The Good Dollars: Northern Michigan University Sees Major Returns on Investment in Employee Health

At Northern Michigan University (NMU), supporting employees goes beyond health benefits. It’s about supporting the whole person. For Heather Haupt, Director of Benefits and proud NMU alum, that mission is deeply personal. “I really believe in being an entire person and not having your identity begin and end with your job,” she says. “You're looking for a quality of life in return” for the work you do.

In the video below, Heather shares how NMU is leveraging Hello Heart to improve employee health outcomes, address the rising cost of cardiovascular care, and empower people—especially women—with the tools and insights they need to make informed health decisions.

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Addressing a Top Cost Driver with Heart

Heart disease is the leading cause of death, and at NMU, it's also one of the top claims drivers. “Heart health is an important focus because it’s a killer,” Heather says bluntly. “It not only costs a lot in insurance, it takes people out of the workforce.” With an average employee age over 40 and a significant portion of the workforce in the menopause age group, the risks are real and rising.

By implementing Hello Heart, NMU aimed to shift from reactive care to proactive prevention, helping people catch health issues before they escalate. “Those are the good dollars,” Heather says of the investment in preventive care. “The dollars you want to spend.” 

Making Women’s Heart Health Visible

Heather is particularly passionate about elevating women’s health, a topic too often overlooked in both clinical research and benefits design. “We want to be able to [talk about] things like women’s health, menopause, pelvic floor health, these are real things that half of our population is either experiencing today or will be tomorrow.”

She credits Hello Heart with helping surface those risks and normalize the conversation. “We know from the help of Hello Heart that when women are entering [menopause], there’s even more risk for them, and it’s often not spoken about.”

Empowering Informed Decisions for Everyone

Hello Heart isn’t just for the highly engaged. Heather explains that the program works across NMU’s diverse workforce from academics to public safety to dining staff. “We have folks who are very highly educated who want the data to help them make decisions… and another population who maybe are not as engaged and have no idea where to begin. Hello Heart works for them as well.”

The key, she says, is simplicity. “It’s very low risk. There’s no real work to be done here. That monitor is there. It provides them with the reading. It downloads the data they can share with their provider.”

Saving Money and Avoiding ER Visits

Heather also shared a deeply personal story. “I suffer from panic disorder,” she says. “What’s hard to know sometimes is if it’s a panic attack or a heart-related problem.” One day, when she wasn’t sure which it was, she reached for her Hello Heart monitor. Her blood pressure reading was normal.

“So I avoided a trip to the emergency room, and I was able to just take my panic medication, wait it out, and avoid a very large claim for not only me, but also my employer,” she says. 

A Message to Other Employers

For Heather, the takeaway is clear: preventive care pays dividends. “Watch the reduction in your claims. Watch how your employees become engaged with understanding what’s going on with their heart health and having the education so they can make their decisions about how to reduce their risk.”

At a time when employee expectations are evolving and healthcare costs continue to climb, NMU’s approach offers a powerful example of what it means to put people first and lead with heart.
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Ready to Lead With Heart?

Talk to our team about bringing Hello Heart to your workforce. Empower your employees with tools that make a real difference in their health—and your healthcare costs.

To explore how Hello Heart fits into your wellness strategy, request a demo today.

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