SSM Health Wellness Program reaping benefits
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The members of SSM Health St. Francis Hospital’s first Commit to be Fit class pose for a picture. Collectively, this group has lost close to 400 pounds since the class began in January.
Because of a new wellness program sponsored by SSM Health St. Francis Hospital, participants are seeing a lower number on their bathroom scales.
The new program, Commit to be Fit, was established as part of the hospital’s commitment to meet the communities needs as assessed in the tri-annual Community Needs Assessment SSM Health does. Community resource nurse Jackie Ross said the two biggest health problems for the community at large were identified as heart disease and obesity.
“The two are closely related,” Ross said. “So we set out a goal to reduce the risk of heart disease in the community by reducing the instances of obesity.
“Fitness has always been a passion of mine, and in 40 years as a critical care nurse, I noticed the results of people not taking care of their bodies. This is an issue that I have always taken seriously.”
To help sponsor the program, the hospital secured a $7,000 grant from the Heartland Foundation. Among other things, the grant helped to pay for each participant to receive a fitness tracking band.
Ross said she took applications last year, and by the end of the application period in November, they had received around 60. From that group, Ross chose 22 participants, and after two were removed for not following the rules, 20 remained.
Since January, the group has met regularly to discuss their journey and participate in fitness classes at the Maryville Community Center, often led by Ross herself, who is a certified trainer. As of September 1, Ross said the participants had lost 393 pounds, or roughly 19.1 pounds per person.
“Of course, that varies from participant to participant,” Ross said. “The actual range runs from 1.6 pounds to 49.6 pounds.”
Each participant has experienced a different journey, but the results have been similar among them: a noticeable change in their quality of life. Gentry Martin, one of the participants, noted through a testimonial that applying for the program was “the best decision I have ever made.”
“The program has given me the opportunity to really step back and evaluate myself and the unhealthy decisions that I make on a daily basis,” Martin said. “I have been able to identify the self-destructive patterns that I lived unknowingly for the majority of my adult life.
“The part that breaks my heart is that my children have been learning and adopting the same destructive behaviors. This program has given me the knowledge and the tools to correct this behavior before it’s too late.”
Angela Wiedmaier, another participant, noted through a testimonial that she had seen a marked change not only in her life, but in that of her youngest daughter.
“Being the youngest of three girls and following physically active, high energy and ‘perfect body’ sisters has been more difficult for her at times,” Wiedmaier said. We signed up at the gym and began trying a few classes together, bought new foods and tried new recipes at home, got workout DVDs and used them, bought a set of weights, and began positive self-talk to and about each other mixed with goal setting and praise for the small things done right.
“Everything about our lifestyle has changed. We don’t think twice about sharing a meal at a restaurant or ordering a child’s meal with apples. A stop at QuikTrip no longer means ice cream and soda pop; instead, we all now reach for nuts, yogurt, or fruit and cheese.”
Ross said the hospital is preparing the applications for the 2018 group, which she hopes will be a larger class of about 40 people. The application period will last from October 1 to November 1, and participants will be chosen after a health examination.
For more information on the program, those interested can contact Jackie at 660-562-7945 or via email at [email protected].