EPISD expands Healthy Living program and no‑cost employee clinics; staff urges greater employee engagement
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Summary
District staff reviewed Healthy Living initiatives, including an employee walking challenge, wellness classes taught by staff, and three no‑cost employee clinics. Presenters encouraged higher utilization to reduce medical costs and support preventive care.
El Paso Independent School District staff on Thursday highlighted the district's Healthy Living employee engagement program and three no‑cost clinics available to employees and enrolled family members, and urged trustees to promote higher utilization.
"Our vision is to be a one‑stop website ... to educate, support, and empower employees to improve and maintain their overall health and well‑being," said a Healthy Living presenter, summarizing the program's mission. Staff displayed a new "Walking Spree" registration and said more than 600 people signed up within a month.
Nut graf: Staff framed the clinics and wellness programming as both employee benefits and tools to reduce medical costs by shifting care from higher‑cost emergency and urgent care settings to lower‑cost clinics and telehealth options. Staff told the board the clinics have had nearly 4,000 employee visits this school year.
Program details: Presenters said EPISD partners with Premier Care Clinics to operate three sites (Central campus, Paragon/Mesa, and George Dieter on the East Side) and that services are available at no cost to employees with an employee ID; family members covered on the district plan may also use the clinics. Staff described services as acute care, routine exams and certain screenings including sports physicals and annual health‑fair screenings. Presenters also described a $1,000 district HSA deposit for eligible CDHP participants and incentives linked to participating in screenings and wellness activities.
Trustee questions and clarifications: Trustees asked where the clinic locations are and whether services include sports physicals and mammogram partnerships. Staff replied that sports physicals are provided at no cost and that the district partners with local imaging providers for mammogram screenings during awareness campaigns.
Scope and participation: Presenters said the Healthy Living program had grown participation from about 2,941 participants in 2022–23 to roughly 6,464 participants in 2024–25 across programs, events and clinical visits. Staff stressed that many wellness classes are taught by district employees (art, cooking, pottery) and that the program uses incentives and competitions to drive engagement.
Ending: Staff asked trustees to continue promoting the program and to support expanded screenings and engagement measures that, staff argued, can support prevention and reduce long‑term health costs for employees and the district.
