Previously, I mentioned we were planning to implement a wellness program at Handel and today I’m providing an update on our progress. Due to various other initiatives and projects, like the Wild West Relay, the work to date has been focused on planning. We have chosen a name for the program, which unsurprisingly uses our oh-so-pun-able company name. It is Handel Your Health. Additionally, we have talked with Wyoming Health Fairs/Wellness Health Fairs people about their services and other services that they would recommend for us. We have also gathered from other Handel staff members some really cool ideas for goals and rewards for employees and the company to incorporate into our wellness program.
WHF began in Wyoming as Wyoming Health Fairs, but has now grown and is known nationally as Wellness Health Fairs. Their focus is “helping you help yourself…Be WELL”. They host regional public health fairs regularly and will also go to individual offices or agencies for private health fairs as well. WHF offers a number of screenings, including:
· 32-Level Blood Chemistry Panel
· Bone Density
· Hearing
· Vision
· Other Specific Screenings
The health fair screening results provide you with pertinent health information about yourself and that is the beginning of wellness. Next, you learn what the results mean and learn what you can do to address, change or maintain your health. WHF offers supplementary services to assist with understanding your results and applying these to your wellness goals through offerings such as Lunch & Learns, Smoking Cessation programs and Health Competitions. We have scheduled a Handel Blood Screening for September 28th and I encourage you to check out the services offered by Wyoming Health Fairs/Wellness Health Fairs: http://www.wyominghealthfairs.com/
The screening results people receive from the Handel Blood Screening will direct many toward specific wellness goals, and staff members have already offered great ideas for some general wellness goals. It may be an accurate stereotype that programmers and techies subsist on hot pockets and caffeinated sodas because there has been a lot of interest in an initiative to lower the consumption of soda-pop within the Handel group. Therefore, one of our first wellness programs will include education about the unhealthy aspects of soft drinks and how and which healthier beverages Handel could offer in the company-sponsored refrigerator. Other suggestions for wellness initiatives include the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast each morning, getting adequate sleep at night and including a minimum amount of exercise in our daily routines.
A creative and fun idea proposed by one of our software engineers was a “Cents-per-Mile” program in which people could earn a certain amount of money for every mile they walked or ran in a month. This type of program would also provide a baseline of activity from which future challenges could expand. Other proposed initiatives include eating a healthy breakfast each morning, getting adequate sleep at night, including a minimum amount of exercise in an employee’s daily routine.
With so much enthusiasm and so many ideas, I feel very confident that the Handel Your Health Wellness Program is going to be a great success. Be sure to check back in for updates on our progress.
Be healthy and well!
Casey