Inside CommonHealth, September 2019

Inside CommonHealth V O L U ME

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Know someone who wants to quit smoking, dipping, or chewing tobacco? Is having a baby? Is stressed over family and job demands?

These resources help: Employee Assistance: www.dhrm.virginia.gov Anthem: 800-346-5484 855-223-9277 Aetna: 888-238-6232 Kaiser: 866-517-7042 EAP for Optima Health Vantage: 866-846-2682 Weight Watchers: 866-204-2885;

wellness.weightwatchers.com

PAGE 2 COMMONHEALTH CELEBRATES THOSE WHO INSPIRE WELLNESS

1 4

I S S UE

I ,

SE PTE M BE R

2 019

Build a Better Meal Enjoying a healthy meal begins long before you sit down to eat.

Your stage of life, culture, traditions, preferences, and access to food all affect the choices you make. The Build a Better Meal program will provide guiding principles to help you plan, shop and prepare meals that fuel your body with the nutrients necessary to be your best.

We’ll discuss updated food labels, portions, how to outsmart the grocery store and more to help you build a better meal, one choice at a time. This program is available starting fall 2019. Please contact your Regional CommonHealth Coordinator (or contact us at wellness@dhrm.virginia.gov) to schedule a presentation or learning station at your location.

A Message from the Director, Vilma Alejandro As the Director of CommonHealth, the Commonwealth employee wellness program, I will strive to increase the well-being and productivity of all employees by enhancing all aspects of health. This will be achieved by our nine Regional CommonHealth Coordinators who will seek to increase awareness of positive health behaviors, to motivate employees to voluntarily adopt healthier behaviors, and to provide opportunities and a supportive environment to foster positive lifestyle changes. The CommonHealth program will be enhanced by building wide support and collaboration amongst state employees, state partners, health insurers and Agency Coordinators. The program will no longer rely on incentives to motivate employees to attend presentation and/or workshops, but rather reward positive health behaviors. I look forward to working closely with Agency Coordinators, providing training and recognizing Agencies that demonstrate a commitment to creating a healthy worksite culture with the assistance of their Agency Coordinators. I will focus on evaluating and continuously improving initiatives because to achieve success we must constantly assess the program through data gathering and analysis. Thank you for your ongoing support of CommonHealth and your commitment to public service.

You Can Help—Your Ideas Count!

Let us know what you (and your staff) would like to learn more about, and we may be able to use the suggestions for future Wellnotes or campaigns. If you have an area of expertise, we’d love to hear from you. If your agency would like to partner with CommonHealth, let’s collaborate. Please contact us at wellness@dhrm.virginia.gov.

Wrapping Up ReLearn to Relax CommonHealth has been bringing mindfulness and meditation to employees across the state this year with ReLearn to Relax. The campaign provides awareness on the benefits of these practices as a method of stress management. Nearly 15,000 Commonwealth of Virginia employees participated in ReLearn to Relax.

Inside CommonHealth CommonHealth Celebrates Those Who Inspire Wellness Each year we ask you to let us know who inspires you to be your best. We had over 100 nominations for Wellness Champions this year – a new record! Congratulations to our 2019 Wellness Champions, they are truly an inspiration and have made their workplaces better through their efforts.

Donna Cox, Department of Blind and Vision Impaired “Ms. Cox consistently encourages co-workers to make healthy food choices and to incorporate movement into their daily work schedule. She readily shares information about the food choices that people are making and offers realistic suggestions for alternatives that may not have been considered. She helps to motivate people to walk during break time by inviting them to join her or to walk with her when discussing a work topic and turns a meeting into an opportunity for movement.” – DBVI coworker. When someone makes it easier to make the healthy choice, it’s inspiring to those around them.

Trasean Boatwright, Department of Health Professions “In December of 2018, I wrote out my goals and resolutions that I wanted to accomplish for 2019.

Becoming a pescatarian (someone who does not eat meat but eats fish) was one of my goals. January of 2019 I found out that I was pre-diabetic, which frightened me. My family has a medical history of diabetes. I knew I had to change my eating habits and create better lifestyle. Since January, I work out 4 days a week, drink more than 64 ounces of water daily, and I have increased my vegetable intake by 40%. Working for the Department of Health Professions has truly changed my life. I want to encourage others to find a healthy lifestyle that suits their needs. I have lost a total of 68 pounds since January. It has taken me 27 years to realize that this is a "lifestyle." – Trasean “Trasean is a true friend and colleague who is willing to give you his time to teach you what he knows and the steps he's taken to become an overall healthier person. Though, becoming healthier is rewarding on its own, I believe he really deserves this (award) and his achievements should be recognized.” – DHP coworker. This is why he is a champ!

Rachel Shelton, Department of General Services “I am very thankful to work for a Commonwealth that supports employee health in a number of ways.

Encouraging a culture of wellness is most successful when leadership is supportive. At DGS, I lead a 5-minute exercise at 3pm to get us through the rest of the day with a little more energy. Everyone is welcome to participate and we all go at our own pace. Exercises consist of five one-minute activities (such as pushups, plank, balance, etc.). It's just enough to get your heart rate up and serves as a reminder to stay active!

Wellness is important to me because it helps me enjoy hobbies and take care of my family.” – Rachel “Rachel's positive attitude and fun loving spirit carry us through a five-minute work out every day at 3pm.” – DGS coworker.

It is not action nor attitude alone, but the combination of inviting those around you to join in that creates inspiration.

Beth Dickens, Thomas Nelson Community College “I retired from the USAF after serving for 25 years. Being FIT was not optional in the military! Fast forward a few years, in my work, I don’t have to run, do push-ups etc. and my body showed me what NOT maintaining a fitness regimen looked like. I knew I had to take control over not only my weight, but my health. A few years ago, I joined a Beach Body fitness challenge led by Martha Swirzinski, our CommonHealth Coordinator and faculty member, and I have been working towards improving my health and fitness ever since. She is so motivating! She ensures we receive the CommonHealth newsletters which are AMAZING! GREAT advice on everything from getting enough rest, to how to incorporate exercise and healthy eating into your diet. As a result of Martha’s mentoring and coaching and CommonHealth, being fit and healthy is DEFINITELY a part of my daily routine. I have a Fitbit which reminds me to GUAM (Get Up and Move) every hour. I’m drinking more water and I’m incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet. I was married on August 31, 2 019 to the love of my life, and if you look at our picture, I believe he’s thinking to himself, how AMAZING I look! LOL!!! Thank you again for this honor. It means more than you know and lets me know I’m on the right track!" - Beth "Beth, is an inspiration to those around her. A few years ago she decided to start making healthy changes. She has even started presenting a workshop on Deskercise: how to stay healthy while at work.”- TNCC coworker. Wellness champions make their workplace a healthier place to be!

101 N. Fourteenth St 12th Floor Richmond VA 23219