“Although we have numerous organizations supporting employee wellness, we did not have a single one dedicated solely to the civilian population and their particular wellness needs,” Spacy said. “As base commander, I’m dedicated to improving the quality of life and the working environment for all base personnel. The new civilian wellness program supports both of these goals through its unique fitness training and medical screening events.”
The ICWP seeks to emphasize the four key dimensions of wellness: social, spiritual, emotional and physical. Addressing the specifics of the program, Spacy notes, “This summer, the program provided hundreds of base civilians with no-cost, lifetime fitness activity training in yoga, tennis and golf, preparing many formerly sedentary employees for healthy physical pursuits.
“Over 400 employees took advantage of on-site, pay-as-you-go, vascular and osteoporosis screenings, and over 10 percent discovered they had mild to moderate carotid artery blockage. These convenient and effective medical screening opportunities and increased access to lifetime physical activities are proactive steps to reduce the number of civilians lost annually to preventable causes.”
“Over the years, we have unfortunately experienced many untimely civilian deaths due to cardiovascular diseases and other preventable causes, despite the fact that we had a number of excellent wellness resources in place. It was imperative that we take a fresh look at these critical issues and support all creative solutions.
“Although it will take time to fully assess our progress, I am highly encouraged by what the program has already achieved,” said Dr. Steve Butler, executive director of Air Force Material Command.
Ray Szymanski, ICWP Director, said that he is satisfied with the program’s progress in the early phases but recognizes that it is an enormous long-term challenge.
“Our data indicates that the base civilian population is similar to the Ohio population: both groups are not well.
“We estimate that approximately 3,000 base civilians suffer from obesity; 1,200 from very high serum cholesterol; 1,000 from hypertension; 400 with moderate carotid artery blockage; and these are just the diseases we have screened for. Imagine what else may be going on.”
The program’s new direct-intervention project will provide 100 high-risk civilian employees with a comprehensive wellness rehab program.
Participants will receive a thorough baseline evaluation, extensive nutrition and fitness training, and easy access to wellness professionals. Participants will be reevaluated at the conclusion of the six-month program to gauge the effectiveness of the applied improvement methods. If successful, the program will look to expand to include other base civilians needing attention.
The project is a cooperative effort with the Wright Field Fitness Center, the Health and Wellness Center, Civilian Health Promotion Services and the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. She owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services. Write to her in care of the Dayton Daily News, call her at (937) 878-9018 or send e-mail to marjie@ohtrainer.com. Her Web site is www.ohtrainer.com.
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