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Stonehill Opens New Employee Health & Wellness Center
Program will offer affordable and convenient medical treatment, range of programming.
Employee Health & Wellness Coordinator Monique Avila, MSN, FNP-C, offers medical advice to Human Resources Coordinator Stephanie Camillo.
If there’s one positive thing that came out of the pandemic, it’s that Employee Health & Wellness Coordinator Monique Avila, MSN, FNP-C, got to meet so many new people while managing Stonehill College’s COVID Testing Center.
“I had the chance to support all departments across campus. I’ve probably spoken to every single person here at one point or another,” said the licensed nurse practitioner.
The sense of familiarity that she has developed with her colleagues over the last two years will serve Avila well as she oversees the institution’s new Employee Health & Wellness Center, which opened October 17.
Located in Merkert-Tracy, this facility has been designed to look like a traditional examination room. Here, Avila can treat everything from common cold symptoms and allergies to cuts and abrasions. Lab draws, COVID-19 and influenza testing, preemployment physicals, vaccine administration and urine testing are also among some of the services offered.
The center provides faculty and staff with an affordable and convenient alternative to urgent care center visits.
“Our services cost $15, regardless of the treatment provided,” Avila said. “We can also see people in a timelier manner than off-campus treatment facilities, where you might end up sitting in a waiting room for hours.”
Before coming to work at Stonehill in 2020, Avila spent nearly two decades working in the emergency room at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital.
In addition to treating injuries and illnesses, Avila will work with Senior Human Resources Partner Kathy Falcone and Benefits Coordinator Judy Chaves to facilitate wellness programs focused on weight loss, smoking cessation, healthy eating, and mental health, among other topics.
“These programs will be a core component of the benefits we offer to employees,” Avila said. “As busy as they are with their work, we want to ensure that they are also making their personal health and wellness a priority.”
Though the center’s services are only available to faculty and staff, Avila has gotten a group of students involved with this program. She has partnered with upperclassmen in Professor Denis Malin’s Project Management course to create a program that will assist her with cost analysis and budgeting. The students have also helped draft the center’s business plan.
John Smith ’24, one of Malin’s students, is happy to work on a project that will positively impact Stonehill’s employees. He and his classmates have gotten a lot out of the experience.
“We’ve gained skills that can be translated to the professional world after we graduate,” he said. “We’ve learned a lot about project management, time management, teamwork and so much more.”
Employee Health & Wellness Coordinator Monique Avila (left), Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Lily Krentzman (center) and Vice President & General Counsel Thomas Flynn (right) are the masterminds behind the Employee Health & Wellness Center.
Malin’s students are not the only ones who have helped get the center up and running. Vice President and General Counsel Thomas Flynn, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources Lily Krentzman and the entire HR team have played a major part in sorting out the logistics of this endeavor.
“I am so thankful to everyone who helped bring this center to life,” she said. “So many people have offered their assistance. Their support throughout the entire development process meant a great deal to me.”
Flynn is excited that the HR team’s vision for this project is now a reality after years of planning.
“It is our hope that this facility will help make life a little easier for our faculty and staff,” he said.
Krentzman encourages all employees to take advantage of the services offered by Avila.
“They are in great hands with Monique, who played a key role in leading the College through the uncertainty of the pandemic,” she said. “We are so lucky to have her here. I know this program is the start of something special.”
Avila brings a great deal of experience to her new role, having spent nearly two decades working in the emergency room at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital before coming to Stonehill in 2020. Though she sometimes misses the hustle and bustle of the ER, she is glad to be part of this community.
“I realized quickly how special the workforce is at Stonehill College,” she said. “I look forward to taking care of my colleagues and getting to know people on a different level than before. Our faculty and staff should know that they can depend on me if they’re not feeling well or if they’re going through something. I’m here for them.”