“Clinic nudges its workers towards a healthy life style” was the title of the article on the front page of the Plain Dealer. Naturally…I read it. I’m familiar with the Clinic’s ‘Healthy Choice’ program its had in place for several years targeting their 29,000 employees in an effort to make them healthier…and reduce their health care costs. The program attempts to address what the Clinic calls the six chronic health issues; high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, asthma, and smoking. They access employees and if they have any one of the six, they’re given goals to achieve and ways to achieve them. They offer free memberships to their Clinic Fitness Centers provided employees use them at least 10 times per month. The Clinic also pays for female employees to join Curves and any employee who wants to join Weightwatchers. Over 16,000 have taken advantage of the program…and shared in health care cost reductions. The latest increase is going to be 21%, but people in the program will pay only 4%...and still13,000 don’t participate!
Apparently there are many unhappy employees that feel like ‘Big Brother’ is watching and don’t like the Clinic’s heavy hand. A Clinic spokesperson said that they feel as the employer paying the increased bills resulting from employees who won’t take care of themselves, that they have some rights. I find it hard to disagree with their thinking. I suppose employees have the right to be a physical mess…smoke, don’t exercise, eat poorly and have one or more of the chronic health issues, which will naturally lead to increased health care costs, but at some point they have to accept that someone…not them…is paying the major portion of the freight. I am impressed with how much the Clinic does offer to help people help themselves…and shocked at how many people are content to turn their backs on these programs. Someday, when it will be too late, they’ll wish they’d participated.
Sometimes I just love Facebook. I’d been converting my dad’s old slides to digital and was coming across so many pictures from the old neighborhood in Bristol, Ct. and the friends I’d left behind. I fixated on one person in particular, Linda Ruiu from across the street, and tried to find her. And there she was…on Facebook and looking like she hadn’t aged…as much as me at least…in 44 years. I ‘friend requested’ her and posted some pictures and hopped on the trainer to do my ride.
I’m through the ‘Everest’ series and still looking for someone to pay for me to accompany them to the peak. I’m available from now until…forever. I selected a Russell Crowe movie and began the ride. Part way through, I could see that I’d received a confirmation from Linda and was excited to again be connected to someone so important to me in my early years. Thanks Facebook.
Bike Duration: 90 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 120 bpm.Calories burned during workout: 1250.
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