Editor’s Note: Today, we launch a recurring feature on the Center for Total Health Blog. “Leadership Perspectives” is a collection of guest blog posts from Kaiser Permanente leaders all about why we need to take a Total Health approach.
Today’s guest author is Elisa Mendel, national vice president of HealthWorks & Product Innovation for Kaiser Permanente, who shares her thoughts on place-based health.
How much time would you guess you spend at work each year? Would you be surprised if I said it’s something like 2,000 hours?
Compare that to the time we spend with our doctor — maybe 15 minutes once or twice a year? That’s why place-based health is so important. At its core, good health starts with us — where we live, work, learn, and play.
That’s one of the reasons Kaiser Permanente partnered with leading national organizations to launch Thriving Schools. The idea is that schools are the hub of every community. Our work in schools focuses on four key areas: healthy eating, active living, school employee wellness, and a positive school environment. One of the active living programs is called Fire Up Your Feet. Fire Up Your Feet’s fall campaign launches October 1, and it encourages kids to walk to school with their parents, giving them much-needed exercise and some quality time together.
Another initiative I really love combines the childhood enthusiasm for play with the workplace. It’s called “Instant Recess.” A manager or wellness champion schedules time with their team —usually about 10 minutes. Everyone stops what they’re doing, and one of the team members leads the group in dancing and exercise. People are moving, getting their blood pumping, and laughing together. It’s had amazing results, because when you’re doing the chicken dance with your supervisor, suddenly things feel a little less stressful.
Kaiser Permanente piloted this in various work settings — call centers, IT, and even the ICU. One of the ICU patients heard the staff doing this Instant Recess every day on the floor and she was determined to get out of bed so she could be wheeled out to participate in the fun.
There’s no limit to the benefits of healthy living. It can lift spirits and deliver real business results. One study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine showed that employees who ate healthy and exercised regularly were up to 27 percent less likely to be absent from work for health reasons.
Good health is becoming a national movement. Find your “healthy,” and start to share good health close to your home.
