As a Crozer-Keystone Health System employee, you know the benefits of working on a team that has similar goals. Providing medical care and support services to patients and their families requires contributions from every member of the health care team.
Wellness Works members throughout the health system are using the same team approach they've learned at CKHS to improve their own health and fitness levels. Wellness Works, Crozer-Keystone's employee wellness program, has recruited teams of co-workers system-wide who are "Shaping Up" and focusing on their health through a new program called "Shape Up Delaware County."
"Shape Up Delaware County" is a subgroup of a state-wide initiative entitled "Shape Up Pennsylvania," which itself is a subgroup of "Lighten Up America," a nationwide program. The goal of each program is to increase the number of adults and youth who maintain a healthy weight and engage in regular physical activity.
Working closely with the Keystone State Games, CKHS Community Health Education has adapted the state program to include residents of Delaware County, encouraging area employers, in addition to CKHS, to participate in the program. Delaware County Council declared February 2005 as "Shape Up Delaware County Month" and "Heart Health Month," and will track the county's results against its statewide and nationwide competitors.
"'Shape Up Delaware County' is a wonderful opportunity for Wellness Works members to develop healthy physical activity and eating habits in a way that produces easily measurable results," says Susan Winkles, employee benefits manager for CKHS. "The team approach allows individuals to keep each other motivated and provides added incentive for each team member to stick to the program."
To participate in "Shape Up Delaware County," CKHS Wellness Works members formed teams of up to 10 people to work and motivate each other to promote healthier lifestyles over a five-month period (Feb. 9 to June 29). Team competition will recognize achievement in three categories:
- Weight Loss: Team members will work to modify their diets with a goal of losing weight. Winners will be determined by calculating the highest average percentage of weight lost between Feb. 9 and June 29.
- Accumulated Activity: Team members will track time spent participating in any type of physical activity. From walking, biking, skiing and exercising to gardening and cleaning, the options are endless. Employees also have the option of walking along the CKHS indoor walking routes - a comfortable walking environment during the cold winter days. The team with the highest average activity time will be declared the winner.
- Combination: Teams will be judged based a combination of the above criteria.
For a $10 registration fee, each team member receives a T-shirt and weekly educational information from Shape Up PA. In order to provide members with the "tools" they need to accurately track progress, all Wellness Works members also received a free pedometer, courtesy of Wellness Works.
"Our goal is to make walking a part of our employees' daily routine," says Edward Potts, vice president of Employee Benefits Services. "What better way to get employees involved in focusing on a healthier lifestyle than by providing them with a way to easily measure their progress? We hope that the pedometers mark the beginning of a new focus on walking whenever possible."
In addition, Wellness Works members will earn 20 points on their 2005 Healthy Lifestyles Trackers if they complete the entire program.
Shape Up Pennsylvania will award prizes for the top three finishers in each category. Team members will also be eligible for prizes awarded to top finishers at the county, state and national levels. In addition, Wellness Works is sponsoring a system-wide recognition program.
This year marks the first time Delaware County will have its own regional competition. "Shape Up Pennsylvania" launched in 2003 to great success and continued in 2004, resulting in a cumulative weight loss of 6,127 lbs. among members of its 754 teams. Participants also logged more than 1.6 million miles walked, an average of nearly 600 miles per participant.
"Shape Up Pennsylvania" organizers are hoping to attract even more participants this year. Recent studies have shown that the state has one of the highest trends of obesity, with 61 percent of Pennsylvania's adults and 18 percent of Pennsylvania's youth characterized as "overweight." Seventy-five percent of Pennsylvania adults do not eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day and more than 24 percent of adults report no leisure time physical activity.
"Obesity has become a huge problem in Pennsylvania and across the entire United States," Winkles says. "'Shape Up Delaware County' helps us to combat the issue in a format that is fun and rewarding in many ways."
For more information about Shape Up Pennsylvania, visit the event's official website at www.shapeuppa.org.
This program supports 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 this program may be eligible to receive credit on their Healthy Lifestyle Tracker. For more information about Wellness Works, contact Susan Winkles at (610) 595-6387 or 19-6387.