State Grant Helps Barnesville Hospital and the Village of Barnesville Boost Health

Mike Roe, a street department employee, is having his glucose and cholesterol measured by Joe Jeffries, Director of Pharmacy at Barnesville Hospital.

Through a partnership with Barnesville Hospital, the Village of Barnesville is building a healthier workforce among village employees, volunteer fire fighters and EMS personnel, thanks to support from the State of Ohio`s Healthy Ohioans program. According to Peggy Douglass, Director of Education & Outreach at Barnesville Hospital, "Our vision is to be a model of excellence in rural healthcare and a vital center of community health activities. Receipt of this $25,000 grant from the Foundation for Healthy Communities, will allow Barnesville Hospital to provide resources, expertise, and services intended to improve the health and wellness of Village employees."

Boosting efforts to find creative new ways to hold down employee health care costs, the 19 Healthy Ohioans Worksite Wellness Partnership Grants bring Ohio hospitals with expertise in promoting wellness together with local business partners interested in encouraging employees to improve their health.

The hospitals` diverse partners include manufacturers, educational institutions, service providers, and municipalities. Some have several dozen employees; others have several hundred. Common to all is a commitment to help their employees live healthier and a conviction that healthier employees are good for business and will lead to lower health care costs.

Barnesville Hospital`s successful Employee Wellness Program, in place for 2 years, serves as a model for the partnership. The 15-month project, funded by the Healthy Ohioans in Healthy Workplaces grant, began on Wednesday, June 7th when participants underwent a 2-part assessment consisting of a computerized health assessment and a physical screening. Himalaya Patcha, M.D., a Board-certified internal medicine physician, will review assessment findings to ensure the appropriateness of participation in the program. While results from these screenings are confidential and will not be shared with Village officials, they will be reviewed by hospital staff, in conjunction with the computerized health risk assessment, to recommend a wellness program based on individual needs to focus on increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, and promoting the prevention/cessation of tobacco use.

Barnesville Hospital will provide clinical expertise comprised of Joginder Kaur, Registered Dietitian, Jeff Britton, Registered Respiratory Therapist, Raquel McGee, Exercise Physiologist, and Joe Jeffries, Registered Pharmacist. Peggy Douglass, Director of Education & Outreach at Barnesville Hospital, and Roger Deal, Village Administrator, will coordinate the project. According to Mr. Deal, "The Village of Barnesville has vowed a commitment to the health and wellness of the Village personnel as they are of vital importance, not only to Village Government as employees, but to the entire community as well."

The Healthy Ohioans program created by Gov. Bob Taft and the Ohio Department of Health is supporting the grants with $500,000 awarded to the Foundation for Healthy Communities, an arm of the Ohio Hospital Association.

"Ohio hospitals applaud the leadership of Healthy Ohioans for championing the notion many business leaders are now embracing - that small steps toward healthier lifestyles can make big strides toward improved productivity and a healthier bottom line," said Lynne Ayres, director of the Foundation for Healthy Communities. "Healthy Ohioans has an ally in the Foundation for Healthy Communities, which was empowered by Ohio hospitals in 1994 to promote good health," Ayres added.

J. Nick Baird, M.D., director of the Ohio Department of Health, noted a healthy lifestyle is one of the best defenses against the five leading causes of death in Ohio - heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes, all of which are directly linked to unhealthy lifestyles.

"Healthy Ohioans is about improving the quality of life in Ohio, and worksite wellness programs are an ideal way to help Ohioans reach their health and fitness goals. The employers and hospitals that have teamed up to demonstrate the benefits of workplace wellness programs should provide good examples for other to follow," Baird said.

A 2nd screening for village employees, volunteer fire fighters and EMS personnel will be held at the Barnesville Fire Station on Wednesday, June 14th from 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. To schedule a screening, contact Roger Deal, Village Administrator, Bob Smith, Fire Chief, or Dave Norris, Chief of Police. For questions or further information, contact Peggy Douglass at 425-5158.

Raquel McGee, Exercise Physiologist & Chair of the Barnesville Hospital Wellness Committee, measures the grip strength of Eric Touvelle, a member of the fire department/EMS.