Welcome to Summer!

A person is standing in front of a bright sunset valley schools

Valley Schools welcomes you to the Benefits Broadcast, showcasing timely topics and updates relating to your membership. We are passionate about serving our members and helping them live their best lives. Your Benefits Account Management and Wellness Team are always available to answer questions and provide detail on any of the topics and resources listed below. Health and Happiness from … Read More

Nutrition Facts Labels – MYSTERY SOLVED!

A grocery aisle full of nutritional foods

Have you ever noticed that a food label is generally only found on processed and packaged items? That is because whole foods – such as fruit, vegetables, fresh meat, and seafood – do not need a nutrition label since they do not contain any additional ingredients. It is wise to aim for a diet rich in these whole foods to … Read More

Seasonal Allergy Saga – Shield Up!

A meadow of blooming flowers seasonal allergy

Spring is in full swing, and while the warmer temperatures give us the beautiful blooms and delightful vistas to view, it can paint our every day into allergy hell. Seasonal allergy symptoms can include coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes, fatigue, and sleep deprivation, and additional inflammatory responses. It can be hard to function at work or home while these allergies are … Read More

Is it Time for an Employee Benefits Consulting Tune Up?

A doctor is working on his laptop looking over employee benefits

Employee benefits packages are a tremendous component of public sector employer’s budgets, employee retention and recruiting efforts. An employer of 3,000 employees or more may need to budget upwards of 20 to 26 million annually towards employee health benefits. For our schools, this is an incredible amount of public funding and a crucial part of the overall budget spend. It … Read More

Myth: Fat causes heart disease and should be avoided.

A avacado is sliced in half and sitting in front of a bowl heart disease

Myth: Fat causes heart disease and should be avoided. Truth: Fat is essential and should not be avoided on the basis of heart disease fears. Fat has been a topic of concern for the last 40 years based upon the theory that increased fat intake is the primary cause of coronary heart disease (CHD). Between 1977 and 1983 the US … Read More

The Fight on Stress

A woman is sitting in front of her laptop stressed from work

Stress is unique. What creates stress in one person may not be the same for another. Why? How we experience stress is relative to each of our individual backgrounds and beliefs. Stress can be defined as, “physical, mental, or emotional tension resulting from factors that alter equilibrium within the body.”  Stress can also be defined as, “the perception of a … Read More

Why You Should Trust Valley Schools

A Doctor is demonstrating to his patient his condition with Valley Schools programs

The Valley Schools difference is our decades of experience. For more than 30 years, Valley Schools has been the Grand Canyon State’s foremost choice for people searching for a wide variety of services, including benefits consulting, wellness, and insurance options that are customized to meet your specific needs in specific areas, including health insurance, affordable health insurance, health care plans, … Read More

Here at Valley Schools & HPACT, We Take Springing Into Spring to Heart!

Valley Schools Wellness teams putting their hands in a circle

February, March and April have been a whirlwind of activity for our Account Management and Wellness Teams at Valley Schools. Take a look at some of the exciting ways we are supporting our members and their communities! Paradise Valley Unified Fun Run 5K Peoria Unified School District 5K City of Tolleson and Tolleson Elementary School District Whoopee Daze 5K Avondale … Read More

Myth: Eggs Raise Cholesterol and Cause Heart Disease

Truth: The cause of heart disease goes beyond cholesterol alone, and eggs do not increase heart disease based on conclusions of the most valid research studies available. If you weren’t already skeptical of the nutrition headlines before, reading that eggs might actually be bad for you may have put you over the edge. Your skepticism is valid and, although there … Read More

Rethinking the Importance and Value of Employee Wellness

A stethoscope lying on a table promoting wellness

Early spring is benefit decision time for public sector employers. Budgets, plan choices, integrated or non-integrated medical and pharmacy, disease management programs, employee assistance—all topics that need to be decided on behind the scenes before rolling out the final choices to employees for open enrollment. For many employers, there is a vital component missing, which is your wellness goals and … Read More