CentraState Medical Center is proud to announce that it has received the Worksite Innovation Award from the American Heart Association (AHA) for improving the well-being of its employees with its innovative, Plant-Powered nutrition and lifestyle program.
The award recognizes organizations that have implemented effective programs for promoting physical activity in the workplace. CentraState is among an elite group of awardees for this important initiative by the AHA given to less than 50 organizations nationwide.
CentraState’s Plant-Powered Program, which promotes eating a diet rich in whole, plant foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, was offered solely to CentraState employees and their spouses last summer and provided the participants with the education and tools necessary to successfully make lifestyle changes to improve their overall health over the course of 12 weeks.
Participants attended classes once a week and discussed their triumphs and challenges, were educated on the week’s topic, had cooking classes, received emails with recipes and tips to help them outside of the classroom, and were given the encouragement and tools needed to make a healthy lifestyle change.
“Our participants became a support group of people learning a new way to take care of themselves, overcoming struggles, and finding successes in making changes to their lifestyle,” says program facilitator Anthony Dissen, MA, RDN, Star and Barry Tobias Health Awareness Center. “At the end of the program, all participants experienced improved health and a greater sense of well-being, including a decrease in waist circumference, weight loss, decrease in total cholesterol, and improved blood sugar values.”
“We are very proud of all of the participants in the program and their successes, and we are honored that the AHA has recognized CentraState’s Plant-Powered Program,” says Tracey Saliski, Wellness Program Coordinator, CentraState Healthcare System. ”Our participants are continuing their success with a maintenance class meeting once a month offering them continued support to help them maintain the positive changes they’ve made.”
About CentraState
CentraState Healthcare System is a nonprofit community health organization consisting of an acute-care hospital, a health and wellness campus, three senior living communities, a Family Medicine Residency Program, and a charitable foundation. CentraState’s teaching program is sponsored by Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Our mission drives everything we do. To improve the lives of all Americans, we provide public health education in a variety of ways. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join us, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any of our offices around the country, or visit heart.org.