Executive Director's October Message

It’s Open Enrollment time, and there’s a buzz and excitement around the SFHSS office as we answer your calls. I really hope each and every one of you will take a second look this year to reconsider your benefits and see if there’s a better option for you. The pandemic has changed our lives and our healthcare needs have likely changed as well. I sat down with my husband to reevaluate and reassess our needs last month. Several of my favorite doctors have retired or moved on, so getting adjusted to new practitioners is a bit of a challenge. I’m sure you may have had similar experiences.

If you want to learn more, we are bringing back in-person health fairs and vendor specific webinars as well as one-on-one consultations with our health plans, so you can ask your questions and see if there’s a better plan for you.

Open Enrollment time also means it’s nearing flu season. If you haven’t had a chance to get your flu shot, our Well-Being team is hosting on-site flu clinics at various locations for your convenience. There’s also a new bivalent COVID vaccine booster that provides broader protection against the original COVID-19 strain as well as the new Omicron subvariants. By now, we all either already caught COVID ourselves or know people who’ve caught COVID, and this illness is hard to predict. I’ve seen healthy people in the prime of their lives who now have to live with long COVID symptoms and other people who barely had a sniffle. For me, the risk of severe or long COVID is just not worth it, so I made my appointment. You can get your free booster shot at any of these locations or by contacting your provider.

If you need assistance with your benefits, our Benefit Analysts are always here to support you. Just call (628) 652-4700.

Be well,

Abbie Yant, RN, MA