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MUSC Medical Links Charleston Links Archives Catalyst Advertisers Seminars and Events Research Studies Public Relations Research Grants MUSC home page Community Happenings Campus News Applause

 


Employee Wellness

MUSC Employee Wellness has taken the first step in helping employees find ways to move more through participation in the South Carolina Hospital Association Working Well Project. A primary goal of this statewide hospital employee wellness initiative is to create a culture where being active is the easy norm.

This month, MUSC Employee Wellness will focus on programs and activities that aim to address the challenges many employees face in being physically active at work.

MUSC MOVES is a new physical activity campaign designed to provide changes in policies, improvements in the environment, and increased opportunities and resources with the goal of creating an active workplace. Programs will include desk workout seminars, walkability and bikeability assessments and improvements, new trails and signage, stair initiatives and more.

An example of the type of program that will emerge from this campaign is the MUSC StairWELL project. Using a model from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this project was conceived to encourage employees to develop the habit of using stairs instead of elevators. Local artists were commissioned to paint colorful murals in a formerly drab and dingy parking garage stairwell. The murals not only brightened and beautified the stairwell, they portrayed examples of individuals enjoying exercise and incorporated healthy slogans such as "Do some reps, take the steps."
MUSC Employee Wellness received many calls, and emails from employees sending their thanks for spurring them

on to become more active at work.
The people counter showed a 390 percent increase in stair use from the week before the artists began until the completion of the artwork. The goal is to start changing the physical environment at MUSC to make it easier for employees to be physically active while at work. To learn more about this project, visit Eat Smart Move More SC at http://esmmsc.org/home/.

Employees are encouraged to become involved by signing up for the weekly newsletter, reading the daily Get Moving Tips, participating in Wellness Wednesday events and lunch and learn seminars, and by volunteering to serve on Working Well Project committees. For information, email musc-empwell@musc.edu or call 792-1245.

Employee Wellness events

  • Employee Fitness Series: A free Pilates class will be held from 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. at the MUSC Wellness Center on Aug. 9. Email musc-empwell@musc.edu.
  • Wellness Wednesday: Visit Josh Brown and Tonya Turner from the Weight Management Center at the Wellness Wednesday booth outside the Ashley River Tower cafeteria from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Aug. 10.
  • Lunchtime Losers: MUSC employees may enroll in a special weight loss program offered by MUSC Weight Management Center – Lunchtime Losers. The first class starts on Aug.11; sign up at browjosh@musc.edu.
  • Mobile mammograms: The Hollings Cancer Center Mobile Van will be conducting mammograms from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 17 next to the Basic Sciences Building loading dock, behind the College of Dental Medicine. Call 792-0878 to schedule an appointment.
  • Worksite screening: The next screening will be held Aug. 25. Register at http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/ health1st.
  • Farmers market: Fruits and vegetables are available from local farmers from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Friday in the Horseshoe and at Charleston Memorial Hospital. The market is also held from 10 a.m. to 5 p..m. every Thursday at Hollings Cancer Center.


 

 


 

Friday, Aug. 5, 2011


The Catalyst Online is published weekly by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. The Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to The Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.