Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Community Healthcare - (Page 8)

Sowing the Seeds of Good health Promoting healthy activities in the community by Mary Fetsch Walk On In Portage, a one-mile portion of the walking trail behind the Portage Township YMCA has been designated an official walking path of the American Heart Association. St. Mary Medical Center sponsored the path and joined forces with the YMCA to begin a walking club. Club members would be allowed to use the Y’s inside track on rainy days. 8 Spring 2 013 Principal Debbie Misecko, Superintendent Peggy Buffington, Ph.D., St. Mary Medical Center Cardiac Rehab Director Felix Gozo, M.D., and hospital CEO Janice Ryba help students pick vegetables from the Teaching Garden at Liberty Elementary School in Hobart. “Walking paths are free, safe, centrally located areas dedicated to helping people start walking and make walking a fun routine,” says Dave Kasarda, executive director of the Portage YMCA. “We wanted to take it a step further and allow individuals an opportunity to join a weekly walking group and use the track inside the YMCA free of charge, if there is inclement weather. We want to remove any barriers there may be to helping people pursue more active lifestyles.” “Through these partnerships, the hands-on Teaching Garden and the Walking Path provide opportunities for our hospital staff to lead by example and set the standard for creating easily accessible and enjoyable activities to build a culture of wellness,” says Janice Ryba, St. Mary Medical Center CEO. “Our commitment to invest in prevention strategies that improve healthy living in our community is emphasized through these initiatives and our support of programs such as the My Heart. My Life. platform.” Online F irst-graders dutifully listened to their teachers as they held hands and walked single file into Hobart’s Liberty Elementary School courtyard. There, a dozen large planters filled with a variety of vegetable plants burdened with ripe zucchini, peppers and tomatoes were ready to be harvested. Students soon took their turns gleefully picking vegetables at their first Harvest Day event. Harvest Day was one of the activities planned for Liberty Elementary School’s Teaching Garden, part of the American Heart Association’s My Heart. My Life. healthy behavior platform. The campaign is aimed at empowering Americans to get healthier through a series of health, wellness and fitness activities. St. Mary Medical Center was the first hospital in Northwest Indiana to sponsor a Teaching Garden and the first in Porter County to sponsor an American Heart Association Walking Path, another My Heart. My Life. initiative. “This garden gives children a hands-on appreciation for nurturing and growing plants and harvesting food,” says Peggy Buffington, Ph.D., superintendent of the School City of Hobart. “In turn, they’ll have a more complete understanding of good eating habits and nutrition as well as physical activity. Many times, parents get involved as well, so the benefits extend beyond our classroom walls.” Go Online for More Information Looking for even more health stories, tips and ideas? Visit us online at www.comhs.org. http://www.comhs.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Community Healthcare
Community Message
Community Briefs
Winner’s Circle
No Place Like Home
Sowing the Seeds of Good Health
Sowing the Seeds of Good Health
You’re the Star
Heart-to-Heart
Lighten Up!
Have No Fear
Work It!
Diane Keaton
What Are the Chances?
9 Symptoms Never to Ignore
When Allergies Attack
Virtual Health
SPOTLIGHT ON: St. Catherine Hospital
SPOTLIGHT ON: Community Hospital
SPOTLIGHT ON: St. Mary Medical Center
Care You Can Count On
Act Fast!

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2013 - Community Healthcare