Local teachers going the distance in health initiative

Few people can admit they get paid to exercise, but for 1,130 Santa Rosa County employees, burning fat has never been more rewarding.

Last October, the school board implemented a program called “Virgin Health Miles” to get employees to go the distance. With the help of a pedometer, which measures the amount of steps a person takes, and a small monthly fee, employees are rewarded a cash incentive after walking a certain distance.

At the last school board meeting Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick said he was far along in his walking endeavor. 

“This is an excellent opportunity for us to encourage and offer a challenge to our employees district wide,” he said.

Employees are rewarded once they reach a certain milestone or  “level”.  Wyrosdick was closing up on level three when he spoke at the board meeting, which only 15% of participants have accomplished so far. 

“He’s (Wyrosdick) very active in the program, and he’s closing up on the next level,” said Karen Retherford, human resource services manager for the school district.

Retherford, who helped promote the program said the project implements a wellness coordinator for each school, which helps keep teachers in the walking mindset.

“We have a volunteer for each school site to be a wellness coordinator,” Retherford said. “They believe that physical education is important for our teachers.”

Retherford said wellness coordinators create presentations and hold seminars for schools to educate them about the program, and is now a mandatory part of new employee orientation.

Tanya Martin, the wellness coordinator at S.S. Dixon Primary said the program has been a success for her school so far this school year.

“Right now we have 36 participants at our site, which is close to half of the people we have here (at the school),” Martin said. 

Right now, Retherford said the program is growing every month, and the school district is taking notice.

“We’ve got about 45 percent of our employees participating in the program right now,” Retherford said.

That group of over 1,100 people have a 12-month timeline in which they can be rewarded on up to 5 levels.  Each level is equivalent to about 6,000 steps or 20 “health miles” according to Retherford.

Martin, who holds seminars, like all wellness coordinators said the programs that she implements allow teachers to add health miles to their chart, which they can keep track of online.

The pedometer easily hooks to a computer USB port and keeps track of a person’s progress on a website.

Retherford said the program is good for employees because it allows them to not only stay healthy, but keep the cost of healthcare down.

“We’ve always tried to think of ways to keep the rising cost of health insurance down,” Retherford said. “Statistics show that 70 percent of health problems are predictable.”

For just $5 a month, employees are not only rewarded, but according to Retherford, can avoid costly health bills.  At each level, walkers can earn anywhere from $50-$200, and employees can redeem the money early or keep adding up the points to earn more money.  Those dollar amounts can even be used to redeem gift cards. 

The pedometer idea came from a conference that promoted the program, and showed how it was used at other facilities.  The Santa Rosa school board used the idea and even has a sponsor who helps keep the cost of the program down.

“Blue Cross partners with us, and they offer a one percent credit by offering programs such as free health screenings at several locations,” Retherford said.

Retherford said the cost of the program would eventually balance itself out within the schools.

“This is money that was allocated through the school board, and in the end it’s really investing in the future health of our employees,” Retherford said. “It’s a win-win if an employee can have a better life and stay healthier.”

Martin said the program has affected the overhaul lifestyle change of many employees. She holds seminars to encourage her school employees to exercise more, but there are always the few that do cheat.

“We have had a few hand the pedometers to their children and have them shake it, but for many it has been a total lifestyle change,” she said. “The cash incentive is actually keeping people healthier.”