Staying Fit with Our CEO
Randy Oostra enjoys running and working out to stay in shape. ProMedica Health System’s president and chief executive officer also tells Inside that exercise is essential to his routine and he finds it to be a great stress-reliever. Randy enjoys activities that get him outside with family, friends and colleagues. As a “sporadic” golfer, he hit a hole-in-one in 2009—“proof that there’s hope for every golfer,” according to Randy.
So, what does this mean for ProMedica employees? “My personal commitment to staying fit motivates me to promote ProMedica’s mission to improve the health of the patients and communities we serve,” states Randy. “Exercising and taking other steps to lead a healthy life, like eating right, have done so much for me. In turn, I’m proud to be part of an organization that helps others achieve their own personal wellness goals.”
Randy cites Fields of Green, ProMedica’s signature initiative to combat obesity, as an example of what ProMedica is doing to encourage wellness on a broad scale throughout our system. Fields of Green is an umbrella for a variety of education, health and nutrition programs developed by ProMedica. These programs include the Fields of Green high school scholarship competition, with finalist teams from each of ProMedica’s five regions, and the 1, 2, 3, and ½ Keys to Good Health Conversation Map® education program for children in grades four – six and their parents, with facilitators trained to present the program to faith-based groups, schools, 4-H groups, and community organizations in every region.
“Our partnerships with local organizations, such as the Mud Hens and Walleye sports teams, and local venues, like Westfield Franklin Park shopping mall and regional farmers markets, also give us opportunities to present health and wellness information to the public in a fun, interactive way,” notes Randy. “This supports our mission to promote healthy living.
“ProMedica is also proud to be the northwest Ohio sponsor of the American Heart Association’s Start! Movement throughout 2010,” Randy continues. “This program encourages participants to walk more, eat well and ultimately live longer.”
With the Start! sponsorship comes an added opportunity for ProMedica employees to participate in an individual walking challenge. The ProMedica Employee Wellness Program will help promote this challenge during the second quarter of 2010. For more information about the Start! Movement, visit http://www.startwalkingnow.org.
“We believe in making plenty of opportunities available for employees to maintain or improve their health, which is why ProMedica supports the efforts of the Employee Wellness Program,” says Randy. “We hope everyone takes advantage of the wellness activities and events that this growing program offers.”
Information and resources from the Employee Wellness Program are available in the “Employee Wellness” section of myProMedica (http://my.promedica.org).
Randy encourages you to contact him directly with your questions at randy.oostra@promedica.org. Answers will be included in upcoming Inside issues.
Editor’s Note: If you have suggestions for relevant topics you would like to see Randy address in future issues of Inside, please send them to inside@promedica.org. We value your input.
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