Hospital Staff Develop Wellness Programs

Employees at the Kearny County rural hospital created their own wellness program and invited people in the community to join them. A weight loss group met for 30 minutes every Wednesday at noon. Basic nutrition topics such as hydration, sodium, and fat were presented. There were three class goals: 1) educate, 2) empower, and 3) counsel. The focus was on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The participants did not weigh in: they self-report any changes on a chart.

In 4 months time, they had lost 82 lbs. as a group. For 9 weeks, 12 employees took a walking challenge. Using pedometers to track their steps, average steps per day ranged from 8,200 to 26,550. They also found the most sedentary days were Sundays and Tuesdays. Based on this evaluation, members stepped up their activity on the more sedentary days.

Kansas Kids C.A.N. Program, Kearny County Hospital, Lakin, KS, Helen Grubbs, Dietary Manager