Corporate Success Stories
Read below to find out how businesses from around the state have used the resources provided by INShape Indiana to make healthy lifestyle changes for their employees and in their communities.
Taller Mecánico El Argentino
Co-owners of Taller Mecánico El Argentino, Oscar and Lily Arrieta explain, “Given the nature of our business, the shop is always filled with fumes of gasoline, turpentine, paint, and other kind of flammable products, so smoke in the shop was totally forbidden, but I could not ban our workers to go out for a smoke.”
Several months ago, Jose Luis Romero of the Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) contacted Oscar to provide cessation classes to his employees. Convincing the smokers that inhaling workplace fumes and cigarette smoke was detrimental to their health was not easy. Martin, one of the mechanics, was the first to accept the challenge and replaced his “pack-a-day” habit with a patch. Soon, Martin realized how much healthier he felt and how much money he saved, especially because the patch is free from the ILI. Martin’s success inspired other employees to quit.
Today, Taller Mecánico El Argentino is smoke free. As a result, common absenteeism related to health issues decreased and energy and work output increased.
Wabash Valley Surgery
In January, the Wabash Valley Surgery Center (WVSC) decided to promote healthy lifestyles for their employees. They began a program encouraging employees to eat healthy, exercise regularly, drink more water, and walk more steps every day. Approximately 75 WVSC employees and 61 other employees signed up to participate in the contest and wellness program!
The medical director at WVSC purchased pedometers for everyone, negotiated a flat rate fee for a gym membership near the office, purchased several prizes, and has been an encouraging face for the new program.
The Wabash Valley Surgery Center created a format that documents how many steps each person takes daily, how often they exercise, how much water they drink, and what they eat. One-on-one time with a dietician, personal training sessions at the gym and weekly prizes are available incentives to the team with the most points.
It has been encouraging for the staff to see participants being active and eating healthy. In the lunch room, you can hear staff members talk about healthy eating and plans for going to the gym after work.
The WVSC tracks the pounds lost and the miles walked to see what the total will be after the ten week program. Another program will begin after the initial one concludes to continue promoting healthy lifestyle change.
Advantage Health Solutions
ADVANTAGE Health Solutions, Inc.SM is a local, provider-owned health plan which offers healthcare benefits and solutions to employer groups of all sizes. ADVANTAGE is solutions-oriented and provides a consultative approach to helping our clients choose the best benefit options for their company and employees.
ADVANTAGE decided to host an internal Biggest Loser Competition to help motivate their employees to lose weight. On June 18th, the competition began with 50 employees. They formed teams of three or four and weighed in on a weekly basis. Individual and team winners were determined by total percentage of weight loss. During the twelve week competition, participants were encouraged to eat healthier and strive for a more active lifestyle.
The final weigh-in was on September 13, 2007. As a group, all participating employees lost a total of 371.2 pounds! The overall Biggest Loser and Biggest Loser Team were announced at the Company Employee Appreciation Picnic the following day. The Biggest Loser was awarded $100 and the Biggest Loser Team received $300 to share.
The overall Biggest Loser was Cynthia Stepp who continued to lose weight throughout the competition. Over the twelve weeks, she lost a total of 16.2% of her original weight and a total of 34 pounds!
The overall Biggest Loser Team was "Skin and Bones." Matt Brodahl, Bryce Conway, Jackie Frye and Cynthia Stepp lost a total of 9.1% of their combined initial weight, and a total of 73.1 pounds!
ADVANTAGE Health Solutions’ Biggest Loser competition was a great success and motivated the employees to improve their overall health. The employees of ADVANTAGE enjoyed competing as teams, allowing them to support each other’s efforts towards continued weight loss and making health choices. All participants accomplished an extraordinary goal and were the reason behind the success of this competition. We hope our story can motivate other companies to support their employees in living a healthier lifestyle.
Evansville State Hospital
The 2nd Biggest Loser Challenge presented by Evansville State Hospital’s Fitness Group, E Shape, was another huge success. The eight-week weight loss challenge began on January 24 and ended March 22, 2007. During the challenge, 50 participants lost a total of 225 pounds. Out of the 13 teams participating, 11 teams completed the challenge, and 73% of participants averaged a weight loss of almost seven pounds.
Kyle Elliott, John’s teammate, lost 12 pounds and helped motivate himself and others throughout both challenges. Kyle was committed to watching his portion size and increasing his fitness routine by walking 5 miles a day. He missed his favorite foods—steak, Chinese food, and regular Coke, but feels he can maintain or lose weight from using techniques he developed during the challenges. “I feel better and it’s nice receiving compliments.”
Dixie Waters lost 16 pounds and found that she had to change several things - the way she ate, the way she prepared food, and the way she exercised. She now steams vegetables; grills, broils and bakes meats; enjoys raw fruits; and drinks lots of water. She also cut out most sweets, bread, and soft drinks. She ate more frequently, decreased her portion size and increased her fitness routine by walking more and working out three times a week. The competition helped motivate her to commit to the changes she wanted to make. She has lost over 40 pounds since beginning employment at ESH over a year ago. She encourages others to “Eat right and exercise, it really works!”
Many wonder what happened to the biggest losers from the first challenge, so the following is a brief update: Ivan Woods continues to lose and has lost a total of 70 pounds. His success comes from his exercise and diet program, which he kicked up a notch. He goes to the gym almost every day and works out for about 2 ½ to 3 hours. His fitness routine consists of the stationery bike, walk/run laps, rowing machine, hand weights, and sit-ups. He attended the hospital’s aerobic sessions this year and found them fun and not too strenuous. He eats healthy, usually opting for the hot lunch in the hospital’s dining room, with a salad in the evening for dinner. He is down 7 sizes and has thrown away many large sized clothes “I feel great and healthy!”
Like Ivan, Theresa Arvin continued her fitness strategies from the first competition by maintaining a low carbohydrate diet and increasing her fitness routine. She acknowledges that evenings are the hardest time, because she likes snacking while watching TV or reading a book. She suggests filling your house with things that are healthy. She fixes herself a separate meal from her family, as they are not excited about her normal broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, baked chicken meals. Being on a team was the Theresa’s ultimate motivation. She set a goal to lose 10 pounds for the second challenge and exceeded it by 4. She is comfortable with her ideal weight and voices that “maintaining my ideal weight will be the true challenge.”
Celadon
Indianapolis-based trucking company Celadon Group announced that 73 employees have lost nearly 1,000 pounds by participating in the company’s Highway 2 Health wellness initiative.
After completing a 12-week onsite Weight Watchers course, 54 employees at Celadon’s headquarters lost 704 pounds. Nineteen employees at Celadon’s operation in Kitchener, Ontario lost 257 pounds, bringing the company’s weight loss total to 961 pounds.
“In my time with Weight Watchers, this is the most weight loss that I’ve seen in that amount of time among that many employees,” said Susan Hartland, At Work Manager for Weight Watchers International. “This is truly an accomplishment worth celebrating.”
Celadon implemented its Highway 2 Health program in August to help lower its health care costs while creating a healthier workforce. For the Weight Watchers program, Celadon offered a financial incentive to encourage participation. Employees who completed the 12-week program and lost five percent of their initial body weight were reimbursed for the entire cost of the program. Those who completed the program but did not meet the goal were reimbursed for half the cost.
“I can’t express how proud we are of every employee who has participated,” said Celadon Chairman and CEO Steve Russell. “With an average weight loss of 13 pounds per person, we are all sharing in the excitement of their results.”
At Celadon’s Indianapolis headquarters, the 54 participating employees divided into two teams to compete against each other. The winning team lost 387 pounds. The losing team will serve a nutritionally balanced lunch to the winners.
At least 21 Indianapolis employees joined a new 12 week program beginning April 24. They will be joined by 23 employees that have signed for the first time.
New Albany Housing Authority
Ten weeks ago, 14 employees at the New Albany Housing Authority started a weight loss challenge. Those participants losing 10 pounds got their registration money back, while the weight loss winner won any unclaimed money.
The participants split into two teams, Blue and Pink. Debbie Hubbard from the Blue team kept everyone motivated by sending information about INShape Indiana 10 in 10 Challenge and other healthy weight loss advice.
At the end of the 10 weeks, the Blue team lost 43.4 pounds and the Pink team lost 13.5 pounds. In defeat, the Pinks promised to prepare a healthy 600-calorie lunch for the Blues once a week. The individual biggest loser lost 18.6 pounds, and four people lost 10 pounds or more.
The competition was such a success that nine people already signed up for the competition beginning after Easter. With the weather beginning to warm, the New Albany Housing Authority employees may develop a walking program including a neighborhood watch and trash pick-up.
Tippecanoe Community Health Clinic (TCHC)
The Tippecanoe Community Health Clinic (TCHC) started Governor Daniels 10 in 10 Challenge with more than 45 employees joining. Their involvement included cheering and recruiting for more than 10 businesses, schools, and other social service agencies. They encouraged patient participation and displayed healthy eating tips, activity, and quitting smoking information in the lobby.
The challenge started with Thursday morning weigh-ins. After every employee weighed in, a short 15-20 minute program followed. Topics included how to read food labels, learning to line dance, yoga moves, desk-aerobics, healthy hearts, and healthy recipe exchanges. A 10 in 10 lunch carry-in provided participants foods of significant nutritional value.
Every individual that lost 10 pounds in the 10 weeks would be eligible to win an overnight stay in Downtown Indianapolis with dinner for 2, and breakfast. Other incentives were giveaways from Subway, Curves, and Newtone Health and Fitness.
The total results of the TCHC challenge were great! Not only did TCHC decide to expand the program, Copy Print Shop, a local printing company, and their employees decided to continue their challenge in the workplace as well.
Indiana Department of Education Success Story
In November 2006, the Indiana Department of Education held its own 10-week version of The Biggest Loser. Like the show, competition was based solely on percentage of weight lost. Twenty-two employees lasted until the final weigh-in and the top two finished .2 percent a part.
“The Biggest Loser gave me the motivation to get back to healthy habits of eating right and being fit,” said Jen Staley, winner of the competition. “It was great to have a network of colleagues to serve as each others support system.”
Many of the successful participants said the competition helped them push through the tough times, especially during the holidays. According to a study from the National Institutes of Health, weight gain over the winter holidays may only be a pound, but adds up over the years.
The group lost a total of 99 pounds.
“I was so glad to have this program to focus on during all the holiday parties,” said Kristy Cree, who finished third. “I’m sure I would have gained, but instead I lost 8.3%. I’m so excited!”
The group started its second season of The Biggest Loser on February 19, 2007. Thirty people participated in the first weigh-in.
Herff Jones
Herff Jones, like many companies and counties in Indiana, went smoke-free in May 2006. To help employees succeed, Herff Jones offered employees ready to quit smoking the opportunity to participate in free stop smoking classes during the lunch hour, along with free stop smoking aids.
Herff Jones contracted with Community Hospital's Health Promotions Department to provide the American Lung Association's "Freedom from Smoking Program" to employees. 33 individuals completed the classes, and after six months, 16 individuals remain smoke free.
One of our success stories is Philip Keibler. Philip is an employee who has smoked for more than 15 years. Now, he has gone more than six months without having a cigarette, and could not be happier with the results.
According to Philip, he can now enjoy the freedom of being a non-smoker. Foods taste better and his sense of smell has heightened immensely. In addition, Philip has embarked on a new physical fitness routine at Cardinal Fitness. Working out each day before work has helped Philip lose 10 pounds.
Philip says, "Looking back on the past 15 years, it all seems like such a blur. I remember starting to smoke and thinking that I would quit before long. I grew up hearing people say things like ‘I was a smoker for 15 years’ and I always thought ‘Wow that's a long time’."
"Now here I am, 33 years old and I was the one saying ‘I've been a smoker for 15 years.’ That's the problem with smoking; it becomes a part of your life and so much a part that you forget you are ‘enjoying a cigarette every now and then’. Before long you're looking back on a life that was in many ways, is being controlled by tobacco".
"I like to give the example of how tobacco controls you. I would have to think about cigarettes before going into a meeting, before going into a movie, after dinner, in the car, and before work. I realized that, without me being aware of it, cigarettes had taken over every aspect of my life. I couldn't do anything anymore without thinking, when would I be able to have my next cigarette?"
"That was when I knew that I had been duped by the tobacco companies. I wasn't really enjoying smoking; I was smoking so I wouldn't feel edgy, irritable, anxious, and angry. What happened to "enjoying an occasional smoke?" Even though I thought I was smoking because I liked it, that's the con, I was smoking just to feel normal for a few minutes. I fell right into the tobacco trap."
"Six months later and my whole life has improved in so many ways. I have extra money that was being spent on cigarettes. I do 45 minutes of high intensity cardio exercise every day and feel great doing it. My blood pressure is normal, my cholesterol is great, and I've never felt better about my health. If I could do it all again, I would have never touched that first cigarette."
"If Herff Jones had not offered me the cessation class, I would be a smoker today. Coughing, wheezing, stinking, but most importantly, addicted."
Press Ganey Associates
Press Ganey Associates, Inc. in South Bend is a business devoted to helping health care organizations improve the quality of care they provide by offering survey tools, research studies, technological advances, and customer services. Press Ganey also developed a comprehensive wellness program addressing the many factors contributing to their staff’s wellbeing.
Understanding that stress damages employee health, Press Ganey offers relaxation rooms and a foosball table in the break room. Though there is no official walking program, the staff is encouraged to walk during breaks and several teams of employees choose to do so. Another effort Press Ganey has taken to improve overall workplace health is to stock the vending machines with approximately 50 percent healthy foods.
Since constructing its own health plan, the company provided employees $500 worth of "wellness visits," where they can see the doctor for a checkup, even if they are not ill. What's more, they plan to provide staff incentives for improving their health, as tested by blood pressure, cholesterol, and other screenings.
Press Ganey's biggest wellness event is their annual health fair. This year’s sixth annual event showcased about 30 health care vendors, including American Heart Association, AIDS Ministries, YMCA of Michiana, On-Site Health Solutions, and Dairy and Nutrition Council. The health fair offered wellness screenings such as blood pressure and glucose assessments, testing for sickle cell, and flu shots. Press Ganey's commitment to health extended even to the door prizes presented. For example, among the prizes given away were juicers, blenders, relaxation tapes and Afdent dental cleanings.
Of their 466 employees, roughly 80 percent attended the health fair. Fran Boykins, Press Ganey's Benefits and Safety Manager, says of the fair’s success, "We have a CEO and senior management group that are very active at encouraging people to participate. I think that's extremely important for the success of these types of programs."
Gibson Insurance Group
Gibson Insurance Group recognizes the importance of their staff. In fact, their corporate value statement includes "Employee Focus," which asserts, "We will attract and retain the highest quality individuals and provide them with a working environment that will promote maximum productivity and professional growth..."
With that employee focused devotion, the small South Bend, Plymouth company constructed an ambitious and comprehensive wellness program for their 85 employees.
Gibson sponsored their first annual wellness screening with nearly 80 percent participation. Employees received blood pressure tests, glucose tests and body fat compositions. The results were plotted out and compared to the healthy range category.
Employees also filled out monthly point forms according to their completed wellness activities, including exercising, giving blood, performing self breast exams, taking daily multi-vitamins, and time spent relaxing without television. Prizes are distributed four times a year and include t-shirts, movie passes, and wellness bonuses. For turning in their forms, employees are eligible for a drawing for prizes of golf packages, spa packages, iPods, portable DVD players, among others.
Furthermore, Gibson encourages employees to participate in exercise challenges. Weekly updates are posted on the company’s Intranet site, created to contain all participants’ wellness forms, healthy recipes, and other wellness program activities. When the goal is achieved, everyone who participated receives a note of congratulations, and often, a drawing for a prize like Notre Dame Football tickets.
In addition, Gibson provides employees with a non-interest loan program for buying home fitness equipment or gym memberships. The employee selects a piece of equipment, brings in the pricing information, and Gibson writes a check to the store. The employee then pays back the agency through payroll deductions. Gibson also gives employees a $5 rebate for each in-house meeting of Weight Watchers they attend.
Gibson is constantly trying to think of new and creative ways to promote and support employee health and well-being. Their dedication to staff is inspiring and demonstrates how much one company can do in a single year.
OFS
In May 2005, OFS unveiled its new corporate headquarters in Huntingburg, Indiana along with a state-of-the-art wellness facility, furthering the president, Robert Hank Menke Jr.’s, emphasis on the health of all employees.
The wellness facility allows OFS employees and spouses access free weights, weight machines, cardiovascular equipment, a lap pool equipped with an underwater treadmill, saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis and various exercise classes, such as aerobics, toning and spinning. If employees and spouses wish to be physically active outdoors, the OFS campus includes a one-fifth of a mile outdoor walking path around a lake, an outdoor basketball court, putting green, and a chipping pitch.
To use the facility, employees must go through an orientation and overview of basic safety instructions. On-site trainers with an exercise science background are available during operating hours. If an employee is injured fulfilling their duties at OFS, an on-site trainer will work with the individual to help aid rehabilitation and strengthening of the muscles. The trainers are also available for nutrition consultations.
Beyond its wellness facility, OFS has excelled in the availability of nutrition and general health information. Local hospitals come to perform annual health screenings and the corporate newsletter includes a health and fitness column. An on-site program, Weight Watchers at Work, is also offered to employees wanting to shed extra pounds. Of the 22 participants, 114 pounds have been lost during the first six weeks.
To encourage employees to take advantage of all opportunities available to them, the OFS wellness facility is open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Locker rooms with full shower facilities make it easy for employees to quickly return to work after exercising. With such opportunities available, the OFS community is a shining example of what employers can do to improve employee health.
Moorehead Communication, Inc.
In 1999, Moorehead Communication, Inc. opened a 24-hour fitness center for employees and guests at the corporate headquarters in Marion. The Moorehead Fitness Center supplies a variety of exercise equipment to employees; including three treadmills, an elliptical trainer, a Stairmaster, stationary bicycles, free weights, and several circuit pieces. The fitness center offers $30 gift certificates as incentive for employees to utilize the facility.
The Moorhead Fitness Center also offers employees access to a personal trainer. The trainer provides personal workouts for employees, makes dietary recommendations, and calculates body fat percentages. Employees with heart problems, injuries, and back pain report experiencing benefits from the utilization of the fitness center and the personal trainer.
One true success story involves a six-year employee, Joyce Blades. Blades, 32, was involved in a serious auto accident in 1990 and suffers from debilitating brain injuries. Since the accident, she also experiences limitations in her physical abilities. However, these challenges have not stopped her from faithfully utilizing the fitness center. Blades attributes her physical improvements to her regular fitness center visits.
Every few months, the fitness center offers individual employees and departments the opportunity to participate in "A Challenge Within A Challenge". Individual challenges involve prizes and recognition of the best employee exercise performance. Posters on the center’s "Wall of Fame" recognize the winners. Last year, departments competed against each other in 30-minute workout sessions within a monthly timeframe. This challenge resulted in an all-time company record of 726 employee workouts!
Moorehead Communication, Inc. takes pride in enhancing employees' lives and well-being. The company is blessed with over 125 positive minded employees in its corporate headquarters. With over 5,700 workouts recorded in 2005, the company's future goal is to continue having healthier employees and family members!
Companies all over Indiana can improve the health of their employees, too, by offering similar programs and promoting great health!
- What is INShape Indiana?
- How do I create an INShape account?
- Where is the INShape Indiana login page?
- How do I request a representative from INShape Indiana to attend my event?
- Can I talk to an INShape Indiana nutritionist about my specific health needs?
- Can I talk to an INShape Indiana fitness trainer about my specific health needs?
