Corporate Success Stories
Read below to find out how businesses from around the state have used the resources provided by INShape Indiana to make healthy lifestyle changes for their employees and in their communities.
Taller Mecánico El Argentino
Co-owners of Taller Mecánico El Argentino,
Oscar and Lily Arrieta explain, Given the nature of our business, the shop is always filled with fumes of gasoline, turpentine, paint, and other kind of flammable products, so smoke in the shop was totally forbidden, but I could not ban our workers to go out for a smoke
. While preparing a mate,
(a traditional South American beverage usually shared with family and close friends). It was then when the people of ILI persuaded me to convert the whole surrounding grounds to smoke free
. Several months ago Jose Luis Romero of the Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) contacted Oscar to provide cessation classes to his employees. At the beginning it was not easy to convince the three smokers in the shop that by inhaling everyday the fumes in their workplace and the chemicals in cigarettes will destroy their health. Martin, one of the mechanics, was the first to accept the challenge to replace his “pack-a-day” habit for a patch. With the complicity of Oscar and Lily, Martin started to brag about how much healthier he felt and how much money he was saving getting his nicotine intake from a patch provided free of charge (through ILI). Soon after, the other two smokers followed suit.
Today everybody at the Taller Mecánico El Argentino,
is smoke free, living a more healthy life. Oscar said that there is a lot less absenteeism related to health issues that were very common before. Now, without the continuous smoke breaks,
there has been a significant increase to the company’s energy and work output.
Wabash Valley Surgery Center Success Story
In January, the Wabash Valley Surgery Center decided to promote a healthy lifestyle for their employees. They began a program to encourage employees to eat healthy, exercise regularly, drink more water, and walk more steps every day. They had an overwhelming response to their ideas to promote a wellness program! They have approximately 75 employees at the WVSC and 61 employees signed up to participate in the contest and wellness program!
The medical director at WVSC purchased pedometers for everyone, negotiated a flat rate fee for a membership to a gym across the street from their building, purchased several prizes, and has been an encouraging face to their new program.
The Wabash Valley Surgery Center has put together a format where everyone documents how many steps they take each day, how often they exercise, how much water they drink, and what they eat. We have made available, to everyone participating, one on one time with a dietician, personal training sessions at the gym, and weekly prizes for the team with the most points in that week.
It has been so encouraging for the staff to see participants of the program that have been sedentary in the past, being active and eating healthy daily. In the lunch room, you can hear staff members talk about healthy eating and plans for going to the gym after work!
The WVSC is keeping track of the pounds lost and the miles walked to see what their total will be at the end of the ten week program. They plan on continuing their success by starting another program after their initial ten-week program concludes to continue promoting healthy lifestyle changes.
As health care professionals, they see the importance of a healthy lifestyle every day and want to promote it in their workplace!
Advantage Health Solutions
ADVANTAGE Health Solutions, Inc.SM is a local, provider-owned health plan which offers healthcare benefits and solutions to employer groups of all sizes. ADVANTAGE is solutions-oriented and provides a consultative approach to helping our clients choose the best benefit option for their company and employees. We believe in providing employer groups with a long term health plan solution.
ADVANTAGE decided to host an internal Biggest Loser Competition to help motivate their employees to lose weight by engaging in healthier choices when the employees seemed to show a vested interest in participating in such an event. On June 18th, the competition began with 50 employees partaking in the activity. They formed teams of three or four and weighed in on a weekly basis. Each week, the individual and team winners were announced based on percentage of weight lost compared to the following week. During the twelve week competition, participants were encouraged to eat healthier and strive for a more physically active lifestyle.
The final weigh-in was on September 13, 2007. As a group, all participating employees had lost a grand total of 371.2 pounds! The overall Biggest Loser and Biggest Loser Team were announced at the Company Employee Appreciation Picnic the following day. The Biggest Loser was to be awarded $100 and the Biggest Loser Team received $300 to share.
The overall Biggest Loser was Cynthia Stepp who, throughout the competition, continued to lose weight. She now continues to be a motivating spirit to those around her. Over the twelve week competition, she lost a total of 16.2% of her original weight and a total of 34 pounds!
The overall Biggest Loser Team was "Skin and Bones,"consisting of Matt Brodahl, Bryce Conway, Jackie Frye and Cynthia Stepp who lost a total of 9.1% of their combined initial weight, and a total of 73.1 pounds!
ADVANTAGE Health Solutions’ Biggest Loser competition was a great success and motivated the employees to improve their overall health status. The employees of ADVANTAGE enjoyed competing as teams, which has also allowed them to support each other in their efforts to continue to make healthier choices and lose weight. All of those who participated were able to accomplish an extraordinary goal and were the reason behind the success of this competition. We hope our story can motivate other companies to support their employees in living a healthier lifestyle!
Evansville State Hospital
The 2nd Biggest Loser Challenge presented by Evansville State Hospital’s Fitness Group E Shape was another huge success. The eight-week weight loss challenge began on January 24 and ended on March 22, 2007. A total of 225 pounds was lost by 50 participants during the challenge! Out of the 13 teams participating, 11 teams completed the challenge, and 73% of participants averaged a weight loss of almost 7 pounds.
Theresa Arvin, and Donna Dant
Team Waistaways (John Cowling, Kyle Elliott, Donna Dant, and Theresa Arvin) were victorious with a total team loss of 38 pounds. The individual biggest losers were John Cowling, who lost 15 pounds, and Theresa Arvin, who lost 14 pounds. John found that avoiding foods that were high in fat and watching his calorie intake helped drop the weight. He increased his exercise routine by walking and riding his stationery bike. He encourages others to stick with it “Some weeks you won’t lose, but don’t get frustrated.” The competition helped him stay on target, compare what others were doing, and learn fitness strategies. He and teammate Kyle Elliott, who lost 12 pounds, kept each other motivated throughout both challenges. Kyle is a true team player and did not want to let his team down. He was committed to watching portion size and increasing his fitness routine by walking 5 miles a day. He missed his favorite foods—steak, Chinese food, and regular Coke, but feels he can maintain or lose weight from using techniques he developed during the challenges. “I feel better and it’s nice receiving compliments.”
Dixie Waters, who lost 16 pounds, found that she had to change several things - the way she ate, the way she prepared her food, and the way she exercised. She now steams vegetables; grills, broils and bakes meats; enjoys raw fruits; and drinks lots of water. She cut out most sweets, bread, and soft drinks. She ate more frequently and decreased her portion size. She also increased her fitness routine by walking more and working out three times a week at the gym. The competition helped motivate her to commit to the changes she wanted to make; however, she feels her health, family, self esteem, and thoughts of summer were stronger inspirations. She has lost over 40 pounds since beginning employment at ESH over a year ago. She encourages others to “Eat right and exercise, it really works!”
Many wonder what happened to the biggest losers from the first challenge, so the following is a brief update: Ivan Woods continues to lose and has lost a total of 70 pounds! He feels his success comes from continuing his exercise and diet program from the first challenge, but has also kicked it up a notch by increasing his fitness routine. He goes to the gym almost every day and works out for about 2 ½ to 3 hours. His fitness routine consists of the stationery bike, walk/run laps, rowing machine, hand weights, and sit-ups. When things get hectic and he can’t go to the gym, he definitely misses working out. He attended the hospital’s aerobic sessions this year and found them to be fun and not too strenuous. He felt working on the floor mats and doing crunches were beneficial to him. He eats healthy, usually opting for the hot lunch in the hospital’s dining room, with a salad in the evening for dinner. He is down by 7 sizes in clothing and has thrown away a lot of his larger sized articles. He confesses to enjoying shopping for new clothes. “I feel great and healthy!” and continues to enjoy the compliments from fellow workers.
Like Ivan, Theresa Arvin continued with her fitness strategies from the first competition of maintaining a low carbohydrate diet and like Ivan also increased her fitness routine by adding walk/run exercises that she does around her neighborhood. She acknowledges that evenings are the hardest time for her as she likes to snack while watching TV or reading a book. A tip she shares is filling your house with things that are healthy and foods on your diet. For the most part, she does fix herself a separate meal from her family as they are not excited about the low carb foods, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, baked chicken that is now her norm. Being on a team was the ultimate motivation for her as she is a true competitor and wants to promote fitness, helping others strive and succeed in their personal fitness goals. She set a goal of 10 pounds for the second challenge and exceeded it by 4. She is comfortable with her ideal weight and voices that “maintaining my ideal weight will be the true challenge”.
Celadon Employees Nearing 1,000 Pounds Lost
Indianapolis-based trucking company Celadon Group today announced that 73 employees have lost nearly 1,000 pounds by participating in a weight loss program tied to the company’s Highway 2 Health wellness initiative.
After completing a 12-week onsite Weight Watchers course, 54 employees at Celadon’s headquarters have lost 704 pounds. Nineteen employees at Celadon’s operation in Kitchener, Ontario, in the tenth week of their program, have lost 257 pounds to bring the company’s weight loss total to 961 pounds.
“In my time with Weight Watchers, this is the most weight loss that I’ve seen in that amount of time among that many employees,” said Susan Hartland, At Work Manager for Weight Watchers International. “This is truly an accomplishment worth celebrating.”
Celadon implemented its Highway 2 Health program in August as an effort to lower its health care costs while creating a healthier workforce. For the Weight Watchers program, Celadon offered a financial incentive to encourage participation. Employees who completed the 12-week program and lost five percent of their initial body weight were reimbursed for the entire cost of the $140 program. Those who completed the program but didn’t meet the goal were reimbursed for half of the program’s cost.
“I can’t express how proud we are of every employee who has participated,” said Celadon Chairman and CEO Steve Russell. “With an average weight loss of 13 pounds per person, we are all sharing in the excitement of their results.”
At Celadon’s Indianapolis headquarters, the 54 participating employees were divided into two teams to compete against each other in trying to lose the most weight. The winning team lost 387 pounds and will be served a nutritionally balanced lunch by the other team.
At least 21 Indianapolis employees are continuing with a new 12 week program that begins on April 24. They will be joined by at least 23 employees who have signed up to participate for the first time.
New Albany Housing Authority
Ten weeks ago, 14 employees at the New Albany Housing Authority started a 10-week weight loss challenge. To enter the competition, each participant paid a $10 entry fee. Only those who lost 10 pounds would get their money back, and the person who lost the most weight won any unclaimed money.
The participants split into two teams, Blue and Pink. Debbie Hubbard, the Blue teams self-appointed cheerleader, kept her team motivated by sending her mates information such as the INShape Indiana 10 in 10 Challenge weekly email and other healthy weight loss advice.
At the end of the 10 weeks, the Blue team lost 43.4 pounds and the Pink team lost 13.5 pounds. The Pinks, in defeat, promised to prepare a healthy 600-calorie lunch for the Blues once a week. The biggest loser lost 18.6 pounds, and four people lost 10 pounds or more!
The Blue team decided that Debbie’s motivational material was the difference between the two teams. Without it, they would have failed to consume fewer calories and faltered on their commitment to exercise more.
The competition was such a success that 9 people have already signed up for the competition set begin after Easter. With the weather beginning to warm up, the New Albany Housing Authority employees may combine some kind of walking program that includes a neighborhood watch and trash pick-up.
Tippecanoe Community Health Clinic (TCHC)
The Tippecanoe Community Health Clinic (TCHC) started Governor Daniels 10 in 10 Challenge with a bang! With more than 45 employees joining the healthy program, TCHC led the community by example! There were several parts of our involvement over the 10 weeks of the program. TCHC served as a cheerleader and recruiter of more than 10 businesses, schools, and other social service agencies. We also encouraged our patients to join the challenge as well. We made a display case in our front lobby explaining the challenge and how to join, as well as tips to healthy eating, how to start moving, and to quit smoking. The Journal and Courier (Lafayette’s Newspaper) and WLFI TV 18 also covered stories about TCHC’s community involvement in the 10 in 10 challenge! The challenge for TCHC employees started with weigh-in’s every Thursday morning. After every employee weighed in, we would hold a short 15-20 minute program. Several included; how to read food labels given by the clinic’s dietician, learning to line dance, yoga moves, desk-aerobics, healthy hearts, and healthy recipe exchanges. This charged the group and made everyone dedicated! We even help a 10 in 10 lunch carry-in, in which all of the foods had significant nutritional value. Of course there was an added incentive for the end of the 10 week program. Every individual that lost the 10 pounds in the 10 weeks would be eligible to win an overnight stay in Downtown Indianapolis with dinner for 2, and breakfast. We also had other goodies to giveaway from Subway, Curves, and Newtone Health and Fitness.
The total results of the TCHC challenge were great! Everyone who joined lost weight. Some lost the 10 pounds, and some lost more. We even had individuals who didn’t lose the 10 pounds but are encouraged to stay with their program and keep healthy. TCHC has decided that we will extend our challenge to another 10 week program! Not only did TCHC decide to expand the program, Copy Print Shop, a local printing company and their employees decided to continue their challenge in the workplace as well.
Indiana Department of Education Success Story
In November 2006, the Indiana Department of Education held its own 10-week version of The Biggest Loser. Twenty-two employees made it through the holiday season to the final weigh-in. Like the show, competition was based solely on percentage of weight lost. It was a fight to the finish with the top two competitors only .2 percent apart.
“The Biggest Loser gave me the motivation to get back to healthy habits of eating right and being fit,” said Jen Staley, winner of the competition. “It was great to have a network of colleagues to serve as each others support system.”
Many of the successful participants reported the competition helped them push through the toughest time of the year for eating healthy during the holidays. According to a study from the National Institutes of Health, weight gain over the winter holidays may only be a pound, but this adds up over the years.
The group lost a total of 99 pounds.
“I was so glad to have this program to focus on during all the holiday parties,” said Kristy Cree, who finished third. “I’m sure I would have gained, but instead I lost 8.3%. I’m so excited!”
The group started its second season of The Biggest Loser on February 19, 2007. Thirty people participated in the first weigh-in.
Herff Jones Success Story
Herff Jones, like many companies and counties in Indiana, went smoke free on its campus effective in May 2006. Herff Jones wanted to provide the tools to help its employees succeed. They offered those employees who were ready to quit the opportunity to participate in free stop smoking classes during the lunch hour, as well as providing free stop smoking aids.
Herff Jones contracted with Community Hospital's Health Promotions Department to provide the American Lung Association's "Freedom from Smoking Program" to our employees. We had 33 individuals complete the classes, and after 6 months, 16 individuals remain smoke free.
One of our success stories is Philip Keibler. Philip is an employee who has smoked for more than 15 years and was ready to quit when this opportunity was presented. He is now more than 6 months without having a cigarette, and couldn't be happier with the results.
According to Philip, he is now able to enjoy the freedom of being a non-smoker. Foods taste better and his sense of smell has been heightened immensely.
In addition, Philip has embarked on a new physical fitness routine by joining Cardinal Fitness and working out each day before he comes to work. This new healthy routine has helped Philip to lose 10 lbs in the last few weeks. These are Philip's comments about why he decided to quit smoking and how the program offered at Herff Jones pushed him to commit to quitting.
"Looking back on the past 15 years it all seems like such a blur. I remember starting to smoke and thinking that I would quit before long. I grew up hearing people say things like "I was a smoker for 15 years" and I always thought "Wow that's a long time"."
"Now here I am, 33 years old and I was the one saying "I've been a smoker for 15 years." That's the problem with smoking; it becomes a part of your life and so much a part that you forget you are "enjoying a cigarette every now and then". Before long you're looking back on a life that was in many ways, is being controlled by tobacco".
"I like to give the example of how tobacco controls you. I would have to think about cigarettes before going into a meeting, before going into a movie, after dinner, in the car, and before work. I realized that, without me being aware of it, cigarettes had taken over every aspect of my life. I couldn't do anything anymore without thinking, when would I be able to have my next cigarette?"
"That was when I knew that I had been duped by the tobacco companies. I wasn't really enjoying smoking; I was smoking so I wouldn't feel edgy, irritable, anxious, and angry. What happened to "enjoying an occasional smoke?" Even though I thought I was smoking because I liked it, that's the con, I was smoking just to feel normal for a few minutes. I fell right into the tobacco trap."
"Six months later and my whole life has improved in so many ways. I have extra money that was being spent on cigarettes. I do 45 minutes of high intensity cardio exercise every day and feel great doing it. My blood pressure is normal, my cholesterol is great, and I've never felt better about my health. If I could do it all again, I would have never touched that first cigarette."
"If Herff Jones had not offered me the cessation class, I would be a smoker today. Coughing, wheezing, stinking, but most importantly, addicted."
Press Ganey Success Story
Press Ganey Associates, Inc. in South Bend is a business devoted to helping health care organizations improve the quality of care they provide. Press Ganey offers survey tools, research studies, technological advances, and customer services to their clients to help them achieve quality improvements in health care. So, naturally, Press Ganey is also concerned about the health and quality of life of their own employees. They have developed a comprehensive wellness program that addresses many factors that contribute to the wellbeing of their staff.
Understanding that stress is damaging to their employees' health, Press Ganey offers a variety of ways to allow their personnel to relax, including relaxation rooms and a foosball table in the break room. Furthermore, while there is no official walking program, the staff is encouraged to walk during their breaks and there are several teams of employees who choose to do so. Another effort Press Ganey has taken to improve the health of their workplace is to stock their vending machines with approximately 50 percent healthy foods.
Since Press Ganey is able to construct its own health plan, the company provides its employees with $500 worth of "wellness visits," where they can see the doctor just for a checkup - even if they aren't ill. What's more, they are currently working on a plan that will provide their staff incentives for improving their health (as tested by blood pressure, cholesterol, and other screenings) and hope to implement this plan in 2006.
Press Ganey's biggest wellness event is their annual health fair. This year was their sixth one and showcased about 30 health care vendors including American Heart Association, AIDS Ministries, YMCA of Michiana, On-Site Health Solutions, and Dairy and Nutrition Council (to name a few). The health fair offered wellness screenings such as blood pressure and glucose assessments, testing for sickle cell, and flu shots. Press Ganey's commitment to health extended even to the door prizes they presented. For example, among the prizes given away were juicers, blenders, relaxation tapes and Afdent dental cleanings.
Of their 466 employees, roughly 80 percent attended the health fair. When asked what to attribute to such a successful attendance Press Ganey's Benefits and Safety Manager Fran Boykins replied, "We have a CEO and senior management group that are very active at encouraging people to participate. I think that's extremely important for the success of these types of programs."
Gibson Insurance Group success story
Gibson Insurance Group is a company that recognizes the importance of their staff. "Employee Focus" is even included as one of the values on their corporate values statement which asserts, "We will attract and retain the highest quality individuals and provide them with a working environment that will promote maximum productivity and professional growth..."
Last year when a leadership team met to create a wellness program, it was that devotion to employee focus that governed their approach more so than concern about the increasing cost of insurance and health care. With this thoughtfulness and integrity, Gibson- a small company that employs only 85 people in the South Bend and Plymouth areas- constructed an ambitious and comprehensive wellness program.
As their initial step, Gibson sponsored their first annual wellness screening in which nearly 80 percent of their employees participated. Employees received not only blood pressure tests, glucose tests and body fat compositions, but they also were given their results plotted out compared to the healthy range category.
Next, Gibson asked their employees to fill out a monthly form that gave them points for numerous wellness activities including, but not limited to, exercising, giving blood, performing self breast exams, taking a daily multi-vitamin, and time spent relaxing without television. Prizes based on the amount of points earned are distributed four times a year and include t-shirts, movie passes, and wellness bonuses. For turning in their forms, employees are eligible for a drawing for prizes awarded in January. Winners get their choice of golf packages, spa packages, iPods, portable DVD players, among other items.
Furthermore, Gibson encourages their employees to participate in exercise challenges. Each season a goal is set to "walk" to a particular location, such as the winter 2005 challenge to walk to the North Pole. Staff (either competing as teams or working together) records the amount of exercise they accomplish which is then transferred to the corresponding mileage. Weekly updates are posted on the Gibson's Intranet site. This site was created in order to contain all their wellness forms, healthy recipes, and other wellness program activities. When the goal is achieved, everyone who participated receives a note of congratulations, and there is often a drawing for a prize such as Notre Dame football tickets.
In addition to these events, Gibson provides their employees with a non-interest loan program for buying home fitness equipment or gym memberships. The employee selects a piece of equipment, brings in the pricing information, and Gibson writes a check to the store. The employee then pays back the agency through payroll deductions. Gibson also gives employees a $5 rebate for each in-house meeting of Weight Watchers they attend.
Gibson is constantly trying to think of new and creative ways to promote and support health and well-being in their employees. Their dedication to their staff is inspiring and demonstrates how much one company can do in a single year.
OFS
In May 2005, OFS unveiled its new corporate headquarters in Huntingburg, Indiana and with it, a state-of-the-art wellness facility. This furthered the goal of the president of OFS, Robert Hank Menke Jr., to emphasize the importance of the health of all employees.
The wellness facility allows OFS employees and spouses access to a full exercise facility offering free weights, weight machines, cardiovascular equipment, a lap pool equipped with an underwater treadmill, saunas, steamrooms, Jacuzzis and various exercise classes, such as aerobics, toning and spinning. If employees and spouses wish to be physically active outdoors, the OFS campus includes a one-fifth of a mile outdoor walking path around a lake, an outdoor basketball court, putting green, and a chipping pitch.
To use the indoor fitness facility, employees must first go through an orientation and overview of basic safety instructions to receive their complimentary membership key. On-site trainers with an exercise science background are available during operating hours for any questions that arise concerning a workout. If an employee is injured fulfilling their duties at OFS, the on-site trainers will work with the individual to help aid rehabilitation with the strengthening of the muscles to increase the speed of recovery. The trainers are also available for nutrition consultations for a small fee.
Beyond its wellness facility, OFS has excelled in the availability of nutrition and general health information. Corporate newsletters include a health and fitness column, and a local hospital is invited onto the OFS campus to perform annual health screenings to aid employees in knowing their individual health risk profile. An on-site program, Weight Watchers at Work, is also offered to employees wanting to shed those extra pounds. Currently, with an enrollment of 22 participants, there has been a total loss of 114 pounds during the first six weeks of the program.
To encourage employees to take advantage of all the opportunities available to them, the OFS wellness facility is open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. to accommodate all work schedules. Locker rooms with full shower facilities make it easy for employees to quickly return to work after their physical activity is completed. Employees greatly appreciate the extended hours; the facility is utilized at all hours of the day.
With such opportunities available, the OFS community is a shining example of what employers can do to improve the health of their employees.
Moorehead Communication, Inc. Emerges as Leader in Worksite Wellness
In 1999, Moorehead Communication, Inc. opened a 24-hour fitness center for employees and guests at the corporate headquarters in Marion. The Moorehead Fitness Center supplies a variety of exercise equipment to employees; including three treadmills, an elliptical trainer, a Stairmaster, stationary bicycles, free weights, and several circuit pieces. The fitness center offers $30 gift certificates as incentive for employees to utilize the facility.
The Moorhead Fitness Center also offers employees access to a personal trainer. The trainer provides personal workouts for employees, makes dietary recommendations, and calculates body fat percentages. Employees with heart problems, injuries, and back pain report experiencing benefits from the utilization of the fitness center and the personal trainer. The fitness center and its services have created many "gym bums", who now report fitness is an integral part of their lives.
One true success story involves a six-year employee, Joyce Blades. Blades, 32, was involved in a serious auto accident in 1990 and suffers from debilitating brain injuries. Since the accident, she also experiences limitations in her physical abilities. However, these challenges haven't stopped her from faithfully utilizing the fitness center. Blades attributes marked improvements in her physical abilities and mobility to her regular routine at the fitness center.
Every few months, the fitness center offers individual employees and departments the opportunity to participate in "A Challenge Within A Challenge". Individual challenges involve offering prizes and recognition to the employee who best performs certain types of exercise. The winner of each challenge is recognized with a poster on the fitness center's "Wall of Fame". Last year, departments competed against each other in the total number of 30-minute workout sessions completed within a monthly timeframe. This challenge resulted in an all-time company record of 726 employee workouts in one month!
Moorehead Communication, Inc. takes pride in enhancing employees' lives and well-being. The company is blessed with over 125 positive minded employees in its corporate headquarters. With almost over 5,700 workouts recorded in 2005, the company's future goal for the fitness center is to continue to have healthier employees and family members!
Companies all over Indiana can improve the health of their employees, too, by offering similar programs and promoting great health!
- What is INShape Indiana?
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- Where is the INShape Indiana login page?
- Is the old INShape Indiana tracking system still available?
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