The continued rise of healthcare costs places a large financial burden on organizations and their employees, and Gustavus Adolphus College was no different. Luckily, Gustavus has an entire team dedicated to the well-being of those on campus. They offer support through a variety of great benefits, including Nice Healthcare, bi-annual fitness challenges, and generous paid time off so employees can balance their personal and professional lives. Here are the highlights of how Gustavus has been able to keep its employees healthy–and become an even greater place to work. 

How do you keep your employees happy and healthy?

At Gustavus Adolphus College, we are fortunate to have a core team focused on well-being across the campus. Our activities are versatile and span many categories, including:

• in-person and virtual fitness classes

• bi-annual fitness challenges with prizes

• a healthy lifestyle monthly newsletter

• financial well-being webinars

• daily multi-faith activities

• and much more.

Additionally, Gustavus provides generous time away and holiday leave so that employees can best balance their professional and personal lives. The Office of Human Resources strives to support the health and positive engagement of our workforce. 

Why did you choose to work with Nice Healthcare? What made Nice Healthcare stand out?

We can’t say it enough: Nice Healthcare is simply amazing! When we changed insurance brokers in 2020, we were able to offer Nice Healthcare to our workforce. I solicited employee feedback about Nice Healthcare for an open enrollment presentation and had so many positive responses that I needed to add another slide to share the outstanding comments. Just the other day, a faculty member shared their extremely positive response to the care they received from Nice Healthcare. Conscientious care paired with a practice of attentive listening to the patient is a hallmark of Nice Healthcare which makes it stand out in the industry. 

How do you see your benefits package in five years?

Rising healthcare costs are an extreme burden on all facets of a community, including ours. It is a fine balance in pairing the best medical plans within the parameters of the annual budget. First and foremost, Nice Healthcare lowers the out-of-pocket medical expenses for our employees, but another goal in offering Nice Healthcare is to help lower claims’ costs to our insurance plan, thereby lowering annual renewal rates. Additionally, Nice Healthcare is a unique offering in our market and not only does it help attract new employees, it provides another reason why Gustavus is a great place to work! 

What was a rewarding moment for you when it comes to your workforce’s health?

I am always so pleased when I hear employees’ stories about proactively utilizing resources the college provides to support positive healthy lifestyle changes. It is not always easy to communicate updates and information out to all segments of the Gustavus community, but I'm always delighted when I hear back from someone who saw a helpful article, blog post or link that encouraged them to make a positive change in their life. Sometimes that is all it takes to get them on the road to a healthier tomorrow. 

What has been a highlight about working with Nice?

Nice Healthcare has brought something different to Gustavus employees. Knowing that they now have access to quality care which saves them hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in medical expenses is definitely gratifying. Personally, I have been so impressed with the personable, quick, and effective customer service I've received from Nice Healthcare–in addition to the outstanding speakers who have come to campus and presented at our open enrollment meetings. It is obvious that Nice understands the market and individuals who are seeking care, which is reflected in their offerings: easy-to-use technology, in-home visits, minimal to no-cost services, a broad range of support including acute care, lab work, x-rays, physical therapy, and mental health services, and a wide array of pharmaceutical support. It is a rewarding feeling to be able to offer our employee base the Nice Healthcare service!

The partnership between Nice Healthcare and Gustavus was made possible by USI Insurance Services one of Minnesota’s top employee benefits brokerages. Nice is highly selective about the brokers we choose to partner with, only working with those who share our core values and desire to transform the local and national healthcare landscape.

Learn more about how to significantly improve your recruitment efforts, employee retention, and employee productivity by reading our white paper on how to enhance your employee benefits package.

If you’re interested in learning more about Nice Healthcare’s comprehensive primary care services, feel free to visit our employer page to learn more.