring
Active monitoring, or physically ensuring students are engaged in class, is one of the most important asks of an administrator to a teacher. Encourage your teachers to actively monitor their students to increase their step counts – many teachers at LISD say it works!
Solution: Leverage both in-app and off platform events and activities
With this being their district’s first health and wellbeing program, Personify Health was a key ally and support system in helping Longview ISD craft a program founded upon our established best practices. Longview ISD’s program utilizes Personify Health’s engagement platform to run quarterly games, host off-platform in-person events, and have a strong Wellness Champions Network.
Fostering Community
Creating and supporting peers are key to program engagement. Through Shoutouts, Longview encourages peer recognition and support. They even added points recently and run a Double Points Campaign to further incentivize members to facilitate a culture of recognition and appreciation.
Off-Platform Events
A key part of Longview’s program is centered around making connections and social wellbeing. Longview hosts off-platform events in order to foster in-person connections. Events included two 5k events which had 400+ participants at each event.
Best Practice Program Design
Longview promoted Corporate, Personal Activity, and Healthy Habit Challenges to increase steps and inspire friendly competition. They also use their Health Check to help guide them on their personal health journeys.
Maintaining activity levels is key. Longview encourages members to track Active Minutes during the Summer.
Rewards and Incentives
Using a points and levels incentive design enables Longview to promote engagement with members completing activities over time to build lasting routines and earn points.
Member have the chance to earn two extra days off a year from the district, Longview merchandise, and Personify Health Max Buzz devices.
Results: Strong first year with high rates of employee satisfaction
Longview ISD’s success highlights the benefits of embodying best practices. With this being their first health and wellbeing program, the pressure was on to provide a program that encourages healthy activities while creating a sustainable culture of health.
Following Personify Health’s guidance, their program filled a much- needed gap in support, social connections, and resources for employees.