Win with Wellness launches new year-long program

Will Include Free Health Screenings

Win with Wellness is launching a new year-long program beginning in March, which will include four free biometric health screenings for the first 300 participants to register, with results that are graphed and trended for easy interpretation and tracking. Memorial Medical Center, one of the collaborative partners in the Win with Wellness program, will conduct the screenings to measure blood pressure; height, weight and body mass index; LDL and HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, cholesterol ratio, triglycerides; and blood glucose levels.

Participants and their primary care physicians will receive a print out of their biometric health results. At each screening, participants will receive the same testing, and their results will be graphed to reveal trends in their overall health through the year. All results will remain confidential.

Following the biometric health screenings, participants will have an opportunity to attend an educational session to receive information on a wide variety of health topics while also being able to discuss their biometric results with healthcare professionals, including registered dietitians and registered nurses. Participants are strongly urged to review their results with their primary care physician to determine an appropriate course of action.

“The new screening-based program will allow participants and their physicians to track their progress as they work toward healthier lifestyles,” said Alan Neushwander, chairman of Win with Wellness. “It is based on the premise that ‘what gets measured, gets done’ and we wanted to provide a way to help people who are serious about improving their health to join a year-long program to do just that. There is a big incentive to stay in the program for the full year, as we’re offering a drawing for a $1,000 cash prize. And, just as we have done previously, we will offer a wide variety of opportunities for group walking, bike riding and running events. We feel it will be our best program yet.”

Previously, Win with Wellness was based on an honor system for tracking points while working toward a pre-selected health goal. “The point system worked well,” said Neushwander, “but we believe the biometric screenings will be a better way for participant’s to understand, work on and improve key health indicators such as cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. And with the epidemic of overweight and obesity, keeping track of weight and body mass is very important, too.”

First Screening

The first Win with Wellness biometric screening will be held Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10 from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. in classrooms A/B, located on the lower level of Memorial Medical Center, downstairs from the main north lobby. Twelve-hour fasting is required and participants must have a primary care physician to join.

Those interested in the biometric screening must pre-register by calling (231) 845-2222 or by printing and completing the registration form at www.ludingtondailynews.com/wellness and sending it to:

Memorial Medical Center

Win with Wellness

One Atkinson Drive

Ludington, MI 49431

Registration forms may also be faxed to (231) 845-3607 or emailed to WinWithWellness1@gmail.com.

The program is open to the first 300 people who register and meet the other eligibility requirements (at least 18 years old and have a primary care physician).

Those interested must register by March 7, 2012 in order to participate in the biometric screening. There is no cost to register or to participate in Win with Wellness or the biometric health screenings.

You must be at least 18 years old and have a primary care physician to participate in Win with Wellness. If you do not have a primary care physician, please call the Memorial Medical Center Physician Referral Line at (231) 845-2372.

Screening Results

The screening test results will be given to participants in sealed envelopes during an educational session on Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 6 p.m. in the Ludington High School cafeteria. At the educational session, participants will have an opportunity to review their biometric results with healthcare professionals, including registered etitians, registered nurses and wellness coaches. During the event, Renita Diehlman, RN, FNP-BC, CDE will speak about “The Importance of Exercise in Managing Diabetes and Other Medical Conditions.”

During the educational session, results from the “Move around the Mitt” challenge will be revealed and the winner of the grand prize, a one year membership to the West Shore Community College Wellness Center, will be announced. The session is free and open to the public, even those not planning to participate in the Win with Wellness health screenings.

Cash Prizes

“The real prize in joining Win with Wellness is getting on your way to a healthier lifestyle and the feeling of accomplishment in meeting a health goal,” said Neushwander. “But recognizing that an end prize is a good incentive for people to stay in the program to the end, anyone who joins during the March 9-10, 2012 screening and attends all subsequent screenings and at least three of the educational sessions for one year will be entered to win a $1,000 cash prize. Since the worst thing people can do is quit trying, we wanted to provide a nice incentive for people to join and stay in the program for a year.”