Fostering a culture of wellbeing among faculty, staff, and team members

About Us

Welcome to Hoos Well, the University of Virginia's award-winning employee well-being program! We improve the lives of the UVA employee community with a simple philosophy: enable the well to remain well and help those with health risks or chronic conditions to improve their health. When you’re healthy, you have the energy and focus to do your best work and live your best life. We encourage you to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle to meet your personal well-being goals.

Research shows that participating in employee well-being programs can improve health, happiness, productivity, morale, and quality of work life. We invite you to participate in the wide range of evidence-backed programs and resources that Hoos Well offers, to boost your well-being, flourish, and thrive! 

Our Mission

To foster a culture of well-being among University of Virginia faculty, staff, and team members by promoting and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, engendering a happier, healthier, and more positive work environment.

Our Vision

To be recognized as the national leader of university health and well-being programs, enhancing the quality of life of our university employees.

Strategic Goals

  1. Align administration, programming and operational strategies with& the latest research and industry best practices.
  2. Influence organizational culture to encourage positive health behavior and self-care through social, environmental and operational supports.
  3. Provide an expansive portfolio of resources and programs that enables employees and their spouses to choose meaningful and relevant activities.
  4. Strategically partner with organizational stakeholders to strengthen impact and collaboratively influence a culture of well-being.  
  5. Continuously improve programs, operational practices and strategies through ongoing evaluation and research activities.

The Hoos Well Team

The Hoos Well team consists of three full-time employees, student workers, and a contracted support staff. Get to know us, and reach out with any questions.

  • Victor Tringali, EdD, CSCS *D, Manager of Employee Well-Being

    Victor Tringali, EdD, CSCS, provides leadership for the development and delivery of organization-wide well-being initiatives for the University of Virginia’s employees and their families. Prior to arriving at UVA, he served as the Executive Director of University Wellness at Drexel University, where he led a nationally acclaimed well-being initiative for faculty, staff, and students.

    In addition to his administrative duties, Dr. Tringali holds a faculty appointment at the University of Virginia School of Medicine within the Department of Public Health Sciences, where he founded and co-chairs the Education Collaborative for Health Promotion and Well-being – an experiential learning and research program for graduate students in the Master of Public Health program. As a scholar and practitioner, Dr. Tringali has a special research interest in the relationship of physical activity and measures of health and work performance.

    He is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. He serves on the Editorial board of the American Journal of Health Research and is the current Vice-President of the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities.

  • Sarah Patterson, MA, EP-C, Well-Being Specialist Senior

    Sarah Patterson majored in exercise science and holds a Master’s degree in human services-health and wellness counseling. She is currently a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is a certified Exercise Physiologist. Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughter Caroline.

  • Matthew Fritts, MPH, PMP, Well-Being Specialist

    Mr. Fritts earned a Master of Public Health degree with honors from The George Washington University. A certified Project Management Professional, he completed the Presidential Management Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. His 20 years of experience in the public health field include positions within the National Cancer Institute’s Behavioral Research Program and at the Samueli Institute, a non-profit clinical research organization. Browse his 15 peer-reviewed publications.

    Mr. Fritts leverages his expertise in psychological health promotion and 20+ years of experience as a yoga and meditation teacher to plan and manage Hoos Well’s programs for enhancing mental and emotional well-being. He is a UVA alumnus and former Lawn resident.

  • Joseph Giandonato, MBA, MS, CSCS, Well-Being Coordinator

    Mr. Giandonato holds masters degrees in exercise science and business administration and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He possesses over a decade of experience in higher education, where he's assisted with the conceptualization, deployment, and evaluation of employee and student wellness initiatives in tandem with responsibilities of overseeing recreational programming, fitness and athletics facilities, and varsity strength and conditioning. Giandonato also serves as an adjunct faculty member at a number of colleges where he teaches exercise science and health promotion electives.

UVA Well-Being Accomplishments

Hoos Well has received national-level awards on behalf of the University of Virginia, reflecting the team’s hard work building and leveraging relationships throughout the University and broader well-being community to develop and expand programs that improve employee well-being. While we are honored by this recent recognition, we remain committed to improving our programs and resources by fostering collaboration and innovation and engaging in research activities that will influence health promotion practices. Hoos Well is proud to share these achievements with all community members who support our mission to foster a culture of well-being among faculty, staff, and team members.

  • The Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness

    In September 2023 on behalf of UVA, Hoos Well was honored to receive recognition as one of the 2023 Nation’s Best and Brightest in employee wellness, for our innovation and commitment to excellence in well-being and human resource practices. Applicants were evaluated by an assessment that was scored on a point system based upon criteria to benchmark and improve wellness program effectiveness.

    Read the press release

  • Best Employers: Excellence in Health and Well-Being Award

    Hoos Well, on behalf of UVA, was honored in April 2023 to receive the prestigious Business Group on Health Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-being Award, for UVA's outstanding commitment to advancing employee well-being through comprehensive and innovative benefits and initiatives. This award recognizes UVA's focus on providing a strong foundation of support for faculty and staff to do their best work, and our commitment to incorporating the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into all health and well-being efforts.

    Learn more and watch UVA's award winner showcase video

  • Gold Recognition by the American Heart Association (AHA)

    On behalf of the University, Hoos Well is proud to have met AHA criteria for Gold-level recognition on the AHA’s Workforce Well-being Scorecard. AHA has defined best practices for employers to use to build a culture of health and well-being for their workforce. AHA’s Workforce Well-being Scorecard measures the extent to which the company has implemented those best practices. Companies recognized at the Gold level have achieved a score of 183 - 216 out of a maximum 230 points.

    Learn more about the Workforce Well-being Scorecard recognition program

  • Healthiest Employers of Virginia

    In fall 2022, UVA was recognized as one of the Healthiest Employers in Virginia by Springbuk Health Intelligence. Organizations are chosen who encompass essential domains of culture and leadership commitment, foundational components, strategic planning, communications and marketing, programming and interventions, and reporting and analytics which comprise comprehensive wellness programming.

    Learn more and view the complete list of honorees

  • Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace

    Hoos Well, in partnership with FEAP and HR Benefits, was honored to be named on behalf of UVA as one of the winners of the inaugural 2022 Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health in the Workplace, for promoting the positive mental health of employees through policies and programs including flexible work schedules and the Healthy Minds @Work program.

    READ THE PRESS RELEASE AND LEARN MORE

  • BHAC Healthy Academics Designation Program

    In October 2022, UVA was honored as the inaugural recipient of the National Consortium for Building Healthy Academic Communities (BHAC)'s Healthy Academics Designation program, which recognizes universities and colleges that demonstrate best practices in sustaining wellness cultures and promoting population health and well-being in students, faculty and staff. UVA earned gold-level status through the designation measurement process, which is based on the valid HealthLead assessment tool.

    Learn more
This recognition and distinction from BHAC substantiates our progress toward achieving our vision to be recognized as a national leader of university employee well-being programs and guides us in our pursuit to attain the benchmarks of a healthy academic community. We are honored to be a recipient and remain steadfast in our efforts to deliver resources and opportunities that enable our community members to thrive. Victor Tringali, EdD, CSCS, Manager of Employee Well-Being

Education Collaborative for Health Promotion and Well-Being

In 2018, Hoos Well initiated a partnership with UVA's Department of Public Health Sciences to create an Education Collaborative for Health Promotion and Well-Being. Master of Public Health (MPH) students are able to complete their Applied Practice Experience by working with Hoos Well on a project proposal, which can be novel or in response to a stated programmatic need.

View past and current student projects

Hoos Well Champion Network

It takes a village to continue to improve the culture of well-being at UVA. That’s why we have Hoos Well Champions, who meet quarterly and are located throughout the University. A Hoos Well Champion: 

  1. Brings well-being to work and leads a healthy lifestyle by example
  2. Serves as a point of contact and liaison for Hoos Well within their department
  3. Acts as a resource and distributes communication to peers 
  4. Encourages coworkers to participate in their free Hoos Well benefits

We encourage you to become a Hoos Well Champion! Learn more and sign up at hooswell@virginia.edu.

Hoos Well Champion FAQ

  • What is a Hoos Well Champion?

    A Hoos Well Champion is someone who is a role model for living a healthy lifestyle and takes their well-being practice to work. A champion is a Hoos Well point of contact for the department.

  • What will I be doing?

    We hope that you will be able to:

    • Let your colleagues know you are the Hoos Well Champion for your department
    • Distribute our monthly communications to your departments (when applicable to your colleagues)
    • Hang flyers or posters for our current programs on bulletin boards, in break rooms, restrooms, etc.
    • Stay up-to-date on our programming to answer your colleagues’ questions, or redirect them to us
    • Attend a lunch two to four times a year

  • Do I need to be an Olympic medalist to be a Hoos Well Champion?

    Absolutely not. Hoos Well Champions come in all shapes and sizes. A Hoos Well Champion makes health a priority and might be in the middle of a health journey. Enthusiasm for great health is the only requirement.

  • How can I let my department know that I am a Hoos Well Champion?
    • Put Hoos Well Champion in your email signature
    • Forward our communications (with management approval)
    • Participate in our programming and talk about your experiences

  • How do I learn more or sign up?

    Contact the team at hooswell@virginia.edu. We’re happy to answer your questions and welcome you to our team.

    Contact us
P.O. Box 400127, 2420 Old Ivy Road
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4127
434.243.3344 AskHR@virginia.edu
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