Hospitals in Action >> Case Examples

HAYS MEDICAL CENTER, Hays, KS
Pound Plunge: A Community's Race to Reduce

What is it? 
This program is a 12 week community public health initiative based on a team-formatted weigh loss program.  Hays Medical Center teamed up with a local radio station in an attempt to educate and motivate an entire community on the importance of exercise and nutrition.
 
Who is it for? 
The program was initiated for Hays and the surrounding communities.  In the first year we had approximately 5.8% of our community participate.

Why do they do it? 
The program was created as an extension of the hospital's Healthy Hays 2010 initiatives because of the increasing rise in overweight/obese adults across the county and recognizing the first place to start is small communities, and who better to stat the initiative than a hospital.  We wanted to disseminate useful tools to enable a large percentage of the community to begin and maintain a healthy weight loss regimen using ideal exercise strategies.  We also provided individuals with nutrition education that encourages participants to formulate a healthy personalized eating plan.  Finally, we wanted to show participants the importance of developing a support system through their teams regarding emotional and social support to facilitate their healthy lifestyle modifications. 

Contact:  Stephanie Schaffer
Fitness Manger 
785-623-6340
schaffer@haysmed.com

Kelly Flaska
Aquatics/Fitness Coordinator
785-623-6338
kflaska@haysmed.com