As their competition enters the final month, Crozer-Keystone teams participating in “Shape Up Delaware County” are racking up activity time and dropping pounds as they attempt to best hundreds of competitors from across the state.

“‘Shape Up Delaware County’ is truly having an effect on the hundreds of CKHS employees taking part in it,” says Susan Winkles, Employee Benefits Manager for Crozer-Keystone Health System. “It has proven to be a fun and rewarding activity that is building camaraderie among departments and sites, as well as enhancing the healthy habits of the competitors.”

Hundreds of employees have joined the health system’s 69 teams in the four-month-long competition, which began in February. The goal of the competition is to recognize achievement in the total activity time and weight loss of teams of up to 10 people.

Teams from Crozer-Keystone are competing against more than fifty teams from Delaware County, which ranks fourth in the state in total participation. Team members who joined through Wellness Works, Crozer-Keystone’s employee wellness program, received a T-shirt and pedometer, which they have been using to track the amount of steps taken each day.

“‘Shape Up Delaware County’ has been a great way for employees to concentrate on healthy lifestyle choices while meeting new people,” says Cindie Barrar, CKHS Community Health Educator, who has formed a team comprised of several departments at the Silberman Center on the campus of Crozer-Chester Medical Center. “When we started participating in the program, not every member of my team knew everyone from the other departments. Now, we all know each other, and it’s made the working environment that much nicer.”

To track your team’s progress in “Shape Up Delaware County,” visit www.shapeuppa.org and click “Leaderboard,” then select “Crozer-Keystone Health System” from the drop-down menu.

Employees Receive Record Number of Rewards for Completing Healthy Lifestyle Trackers

If you’re a member of Wellness Works, and you completed your 2004 Wellness Tracker last year, you’ve probably been pretty busy these last few months. After all, more than 500 members of Wellness Works have been participating in fun activities – such as going to the movies, getting massages at the Spa at the Healthplex® Sports Club, and more – compliments of the employee wellness program, just for incorporating healthy habits into their lifestyles.

Wellness Works recently mailed out more than 500 rewards to members who completed their 2004 Healthy Lifestyle Trackers. Members earned rewards ranging from AMC Movie Tickets to gift certificates to the Healthplex® to cafeteria vouchers.

And a lucky group of those members – more in 2004 than in any other year – lined their pockets with a $100 American Express Gift Cheque, the program’s most prestigious award.

Even if you missed out on last year’s rewards, don’t worry – there’s still time to earn points toward your 2005 Healthy Lifestyle Tracker. To learn more, pick up a Tracker at your site’s Human Resources office, or print one out from the Forms section of Benefits on the Web.

These programs support the mission and goals of Wellness Works, which helps Crozer-Keystone employees achieve a healthy lifestyle through health promotion and disease prevention. Employees who participate in these programs may be eligible to receive credit on their Healthy Lifestyle Trackers .For more information, call Susan Winkles at 610-595-6387 or 19-6387.