BEWell BEAT

2026 2nd Edition (March/April)

⛵ Navigating a busy day?
Watch the BEAT Per Minute for a quick overview, then set sail into the full read to reel in the good stuff. 🎣

📢 ANNOUNCEMENTS

🌊 New Wave, Same Beach Bash! 🌊

The BEWell Beach Bash is back on the calendar, and we’re ready to ride the wave together!

Mark your calendar and register now for the rescheduled 2026 BEWell Beach Bash Vendor Fair—your chance to explore the ocean of wellness benefits available to you FREE of cost.

📅 Saturday, March 28, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 Tallwood Elementary School - Gymnasium (2025 Kempsville Road, 23464)

👉 Register now to attend

🥽 Dive into your wellness benefits:

Meet BEWell partners like GuidanceResources®, Personify Health, Wondr, Sentara Health Plans, and more
Earn BEWell points by participating in fun activities and attending a Health Screening (additional registration encouraged)
Enter the BEWell Grand Prize* Giveaway for a chance to win $1,000 towards your financial wellness!

⛱️ What to know before you go:

Stop by when it works for you; there’s no need to stay the entire time
Bring colleagues, friends, or family members and explore together
Plan to walk, chat, spin the prize wheel, and discover tools designed to support your wellbeing

💙Health Screening—Same Day, Same Wave!
Planning to attend the Health Screening while you’re there? Be sure to register for the Beach Bash first, then sign up for the Health Screening or join the waitlist on Saturday, March 28.

🔗 For full event details, visit www.BenefitsAtTheBeach.com/s/communications-and-events/bewellbeachbash.

*In adherence with IRS guidelines, all BEWell incentives and giveaways are considered taxable fringe benefits. If you are the recipient of the $1,000 BEWell grand prize, taxes will be deducted from your paycheck about a month after being rewarded. If you are a retiree and not receiving a paycheck, you may be issued a 1099 tax form for reporting your annual tax filings.

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⛵ Don’t Drift Away Unprepared! What Happens to Your BEWell Benefits When Your Job Status Changes

If you’re planning to retire, separating from employment, or changing your work status with the City of Virginia Beach (COVB) or Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), we’ve compiled all the essential information to help you understand what comes next with your BEWell eligibility and Personify Health account.

💡Key things to know:

BEWell Eligibility: BEWell programs are available for full-time and full-time equivalent active employees and for retirees who are enrolled in a retiree health plan through COVB/VBCPS.
Personify Health Accounts: Your current Personify Health account ends on your last day of active full-time employment, but you might be eligible to re-enroll if you will be BEWell-eligible as a retiree or full-time employee in a new position.
Retirement vs. Separation: Whether you’re retiring, otherwise ending your employment with COVB or VBCPS, or changing roles between COVB and VBCPS, your eligibility and timelines may differ, so reviewing the full guidelines is crucial.

Before your last date of active full-time employment, be sure to review the detailed steps and important timelines on the Retirement & Employment Separation page of our website for a complete overview of actions you should take: 👉 www.BenefitsAtTheBeach.com/s/article/Retirement-Employment-Separation.

Want to know if your new status will keep you eligible for BEWell? Check out the Eligibility Page!

🐝 2025 Hive-lights!

Last year was a big year for well-BEE-ing, and our community showed up in amazing ways! From buzzing through challenges to engaging in wellness programs and celebrating milestones along the way, City of Virginia Beach and Virginia Beach City Public Schools made wellness a priority. Take a look at how your engagement helped create a healthier year!

Dive into the 2025 Recap

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💓 HEALTHY FOCUS

🤯 BEWell, Stay Well: Stress & Your Second Brain 🍴

What happens in your gut doesn’t stay in your gut. Ever noticed how stress can leave you feeling queasy, bloated, or reaching for comfort snacks? That’s because your brain and digestive system are in constant communication through the gut-brain axis. When stress levels rise, this connection can be thrown off balance, affecting digestion, mood, and overall wellbeing.

Your digestive system is home to trillions of microorganisms that help produce mood-regulating chemicals like serotonin and communicate with your brain via the vagus nerve. When stress triggers the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, this messaging system can be disrupted, impacting digestion, microbial balance, and how we feel emotionally.

Why Habits Matter
Stress affects eating habits differently for everyone. Some people lose their appetite, while others turn to sugary, salty or fatty foods, caffeine or tobacco for comfort. Both extremes can intensify stress and put extra strain on the body. But there are simple ways to support your stress–digestive connection:

🍽️ Eat regular, balanced meals to help maintain steady energy and resilience
🍟 Limit high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt foods, which can increase tension and contribute to high blood pressure
🚭 Avoid cigarettes and tobacco products, as they place additional stress on the body and worsen overall health
🍎 Support your microbiome by paying attention to how food affects your mood and wellbeing; fermented foods provide probiotics, while high-fiber foods feed beneficial microbes

Source(s): GuidanceResources®; Koa Care 360: “Stress and the gut-brain axis”

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Keep calm and coast on. Don’t let stress pull you under, ride the wave with support!

🥗 Take control of your nutrition with BEWell!

💤 Did You Know? Better Sleep is Within Reach

Better sleep can make everything feel a little brighter. 🔆 Through GuidanceResources (GR) and Koa Care 360 (KC), you can access support that helps calm racing thoughts, manage stress, and create healthier sleep habits so you can wake up feeling more refreshed and ready for the day.

What you’ll find:

Sleep-focused articles and self-guided tools like:
- Coping with Sleep Problems as it Relates to Post-Traumatic (GR)
- Trouble Sleeping When Pregnant (GR)
- Tips for Improving Sleep (GR)
- Healthy Sleep Tips (GR)
- The Benefits of Sleep (GR)
- Sleep Disturbances (GR)
- The Navy Technique to Help You Sleep (KC)
- Take On Healthy Sleep Habits (KC)
- Falling Asleep (KC)
- Gain Control of Your Sleep (KC)
- and more!

Techniques for winding down and quieting a busy mind
- Techniques to Relax and Reduce Stress (GR)
- Relaxation Tips for Better Sleep (GR)
- Relax Your Body and Mind for Sleep (KC)
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Sleep (KC)
- Imagery Through Ambient Sounds (KC)
- Relaxing Breathing for Sleep (KC)
- and more!

Stress management support that impacts sleep
- Tips for Coping with Stress (GR)
- 10 Tips for Dealing with Stress (GR)
- Coping with Stress in Your Life (GR)
- Microbreaks (KC)
- Dominating Doubt and Uncertainty (KC)
- Finding a Healthy Digital Balance (KC)
- Master Relaxation (KC)
- and more!

Plus: Free confidential coaching and counseling options from GuidanceResources®, available 24/7 for when you need it!

How to access: Available anytime, anywhere, at no cost to you!

To access GuidanceResources®:
- Visit GuidanceResources.com and use Web ID: VIRGINIABEACH to create your account
- Use the Search icon 🔍and search “Sleep” or “Stress” to access the resources mentioned here
To access Koa Care 360:
- Log in to GuidanceResources® with your new, personal credentials, select Browse All Services and choose Digital Self-Care Tools to find Koa Care 360
- Register for a Koa Care 360 account and download the app for digital support at your fingertips
- Search the Library for “Sleep” or “Stress” to access the resources mentioned here

Please note: These services are available to employees and are not part of retiree benefits.

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🤰 Enroll Early, Earn Rewards & Get Support with Partners in Pregnancy

Expecting a baby? Partners in Pregnancy is a FREE program available to Sentara Health Plans members, offering guidance, support, and rewards throughout your pregnancy.

Enroll during your first trimester to get the most benefit, and to be eligible for BEWell points!

📞 Call Sentara Health Plans at (866) 509-7567 to enroll

Why Enroll Early?

What the Program Offers

Program Expectations

By enrolling and completing your assessment in the first trimester, you can:

Receive personalized pregnancy support right away
Stay on track with important early care
Be eligible to earn 3,000 BEWell points

A dedicated case manager will provide:

Timely health tips
Screenings for risk during your pregnancy
Help finding a physician
Important pregnancy resources
Ongoing support throughout your pregnancy
And more!

To earn rewards and get the full benefit of the program, participants must:

Enroll and complete assessment during the first trimester
See a physician during the first trimester
Speak with a case manager at least monthly
Complete a postpartum visit with a physician within six weeks after delivery

💫 Get Even More Support with Ovia Health

As a Sentara Health Plans member, you have FREE access to Ovia’s full suite of apps designed to support women through every stage of life:

Ovia Fertility & Cycle Health: Track cycles, fertility, and menopause symptoms
Ovia Pregnancy & Baby Tracker: Follow your pregnancy week-by-week, track appointments, nutrition, symptoms, and more
Ovia Parenting & Baby Tracker: Monitor your baby’s growth, milestones, sleep, and feeding, and share memories with loved ones

📲Access Ovia Health resources by signing in to your Sentara Health Plans Member Portal account at member.SentaraHealthPlans.com, selecting Member Home, then searching “Ovia.”

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✨ SPECIAL FEATURES

🌊Make a Splash: Why Hydration Matters

Graphic of full water bottle over image of woman standing outdoors taking a sip of water from water bottle

World Water Day is on March 22! 🌍 One way to celebrate access to clean drinking water is by making sure you are drinking enough of it! Water plays a crucial role in every physiological function of the body. It helps flush toxins out of vital organs and carries nutrients from food to cells for energy. Water also regulates hormones, body temperature, and the digestive process. Joints, skin, and internal organs depend on water to function properly.

🫗Ways to Increase Daily Water Intake:

Carry a large water bottle and drink from it throughout the day.
Drink a full glass of water with each meal or snack.
Drink a full glass of water whenever taking medication.
Drink water before, during and after exercise.
Drink milk or orange juice as a healthy snack.
Add a slice of lemon or lime or a handful of raspberries to water to add a little flavor.
When drinking alcohol, alternate every alcoholic beverage with a glass of sparkling water.
When drinking juice, fill half of the glass with juice and top it off with water.

Source: GuidanceResources®

🚰Need help tracking your water intake? Start a Steady Sips Personal Healthy Habit Challenge today in Personify Health!

🔦 Spotlight on Impact: BEWell Champions Making Waves

Chrissy Love, school nurse and BEWell Champion at Strawbridge Elementary, has taken wellness communication to the next level with her innovative digital bulletin board!

By turning important BEWell resources into clickable flyer-style thumbnails, she’s making it easy for staff to find information and know exactly where to go for support. She even included her contact information and a list of local walking spots, helping staff turn wellness tips into real-life action!

Chrissy’s creativity and thoughtfulness make wellness more visible, accessible, and fun, showing exactly what a BEWell Champion can do: connect with your team, share resources in meaningful ways, and inspire healthy habits that reach everyone. 💪

🌊 Make a SPLASH at your worksite!

Visit www.BenefitsAtTheBeach.com/s/wellness/champions to learn more, access the Roster to see if your worksite has a Champion, and get involved in bringing wellness support to every corner of Virginia Beach. Whether you want to connect with the BEWell Champion at your location or step into the role yourself, there’s a chance to create real impact.

🚶🏻‍➡️‍➡️ The Time Has Come – Sign Up for the BEWell Beach Bash Boardwalk Steps Challenge!

Take a virtual walk along the BEWell Beach Bash boardwalk! Registration opens in Personify Health on Friday, March 20, to participate in this Steps Challenge.

You’ll “visit” BEWell vendors as you move toward better wellbeing. Bring your team of 5 or hop into any team that has an open beach chair.

🩴There are two ways to earn!

Team Rewards:

Ranking Based on Average Steps	BEWell Points per Team Member
First Place: Highest Average (Top Team)	400 BEWell Points
Second Place: Second Highest Average	300 BEWell Points
Third Place: Third Highest Average	200 BEWell Points
Fourth Place: Fourth Highest Average	100 BEWell Points

Individual Rewards:

Individuals who reach 7,000 steps daily for the duration of the challenge

150 BEWell Points

🌊 Remember: It's about catching wellness waves, not medals, so play fair!

🎥 New Video Drop: Need Care? Call Before You Go 

When you’re not feeling your best, it can be hard to know where to turn. Emergency room? Urgent care? Or can you manage it at home?

Sentara Health Plans members don’t have to guess.

Watch Need Care? Call Before You Go and remember that with 24/7 access to the Nurse Advice Line, you can speak directly with a registered nurse anytime — day or night — to help you decide the right place for care.

📞 1 (800) 394-2237

#HowWeBEWell  #BEWellVB 

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📆 EVENTS AND MORE

View the Calendar

BEWell Health Screening
Mobile Mammography Van
Mobile Clinic Van
BEWell Education Webinars
Wondr, Weight Management
Office Closures

Find a Health Station

Measure your weight and blood pressure at a BEWell Health Station and earn BEWell points each week!

Access Vendor Contacts

Find available links, email addresses and phone numbers for BEWell program vendors.

Review BEWell Resources

Download the 2026 BEWell Guide
Read previous BEAT editions
Request a 2026 BEWell Calendar
Follow us on Instagram and YouTube
Visit additional Wellbeing Resource pages

Not sure if you’re eligible to participate in BEWell?

View the Eligibility Chart

Contact BEWell

(757) 263-1060, option 2 | BEWell@vbschools.com | www.BenefitsAtTheBeach.com/s/wellness

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