Spotlight on Your Funds

January 2024

Benefit Funds Ramp Up Electronic Communications with Members

The Benefit Funds continue to encourage members to receive electronic communications to save valuable benefit dollars, be more environmentally conscious and make it easier for them to access the information they need. More than 86,000 members have chosen to receive communications electronically since February 2022, when the Benefit Funds began polling them. In addition, 195,000 members have signed up for MyAccount—enabling them to easily access their benefit information online—while 15,000 members have downloaded the MyAccount app since its launch earlier this year. In March 2023, the Benefit Funds began emailing Explanation of Benefits forms to those members who consented to receive electronic communications, which has resulted in printing and postage savings. Please encourage your 1199SEIU employees and members to “go green” and consent to receive electronic communications from the Benefit Funds.

Training and Employment Funds Offer Foundational and Pre-College Programs

The 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds offer a variety of evening and weekend programs that provide members with the academic and communication skills they need to advance in their healthcare careers.

• Prep Academy prepares members to return to school at various levels of education, including high school and college.
• The High School Equivalency Program helps members earn a high school equivalency diploma through one option that relies on classroom instruction and test practice, and another option that is self-guided with assistance from tutors and assessors.
• Digital Literacy Programs help members become more comfortable with technology and proficient with the tools they need for work or school.
• The Spanish for Healthcare Workers Program helps members respond to the needs of the growing Latinx patient population.
• The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program helps adult learners improve their English-language conversation, reading and writing skills.
• The Health Career College Core Curriculum is a supported program run through colleges, including the College of Staten Island and Lehman College, exclusively for 1199SEIU members with little or no experience in higher education who are pursuing undergraduate degrees in various allied health fields. Participants earn credits toward their undergraduate degree, with no out-of-pocket expense for tuition or fees.

For more information and to register, 1199SEIU members may call (844) 833-1199 or email TEFAdultEd@1199Funds.org.

Child Care Corporation Kicks Off Youth Mentoring Program Application Period

The 1199SEIU/Employer Child Care Corporation’s (CCC) 2024 Youth Mentoring Program (YMP) application period runs from January 3 to February 29. Eligible 1199SEIU members may apply through MyAccount. Because submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance into the program, the CCC recommends that members explore alternative summer program options if their child is not selected.

Ashley Aguilar, the daughter of 1199SEIU member Manginy Aguilar, credits the YMP with sparking her interest in nursing and eventually becoming a Registered Nurse. “The YMP takes a chance on the potential of young individuals like me,” Ashley said. “It was because of the program that I was chosen among 200 people to enter a very competitive nursing program. I would not be the successful person I am today had I not been a part of YMP.”

The YMP provides summer employment opportunities for 15- to 17-year-old children of 1199SEIU members at participating hospitals and nursing homes. In addition to giving them an inside look at potential healthcare careers, the YMP offers participants professional development seminars, college admissions prep courses and career counseling services, while helping establish a future workforce of young professionals. For more information, members may email Youth.Mentoring@1199Funds.org or call (212) 564-2220, ext. 3458. They may also visit www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/Childcare to learn about other CCC or Child Care Fund programs.

Meet Our Featured Member

Sharese Welch from Weill Cornell Medical Center

Why did Sharese Welch begin her health journey? Read For Your Benefit online to find out!

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1199SEIU Funds News is a monthly email produced by the 1199SEIU Funds. Copyright 2024.

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