Our work enviorment can greatly benefit from a wellness/fitness hospital supported facillity, which can include stress reduction;mind-body activities. Perhaps what is most frustrating about the rising number of people with diabetes, heart disease and obesity is the fact that in many cases exercise can help to prevent these conditions. And prevention is more cost-effective than treatment, which is why partnerships between fitness facilities and places of work are growing. The VA administration drew its mission statement from an extract of President
Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address: "...to care for him who shall have borne the battle...." Shouldn't the same care be given to the VA employee who battles daily for thier commitment to this statement, by offering them a chance for a preventive life style. Having a wellness center will help the heathier employee become an even more dependable, reliable resource for this health care facility. Results have shown that any investment in fitness yields benefits including decreased absenteeism, reduced medical costs and better morale. In challenging economic times, wellness just like other forms of preventive care should be viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury. keeping the work force healthy would add fuel to the smoking cessation and stress management programs that are already in place in most health care facilities. We need a fitness center dedicated to improving the health and well being of every employee member.
The employee fitness center can be accessible 24 hours a day (for all shifts), seven days a week through coded key cards. Staff can be available to provide fitness instruction at certain times during the day. Requiring employees, who are interested in becoming members, pay a nominal fee per pay period to participate (perhaps through payroll deduction), can help support the maintinence of the facility. The steps to membership would be:
- Completing a initial health history questionnaire and an annual health risk assessment
- Completing a payroll deduction form
- Attending a fitness equipment/exercise/facility orientation that will help provide a safe and effective place to begin exercising
"We, the undersigned, are in support of the proposal to have a in-house wellness/fitness facility. We understand that this area, when up and running, is to be utilized to its fullest capacity, always abiding by it's rules and regulations. We hope that all employees will enjoy the health benefits of having such a facility. Thus, we formally petition the VA administration to help make this a reality."
