HealthMiles Blog

Eye on Wellness honorable mention: Beatriz Maldonado, Role Model

Beatriz Maldonado has become a role model among her colleagues at Ochsner Health System, as well as in her community for taking personal responsibility of her well-being and making necessary lifestyle changes to dramatically improve her health.

After years of failed weight loss attempts, Beatriz started her 146-pound weight-loss journey 10 years ago and has lost 67 pounds in the last two years. She has dropped 10 dress sizes, her blood pressure is now within normal range and she is no longer on calcium blockers. Beatriz

credits her success to taking a holistic approach to wellness by focusing on six angles: spiritual, mental, emotional, behavioral, physical and nutritional. She approached her weight loss as a non-negotiable goal, focusing on lifelong lifestyle changes that include health and fitness as primary motivators. Beatriz reports that participating in the Virgin HealthMiles program offered by Ochsner to their employees has motivated her to get more active. She exercises regularly and participates in a wealth of classes and activities from Zumba, swimming, spinning, drum, Booty Ballet and strength training.

Ochsner employees looking to lose weight and improve their health now seek Beatriz out for advice. So much so, Beatriz created a 45-minute presentation, "146 Pounds Lost and Counting: Lessons from My Weight Loss Journey" for Ochsner's Hello Health Seminar series. Nearly 600 participants attended her speech either in person or by teleconference. Beatriz’s advice to her friends and colleagues: focus on the benefits of health and fitness and how these directly connect to quality of life. She encourages her colleagues to recognize the personal responsibility, choice and control that they have in taking care of themselves versus waiting for the health care system to take care of them when they avoid making healthy lifestyle choices.

Eye on Wellness honorable mention: Amy Crumbaugh, P.E. Teacher

Health and wellness have always been important to Amy Crumbaugh, a physical education teacher at Bridgeport Elementary School in Frankfort, Kentucky. She holds a master's degree in physical education and health and has grown to be an avid runner, participating frequently in mini marathons.

Amy is being recognized as an Eye one Wellness runner up because of her strong leadership, beliefs, motivation and devotion to promoting health and wellness throughout the Bridgeport Elementary School community.

Her passion for wellness inspired her to seek out ways to help her peers lead healthier lives. She launched a pedometer-based fitness program for the teachers and staff at Bridgeport Elementary School as well as coordinated the opening of a staff fitness/work-out room. Additionally, Amy was the mastermind behind kicking off a school-wide Jump Rope for Heart campaign geared toward students, as well as helping organize a student jump rope team and performance troupe.

Since Amy launched these wellness programs for Bridgeport’s staff, employee morale has increased immensely. Teachers and staff report they are thoroughly enjoying the program and are often asking each other if they've met their "steps" for the day. Amy continues to be a wellness cheerleader for her colleagues, sending emails to the entire school when a staff member runs a race or applies themselves in a health-related activity. An added bonus of Amy’s initiatives is that students have become more aware of their daily activity levels and have a better understanding of how fitness is a key factor in living a healthy life.

Eye on Wellness honorable mention: Katherine Crane, Health Teacher

When it comes to motivating and inspiring others, Katherine Crane is a true pro. As a health teacher at Gulf Breeze Middle School, Katherine has a deep understanding of the value of preventative health care practices. What’s inspiring is that she has taken this knowledge well beyond the classroom and into the lives of her fellow teachers and staff throughout Santa Rosa County, Florida.

Katherine has coordinated a wellness fair for the staff of Santa Rosa County for the past 13 years that provides important health screenings. These screenings include blood pressure, scoliosis, vision and hearing checks; cholesterol analysis; bone density; lung capacity; gait analysis and fitness assessments (flexibility, strength, BMI). Plus, Katherine has set up and organized numerous opportunities for peers and the community to participate in wellness activities.

Thanks to Katherine’s wellness initiatives, the staff of Santa Rosa County has a better understanding of their health and the steps that are needed to lead a longer, more productive life!

2010 Eye on Wellness Award Individual Winner: Mark McIntosh

The Eye on Wellness awards recognize both an organization and an individual who’ve shown to be outstanding wellness advocates and excellent role models for others.

Dr. Mark McIntosh is a role model for wellness. As both an emergency medicine physician for the University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville, and director of the Employee Wellness Program at University of Florida & Shands Jacksonville, Mark uses each interaction with both patients and employees as a way to educate and inspire others to become healthier. 

In a health care organization responsible for patient care, employees' lifestyle choices impact not only themselves and their employer, but also the lives of others. Mark has played a pivotal role in expanding his hospital's focus on wellness and formalizing a broad wellness initiative. He develops and delivers excellent, medically-based wellness programs for employees and has enjoyed success in helping them become more physically active, stop smoking and make better nutritional decisions. As a result, the organization has seen tremendous positive outcomes with employees changing their lifestyles. Employees recognize Mark as both a leader and “guru” of all things wellness. The demand for Mark to speak is well beyond the capacity he has to give of his time, but he always takes time to talk to employees and offer advice.

Mark's vision and leadership have helped to take the Shands Employee Wellness Program to new heights. His efforts enabled Shands Jacksonville to be recognized as one of "Jacksonville's 100 Healthiest Companies" and his passion for wellness makes him valued and respected by all levels of employees, including the hospital's president and the dean of the University of Florida Health Science Center Jacksonville.

When it comes to serving as a wellness advocate for his organization, Mark truly "walks the talk."

Get the scoop on our Eye on Wellness Awards and start thinking about who you'll nominate next year!

2010 Eye on Wellness Award Corporate Winner: CHW-East Valley

Chandler Regional & Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers (Arizona-based healthcare organizations and members of the Catholic Healthcare West hospital system) have put a focus on helping their employees enhance their personal and professional lives through a wide-ranging wellness program that gives the organization quantifiable insight into the impact and effectiveness of the initiative.

In 2006, these health care organizations recognized that a comprehensive, holistic wellness initiative was needed to enhance the health and productivity of its own 3,000 employees. They sought to provide employees with a wide-ranging program that would meet its wellness goals, as well as positively impact the utilization of its self-funded medical plan.

The organization wanted to implement a program that would be fun and motivational yet goal-oriented to align with its philosophy that employees who are satisfied physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially will live fuller, more purposeful lives.

So CHW-East Valley rolled out a prevention-focused wellness program not only to benefit from a more healthy, productive and engaged workforce, but so that its own health care costs could be better managed by preventing the onset of a variety of lifestyle-related health conditions like type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Want to read more? Here's the full story.

Get the scoop on our Eye on Wellness Awards.

2010 "Eye on Wellness" Awards

Do you know someone who is an outstanding wellness advocate or excellent role model for others when it comes to their health and wellness? Do you work for an organization with innovative employee health programs? If you do, we're now accepting nominations for this year's "Eye on Wellness" awards, so submit a nomination today!

The awards celebrate the spirit of innovation and healthy behavior change taking place across the nation, and provide an opportunity for individuals and organizations to be recognized for their efforts to promote and enhance employee health and productivity.

The 2010 awards are open to all individuals and companies across the U.S., not just HealthMiles members, so feel free to mention the awards to your friends and colleagues outside of the Virgin HealthMiles program. This year's award recipients will be announced in June to coincide with National Employee Wellness Month, sponsored by Virgin HealthMiles and the non-profits Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance and Institute for Health and Productivity Management.

Submit a nomination for a friend, a colleague, or your company - and don't forget yourself! - by April 15th. Learn more about the 2010 Eye on Wellness awards.

(Here's last year's winner.)

Congratulations to Wally Glover, our new “Eye on Wellness” award recipient!

Here at Virgin HealthMiles, we’re excited to announce a new member award!  We’ve created the member “Eye on Wellness” award to recognize outstanding members who are using the Virgin HealthMiles program to not only change their own lifestyles, but to also promote activity and better health within their community.  

Congratulations to Wally Glover of St. Vincent’s Jennings Hospital in Indiana, the recipient of our first member “Eye on Wellness” award!

Wally’s an active 61-year old HealthMiles member who’s committed to staying active and promoting activity within his community.  Concerned about the growing childhood obesity epidemic, Wally created an initiative, “Trek for Kids.”  From June 12th-18th, Wally trekked up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa to raise money to benefit pediatric programming through the St. Vincent Jennings Hospital Foundation, specifically those programs focused on childhood obesity. 

Before he left for Africa, Wally told us how he was using the Virgin HealthMiles program to support his initiative.  Not only is Wally using the program’s tools to track his activity, but he’ll donate the HealthCash he earns over the next year to the St. Vincent Jennings Hospital Foundation.  Wally also rallied support from his co-workers and hosted the “Wally vs. World” challenge with fellow St. Vincent employees.  During his trek, folks from St. Vincent’s showed support for Wally by stepping up their activity in the challenge. 

We thought this was a fantastic idea, and in honor of our first award recipient, Virgin HealthMiles will match Wally’s HealthCash donation to the St. Vincent Jennings Hospital Foundation.  And because we thought the challenge element was such a great idea, we’ll make an additional donation for each of the 25 people who averaged 7,000+ steps per day in the challenge.   Consider it our way of saying, keep up the great work!  

Find out more about Wally’s “Trek for Kids” and his story.  Do you have a unique and inspiring story?  Stay tuned for more details about how you can enter to win our next member “Eye on Wellness” award.  

Wally's Story: Reaching Mt. Kilimanjaro's Summit - Uhuru Peak

“Jambo! Jambo! (Swahili for ‘Hello!’)

After six days of climbing, and 6+ hours of climbing in the darkness on the morning of June 17th, at 6:10 a.m., with Godlisten, my guide at my side, we reached the Roof of Africa, Uhuru Peak, at 19,340 feet.  We stood atop the world's tallest free-standing mountain and Godlisten gave me a huge embrace nearly lifting me off my feet. I was so excited it didn’t seem like my feet were touching the ground, anyway!

We woke up at 11 p.m and were our way up an hour later. I dressed in seven upper layers of clothing for warmth and four trouser layers. I also carried hand warmers in my gloves, had them in my coat pockets where my cameras were to keep the batteries warm, and taped them to my water supply to keep it from freezing in the sub-zero temps.  So much for engineering ingenuity… later I noticed the water supply had started to freeze.  Ah, well.

In the few hours I tried to sleep after our evening meal and before we got up, I restlessly tossed and turned. Kilimanjaro's weather went south as heavy rain pelted the tent, snow fell, and a mighty wind threatened to blow the tents off the mountain. What was Kilimanjaro saying, I wondered. 

When we came out of our tents, the winds had calmed, a sliver of moon rose, and snow and rain ceased.  Even though the temp was zero and below, and snow and ice made the lava boulders dangerously slick, it was an ideal night for the ascent. How often do you see your cold breath in June?!

Godlisten and I formed a team. Other small teams were on the mountain ahead of us and others would be behind us.  Our headlamps lit the way and the next six plus hours became an epic of slow-motion vertical steps upward for 4,000 feet.  The trail was tough going. One foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other, slowly, slowly, "poley-poley," was the Tanzanian mantra of slow-motion upward to avoid acute mountain sickness.

After several hours and countless steps, the sun's red hue started to creep over the horizon line and above the cloud forest far below. Suddenly, forms began to take on definitive shapes.  I saw the glacial ice fields emerge, vast in their width and height, off to my left.  Godlisten then pointed ahead and said, "Look, the Summit, Uhuru Peak. You have made it." And in time to see the sunrise, we were atop the Roof of Africa.

This climb is dedicated to serve as a source of inspiration for all those involved in the St. Vincent Jennings Pediatric Obesity program. May they know hope, and may they know wellness, peace and joy.
 
Namaste,
Wally” 

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Wally’s Story: Preparing for his Mt. Kilimanjaro Trek

Last week, we introduced you to Wally Glover, an active 61 year-old HealthMiles member from Indiana.  Wally is currently trekking up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa to raise money for childhood obesity prevention programs.  Before he left for Africa, Wally shared with us some of what he’s been doing to prepare for his trek:

"It’s said that when Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first summiteers of Everest in May, 1953, they’d already climbed the mountain 2-3 times as part of their acclimatizing routine.  Similarly, when a famous pianist was rushing to a concert he jumped in the nearest taxi and breathlessly asked the driver, “Do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?” The cabbie calmly replied, “Sure.  Practice, practice, practice.”  So practice it has been for me since Oct. 1, 2008, in preparation for the trek to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, on behalf of the St. Vincent Jennings Foundation to raise money to fight childhood obesity.

To train, I wear trek boots, carry a 28.5 lb. backpack, and often use trekking poles.  My regimen includes morning walks before the sun is up, typically 2-3 miles. Walking in the dark with a head torch (a light that straps about my head) simulates our Kili summit day when we’ll rise at midnight to climb 7 hours in order to see the sunrise while standing atop Uhuru Peak at 19,340 feet.  I also do lunch-time walks at the hospital, often with 20 minutes of time on the stairs.

After work, I trek usually at Mill Race Park in Columbus, IN.  When I haven’t done the stairs at the hospital (and sometimes even when I have), I ascend the steps at the Tower at Mill Race Park.  The Tower is 98 feet high and I go up and down 5 times, which equals a linear mile and typically takes me 20-22 minutes.  Seldom a day goes by that I don’t use steps to go a mile and I don’t think I’ve missed a day of training since Oct. 1. 

In addition to my regular training, I’ve also participated in several mini marathons as part of my training.  Two of the 4.5 hour treks I’ve done have occurred during my 49th (Louisville, KY) and 50th (Indianapolis) mini marathons this Spring.  Yes, in trek boots and with the 28.5 pound back pack.  When I got back to Columbus each time after the mini, I went on additional treks both days.  On summit day when we climb up 7 hours to see the sunrise, hang out at the summit and hopefully go into the crater, we’ll then we also climb down another 5 hours.  Mini marathons will seem like a walk in the park at that point!

All this walking since Oct. 1, 2008, thru and including May 31, 2009, has yielded a total of 1,208 miles, which translates to 151 miles average a month."

Way to go, Wally!  Stay tuned for more from Wally and his trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro. 

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Wally’s Story: Using HealthMiles to Raise Money for Childhood Obesity Prevention

It’s not a secret that members of the Virgin HealthMiles community submit some great stories about their experience with the program or some of the benefits they’ve realized as a HealthMiles member.  From time to time, we also come across some outstanding stories about the ways members are using the program.  And we really do mean outstanding.  Members have shared how they’re not only using the program to benefit their own health, but also the health of their community. 

One member in particular, Wally Glover of St. Vincent Jennings Hospital in Indiana, has a pretty interesting story we thought you’d enjoy:

As an active 61-year old HealthMiles member, Wally is committed to staying active.  He’s also committed to promoting activity within his community.  An avid cyclist, runner, and hiker, Wally has previously competed in a variety of fitness events, including 50 mini marathons and a partial hike up Mt. Everest.  

Concerned about the growing childhood obesity epidemic, Wally has created an initiative, “Trek for Kids”, and this month, from June 12th-18th he’ll trek up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa to raise money that will benefit pediatric programming through the St. Vincent Jennings Hospital Foundation, specifically those programs focused on childhood obesity.  

At 19,340 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro is the world’s tallest free-standing mountain.  Wally is working to raise $19,340 for his initiative ($1 for every foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro).  In addition to his own fundraising efforts, Wally will donate the ‘HealthCash’ he earns from the Virgin HealthMiles program over the next year to this important cause.

Wally told us:
“Before I was a HealthMiles member, fellow Associates who saw me trekking about the campus and climbing the stairs indoors used to tease me by saying, ‘Hey, if you're not going to count your HealthMiles, well then  put my GoZone on.  I'll take all those steps you’re walking!’  And we'd laugh, and I’d let it go.  But then I heard that with Virgin HealthMiles, members can donate their HealthCash to charity. Whoa…put me in coach, give me the ball!  Shortly after the program was rolled out, I became a HealthMiles member, wore my Go Zone pedometer, and told my teasing Associates – ‘Hey, look at me - I'm a member, now, and I’m giving the HealthCash I earn to the St. Vincent Jennings Foundation Trek for Kids.’  Funny thing, I'm now interested in how many steps I take.  I never saw all that data before and I like to see where I am in the different challenges, too.”

Here at Virgin HealthMiles, we were so impressed with Wally’s story that we asked him to keep us posted on his trek so we could share it with fellow HealthMiles members.  Throughout the month, Wally will send us his stories and pictures about his training and from his trek, which we’ll feature on the blog for you to enjoy.  Be sure to check back often to learn about the cool things Wally’s up to and how he’s using the Virgin HealthMiles program to achieve his goals.