HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-05-2006 City to Launch Wellness Initiative ����Meyor She eWecke
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release Date: April 5, 2006
Contact: Susan Wallace, 574.235.9216
City to Launch Wellness Initiative
South Bend, Indiana — As part of its commitment to help its employees and our
community improve our health and fitness, the City of South Bend will kick off its
Healthy City Wellness Initiative on Monday, April 10, from 5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m., at the
O'Brien Fitness Center, 321 East Walter Street. The City will be offering free health
screenings to all its employees, and Mayor Steve Luecke will kick off the campaign with
his initial health screening at 5:00 p.m. Screenings will be conducted by On-Site Health
Solutions, and will test for Total Cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol (Good Cholesterol), LDL
Cholesterol (Bad Cholesterol), Cholesterol Ratio, Triglycerides (Fatty Acids), and Glucose
(Blood Sugar). Screenings are voluntary and completely confidential, and offer
employees tools and incentives to increase their physical health and quality of life, while
reducing healthcare costs. At-risk employees will receive a wellness plan with steps
they can take to improve their health, and On-Site Health Solutions will offer employees
free monthly follow-up to help them reach their wellness goals.
Mayor Luecke encourages everyone in the community to begin taking proactive
steps to improve their health. A healthy population helps to build a 21St Century City,
by increasing quality of life and lowering healthcare costs to residents and businesses.
Indiana currently ranks 9th overall in the nation in obesity among our population.
Further, the number of obese children in the U.S. has almost doubled in less than two
decades, and more than 50% of all Americans have high cholesterol.
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As part of its Healthy City Initiative, the City will be available as a resource to
local organizations who would like more information on starting a wellness program for
their employees. Interested businesses are invited to attend this kick-off to learn more.
The major sponsor of the Healthy City Initiative is Ergonomic Health Solutions,
partner organizations include On-Site Health Solutions, and the O'Brien Fitness
Center/South Bend Parks & Recreation Department. The South Bend Parks &
Recreation Department has been a national leader in these efforts during the past 4
years, partnering in the "We Can" program with the National Heart, Lung, & Blood
Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Health (NIH), the Surgeon Generals Office,
the National Recreation & Parks Association. Local partners include Memorial Hospital 7
Health Services, the National Dairy Council, Martin's Supermarkets, the American
Culinary Federation/South Bend Chapter, Purdue Extension Service, and the St. Joseph
County Health Department.
The Healthy City Initiative is one component of a multi-faceted program that also
includes Clean City, Safe City, Technology, and Smart Growth, to build a 21St Century
City. For more information on the Healthy City Initiative, contact Susan Wallace,
Benefits Manager, at 574.235.9216.
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