About Us

What We Do

The Stanford BeWell Program promotes a culture of care and well-being at Stanford. BeWell is part of Employee Support Programs & Services and inspires Stanford community members to lead healthy lifestyles.

BeWell provides evidence-based offerings and services to help you achieve optimal well-being.

Our History

BeWell launched in 2008 and was originally powered by both Stanford Recreation & Wellness and the former Health Improvement Program (HIP). Born out of the School of Medicine in 1983, HIP was a pioneer in developing methods of workplace health education and promotion.

In 2019, BeWell and HIP merged under the umbrella of University Human Resources to support Stanford’s mission of fostering a productive work environment where people feel valued.

BeWell continues to evolve to meet the needs of the Stanford community. With a robust wellness program and nearly 300 health education classes offered each year, BeWell creates a culture of wellness that touches the lives of over 70% of university employees, with 91% reporting making healthy changes or maintaining healthy behaviors.

Our Milestones

2023: The 2023 BeWell program begins on January 17, 2023, with new enhancements.

2022: BeWell switched to a new platform to give participants a streamlined, personalized and flexible experience. This switch reflected Stanford’s desire to help a distributed workforce complete the program and prioritize their well-being.

2020: HIP was integrated into BeWell, and Healthy Living became a BeWell offering. The program pivoted during the Covid-19 pandemic to become fully remote, ensuring the needs of Stanford employees were met during a challenging time. In response to the pandemic, Stanford created Employee Support Programs and Services (ESPS).  The new department was created to support new ways of working and to bring together programs such as WorkLife, the Faculty Staff Help Center, BeWell and Healthy Living.

2019: HIP and BeWell moved to University Human Resources as part of Stanford Benefits.

2018: BeWell added three Engagement offerings: Class, Commitment to Family or Community, and Healthy Work Environment.

2015: BeWell expanded to include an Engagement portion of the Wellness Profile, encouraging employees to continue maintaining their wellness behaviors throughout the year. The first BeWell Harvest Festival was held.

2012: HIP partnered with Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children’s Health to create HealthySteps to Wellness, a program designed to help hospital employees adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors. BeWell expanded participation to spouses and registered domestic partners.

2010: BeWell launched biometrics screenings. Originally administered by Kaiser Permanente, BeWell Screenings were brought in-house in 2011.

2009: BeWell introduced Berries and the first Sharing Wellness event was held.

2008: BeWell began offering employees incentives to complete the Stanford Health and Lifestyle Assessment (SHALA). HIP initiated LeadWell, a program designed to bring wellness classes to workgroups at various University or hospital locations.

2007: Campus leaders convened to create a coordinated and collaborative wellness program, which would be the basis for BeWell. The first Cardinal Walk was held.

2002: HIP initiated Living Strong Living Well™ (LSLW), a 12-week small-group program designed for adult cancer survivors to improve functional ability and quality of life. LSLW was absorbed into  various  health centers across the U.S.  

1996: HIP hosted its first annual Stanford Alumni Retreat and educational and restorative weekend with Stanford and Bay Area health experts. The annual retreat successfully continued for 25 years.

1983: Founded by Jack Farquhar, Stanford Health Improvement Program (HIP) began based on research showing that workplace wellness programs could positively impact the health of employees. HIP hosted its first annual Stanford Alumni Retreat and educational and restorative weekend with Stanford and Bay Area health experts. The annual retreat successfully continued for 25 years.

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