Message From Kal Mistry

VITASCares
50 Shades of Red
at VITAS, page 5
Issue 20
1st Quarter 2013
Message from Kal Mistry
The year 2013 is well
underway, and so far, it’s
been a good year for
VITAS employees’ health.
In This Issue
• Message from Kal Mistry
• KIM Challenge Winners
• Winning Strategies
• Maintaining Motivation
• VITAS’ BMI ‘Mass-ters’
• Take Your Health to Heart
• Heart Attack Prevention
• Women & Heart Disease
• Code ‘Red’ at VITAS
• In the Kitchen
• Your Health Funds
• Health Observances
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women
in this country—more so than all cancers
combined. It’s important that you are aware
of the signs and symptoms of heart attack
in women, as they are quite different from
those in men. This issue of Wellness features
an article listing the signs and symptoms of
a heart attack, especially in women. Read it
carefully (men, you read it, too!) and “listen”
to your body.
As you can read below,
winners of the “Keep It
Moving” (KIM) Weight Loss Challenge have
made strong starts in the year-long contest.
I am rooting for all of them to successfully
complete the challenge this summer and
receive the other half of their cash prizes!
February was National Heart Health Month,
and February 1 was the American Heart
Association’s National Wear Red Day, which
is part of the AHA’s “Go Red for Women”
campaign to raise awareness of heart disease in
women. In honor of that day, we encouraged
all VITAS employees to wear red. And many
of you did! You will find some photos of them
on page 5.
If you can set aside a little time each week to
plan healthy meals for you and your family
and exercise—even just moderately—a few
days a week, you can do a lot to protect
your health and well-being. Just think—it’s
probably easier, despite the many obstacles
in our lives, to eat right and exercise than it
is to deal with a deadly disease once it strikes.
Take action and protect you and your
family’s health!
Winners of KIM Weight-Loss Challenge, Part 1
Individuals
Teams Category
First Place
Losing Big
in KIM Challenge
The mid-year individual
and team winners of
the VITASCares “Keep It
Moving!” (KIM) Weight Loss
Challenge, which started July
1, 2012, and ends June 30,
2013, have lost a collective
763 pounds and an average
12.3 percent of their body
weight. “Weigh” to go! (See
page 3 for the results of
the Body Mass Index [BMI]
portion of the KIM Challenge.
See page 2 for the top
individual winners’ stories.)
Marie Larose
Home Health Aide
New Jersey North
Jonathon Farmer
Secretary
San Antonio
Second Place
Deborah Galtere
Chaplain
Palm Beach County
Victoria Stevens
Executive Secretary
Volusia/Flagler
Third Place
Karen Cramer
Business Manager
Inland Empire
Jason Holland
Business Manager
Palm Beach County
Diogenes
(Junior) Belliard
Benefits Coordinator
Corporate
Maricar Mendoza
Home Care RN
East Bay
Gladis Pierre
Patient Care Secretary
Dade-Monroe
Delilah Jimenez
Patient Care Secretary
Dade-Monroe
Paul Barnes
Chaplain
Orange County
Roberta Wynter
Team Manager
Hartford
Edwige Antoine
Home Health Aide
New Jersey North
William (Bill) Searcy
Network Systems
Engineer
Corporate
Catherine Finkell
Admissions Coordinator
Volusia/Flagler
Ana Frey
Compensation
Manager
Corporate
Tessa Hernandez
Financial Records
Specialist
Dade-Monroe
Wellness 1st Quarter 2013 • Page 1
NJN2
New Jersey North
Future Foxes
Dade-Monroe
Born to Lose
San Antonio
13.1
Corporate
(There are no 1st,
2nd, or 3rd place
winners in the Teams
Category. There are
just these four
top winners.)
How Did They Do It?
Top three KIM winners discuss their strategies
As you will see from our stories about the top three individual winners in the KIM
Weight-Loss Challenge, long-term weight loss and weight management require dedication
and commitment to a healthy diet, regular exercise and—most importantly—to oneself.
‘It’s all on me’
It’s 99.999 percent mental
VITAS Home Health Aide Marie
Larose, of New Jersey North, never
felt motivated to lose weight until
her daughter was diagnosed with
Type 1 diabetes.
VITAS Secretary Jonathon Farmer,
San Antonio, knew his weight was
out of control when he had to ask
VITAS Clerk Rene Castillo to drill
an extra hole into his belt so he
could loosen it a bit.
“She has to eat healthy, and I
wanted to support her by eating healthy, too,” says Marie,
noting she cut out soda and white rice (the latter being hard
to relinquish, as it is a staple in her native Haitian diet), and
she started eating healthy snacks twice a day to regulate her
metabolism.
“I start my day with oatmeal and a banana,” says Marie. “At
10 a.m. I have a piece of fruit, and at noon I have a healthy
lunch. At 5 p.m., I have brown rice with fish or chicken and
vegetables, and at 8 p.m., I have a yogurt.”
Marie also started exercising five to seven nights a week, using
a treadmill, the Stairmaster or an elliptical machine, and
lifting weights. Today, having lost 70 pounds so far, Marie’s
blood pressure and cholesterol have decreased, and she’s gone
down three dress sizes.
“I have a lot more confidence,” says Marie. “My daughter
says, ‘Oh, Mommy, you look so pretty!’ and that’s good,
because I want to set an example for her.
“It’s all on me to be healthy,” she concludes. “It was hard at
first, but I pushed myself to keep going. I’m proud of myself.”
In ‘perfect’ health
VITAS Benefits Coordinator
Diogenes “Junior” Belliard, who
works in the corporate office,
kick-started his weight loss plan
with the HCG (human chorionic
gonadotropin) diet, which involves
taking hormones that suppress the
appetite and eating just 500 calories a day. A “round” of HCG
is 24 days.
“It’s a tough diet, but with my doctor’s supervision, it worked
for me,” says Junior, who lost 34 pounds so far. He adds that
although the HCG diet is not sustainable, the rapid weight
“I was 145 pounds for a long time, but my previous job was
extremely stressful and I gained almost 100 pounds,” says
Jonathon, who worked at a bank before joining VITAS a year
ago. “I was experiencing leg pain, I wasn’t sleeping well and I
ate a lot of fast food. Before I knew it, I was wearing extralarge shirts.”
Jonathon quit his job, got a new one at VITAS, stopped
eating fast food and started exercising. He began with
swimming then added the Stairmaster and weight-lifting.
Though at first he worked out five days a week, he now
exercises just two or three days a week, as he’s reached his goal
weight of 148 pounds.
“I hate it when people say, on TV for example, that it’s easy
to lose weight. It’s not easy,” says Jonathon. “It’s easier once
you get into the right mindset, but getting into that mindset
is the key.
“Losing weight isn’t about what you eat or how much you
exercise. None of that works unless you want to do it,” he
continues. “Losing weight is 99.999 percent mental. It’s
about getting into a positive mindset and committing to it.”
loss that he initially experienced motivated him to keep going,
adopting a more sustainable weight-loss strategy.
“After the first 24 days, I felt motivated to exercise,” says Junior.
“Now, five days a week, I run or bicycle for an hour in the
morning. I also eat healthier.”
Junior realized he had to make some changes in his life when
he found out his blood pressure was high and that he was prediabetic. During a recent visit with his physician, however, he
learned that his health is now “perfect.” He feels motivated to
lose another 15 to 20 pounds.
“I feel healthier, I have more energy, I’m less sleepy,” he says.
“The cash prize was an incentive to participate in the challenge,
but how I feel has given me even more incentive.”
Wellness 1st Quarter 2013 • Page 2
Winners of KIM Body Mass Index Challenge, Part 1
The following individuals’ names were drawn for a cash prize for maintaining a Body
Mass Index (BMI) of 24.9 or lower for the first six months of the year-long KIM (“Keep It
Moving”) Challenge. If these individuals maintain or reduce their BMI through June 30,
2013, they will win the other half of their cash prize.
Leslie Bishop
Stella Joel
Terrie Savercool
Chaplain
Intensive Comfort Care
Home Health Aide
East Bay
Pool Staffing Manager
East Bay
Duane Cochran
Mary Bobette Laza
Stephanie Seeno
Social Worker
San Antonio
Long Term Care Liaison
San Antonio
LPN
East Bay
Reyes Estrada, Jr.
Edward Olszta
Pat Senac
Courier
San Antonio
Team Manager
Chicagoland NW
Payroll Assistant
San Antonio
Melanie Gilson
Emma Powell
Facilities Analyst 2
Corporate
RN
East Bay
Cassandra Gonzalez
Dalila Samayoa-Russell
RN
San Antonio
Admissions Liaison
San Antonio
Happy New YOU!
It’s April. Were you planning on losing weight, stopping drinking or cutting back on caffeine by this time of the year? Though these New Year’s
resolutions are common—and it’s not too late to pursue them—it’s also common for people to have abandoned them by now. As we enter the
last stretch of the year-long VITAS KIM challenge, here are some secrets to “Keep It Moving” over the long haul.
Focus on the positive
Most resolutions don’t work because they’re focused on the negative.
It’s difficult to commit to deprivation or abstinence, as in losing
weight or stopping drinking. Instead, try focusing on the end result
and concentrate on being “The Ideal You.”
A check list for lasting change
• Imagine already being the person you want to be. Make this your blueprint.
• Stick to your vision and don’t let anyone or anything
deter you!
Remember: UnitedHealthcare (www.myuhc.com), Kaiser
Permanente (www.kp.org) and the VITAS Employee Assistance
Program through OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions
(1.866.374.6061) can provide helpful tips and resources to help you
in your healthy endeavors.
Source: UnitedHealthcare
• Research what you need to do to become your blueprint. Write out a plan.
• Set small, achievable goals; as you meet each goal, you will feel successful and have a better chance of meeting your
long-term goals.
•
Establish a consistent, realistic pattern that you can sustain over time. Take exercising: Instead of burning yourself out by exercising rigorously every day, do just a little bit on the same days at the same time to establish a habit—one that your body and mind won’t want to break.
• Set a timeframe and share your goals with others for support and encouragement.
Wellness 1st Quarter 2013 • Page 3
Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, such as the typical “movie” heart attack. But most heart
attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong
and wait too long before getting help.
The following are signs that could indicate a heart
attack is happening:
• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in
the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or
that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable
pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can
include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck,
jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea
or lightheadedness.
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is
chest pain or discomfort, although some women have reported
feeling no chest pain.
Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of
the other common symptoms, particularly nausea/vomiting, back
or jaw pain and shortness of breath. In fact, shortness of breath
has been found to be more common in women, while sweating is
more common in men.
Women experience more “atypical” symptoms at the time of a
heart attack than men. In one study, women were more than twice
as likely as men to experience nausea, vomiting or indigestion as
heart attack symptoms.
Pre-heart attack symptoms
Pre-heart attack, or “prodromal,” symptoms are symptoms that
occur before a heart attack, generally four to six months to one
week before (although some people report these symptoms up to
two years before). Common pre-heart attack symptoms include:
• Unusual fatigue
• Sleep disturbance
• Shortness of breath
‘Atypical’ symptoms
• Chest pain
The term “atypical” is misleading because these symptoms are
actually relatively common, but they include (though are not
limited to):
•Indigestion
•Indigestion
•Weakness
•Anxiety
• Pain in shoulder blade or upper back
As you can see, the signs and symptoms of a heart attack can be
hard to differentiate from the signs and symptoms of other health
conditions. Even if you’re not sure whether you’re at risk of having
a heart attack or are having one, see your physician about your
symptoms.
•Fatigue
•Dizziness
•Lightheadedness
What Do I Do?
Prevent Heart Disease
If you experience any of the signs or symptoms of a heart
attack for more than five minutes:
Many things can put you at risk for heart disease, which can
lead to heart attack or stroke, yet many of the risk factors are
within our control. Here are a few lifestyle guidelines to follow
• Don’t take the “wait and see” approach. Minutes matter! If
to help prevent heart disease:
something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Trust your gut.
•Call 9-1-1 immediately. Most women don’t, which is one
reason why heart disease kills more women than men.
• Don’t smoke
• Manage your blood sugar
• Get your blood pressure under control
• Lower your cholesterol
• If you want to take an aspirin, a common therapy for people
• Know your family history for heart disease
with heart disease, make sure your physician has approved
• Stay active
this. An aspirin alone is not a substitute for immediate
• Lose weight (if need be)
medical attention.
• Eat healthy
Source: American Heart Association
Source: American Heart Association
Wellness 1st Quarter 2013 • Page 4
VITAS Takes Heart and ‘Goes Red’
On February 1, 2013, VITAS employees wore red in support of the American Heart Association’s (AHA)
“National Wear Red Day,” which is part of the AHA’s “Go Red for Women” campaign, developed to raise
awareness of and educate the public about heart disease in women.
At VITAS in Fairfield, Connecticut, Receptionist Kelly Hanlon did more than just “go red.” She made special
“Go Red for Women” pins that she sold among her colleagues in Fairfield and nearby Waterbury, Connecticut.
She donated the proceeds to the AHA.
Kelly purchased little “red dress” pins directly from the AHA then embellished them with purple fabric or
paper flower petals (pictured left). She sold the pins for $2 each.
“I wanted to add something to the pins that represented VITAS,” says Kelly, who raised $100. “This was the
first fundraiser that I ever spear-headed at our program and I enjoyed it. I would do it again.”
VITAS staff in Fairfield, Connecticut
Back row, from left: Social Worker Donna Cramond, LCSW; RN Mary
Spata; Patient Care Secretary Stacey Krom; and Intensive Comfort
Care Coordinator Donna Hunt. In the front row (from left) are:
Receptionist Kelly Hanlon; Team Managers Madeleine Lefevre
and Anna Shterenberg; and Volunteer Services Manager Chelsea
MacAdams.
VITAS staff in Dade-Monroe, Florida
The North Shore Medical Center Inpatient Unit staff include
(from left): LPN Reginale Joseph; Chaplain Rosemary Welton,
MDiv; Patient Care Secretary Pauline Walker; Social Worker Judith
Weisenfeld, LCSW; and RN Sharon Smith.
VITAS staff in East Bay, California
VITAS staff in Jacksonville, Florida
Back row, from left: Business Manager Mary Teter; Receptionist
Deborah Shay; Team Manager Lori Rigotti; Patient Care Secretary
Jessica Fuster; Team Manager Cynthia Dowling; Volunteer Jason
Jones; and Director of Market Development Philip Slotin. In
the front row, holding the signs are (from left): Performance
Improvement Specialist Tara Gallagher; Clerk Hayley Drum;
Admissions Manager Rosemarie Osachy; Team Manager Carleen
Thomas; Patient Care Administrator Jacqueline King; and Volunteer
Manager Jennifer Poma-Jones.
Back row, from left: Patient Care Secretaries Monica Solero and
Marci Gomez; Team Manager Sara Trunk; Patient Care Secretary
Rose Sorci; Financial Records Specialist Meg Stice; Admissions
Manager Jill Heifetz; Volunteer Services Manager Tami Blaj; and
Performance Improvement Specialist Cynthia Pierce. Seated are
(from left): Patient Care Secretary Lorena Peralta and Intensive
Comfort Care Coordinator Mary Magalued.
Wellness 1st Quarter 2013 • Page 5
Ingredients:
Preparation:
• 2 ripe pears, peeled, quartered
and cored
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine pears, squash, tomatoes,
leek, garlic, oil, ¼ teaspoon salt
and pepper in a large bowl; toss
to coat. Spread evenly on a large
rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring
occasionally, until the vegetables
are tender, 40 to 55 minutes. Let
cool slightly.
• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled,
seeded and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 medium tomatoes, cored
and quartered
• 1 large leek, pale green and white
parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced
and washed thoroughly
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Place half the vegetables and 2
cups broth in a blender; puree until
smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan.
Puree the remaining vegetables and
2 cups broth. Add to the pan and stir
in the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 cups vegetable broth, or reducedsodium chicken broth, divided
In the Kitchen
Roasted Pear & Butternut Squash Soup
with Crumbled Stilton
Cook the soup over medium-low
heat, stirring, until hot, about 10
minutes. Divide among 6 bowls and
garnish with cheese and chives (or
scallion greens).
• 2/3 cup crumbled Stilton, or other
blue-veined cheese
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh
chives, or scallion greens
Nutrition: Per serving: 235 calories; 10 g fat (5 g sat, 5 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol;
34 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 6 g fiber; 721 mg sodium; 700 mg potassium.
Remember: Open Your Health Savings Account!
If you have enrolled for the
new VITAS Employee
Medical Insurance Plan, and
you have not yet opened
a Health Savings Account
(HSA) with OptumHealth
Bank, it’s important that you
do so as soon as you can.
Upcoming
Health
Observances
Shortly after you open your HSA, OptumHealth Bank will send you
a welcome kit with your account number, account disclosures and
your OptumHealth Bank HSA Debit MasterCard. To assure security,
your Personal Identification Number (PIN) will be mailed separately.
From there, the HSA works much like any other bank.
If you have any questions, concerns or problems with your
HSA, contact OptumHealth Bank, toll-free, at 866.234.8913.
Representatives are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST),
Monday through Friday, to help you.
April MayJune
• Alcohol Awareness Month
• National Minority Health Month
• Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month
• World Health Day (April 7)
• National Public Health Week (April 2 – 8)
• Employee Health and Fitness Month
• National High Blood Pressure
Education Month
• National Osteoporosis Awareness
and Prevention Month
• National Senior Health & Fitness Day®
( May 30)
•
T • RECOGNI
SIS
ZE
AS
•
S
• SATISFY
Wellness 1st Quarter 2013 • Page 6
GE
GA
C A R E
EN
Editor: Kal Mistry Graphic Designer: Iramy Garcia
Send stories or ideas to: Christine Lyall at [email protected]. VITASCares Wellness is published
quarterly by the VITAS Benefits Department for VITAS employees and volunteers. It is not intended
for general distribution outside of VITAS. For more information on articles appearing in VITASCares
Wellness, please contact the Corporate Communications Department at 305.350.6337 or V-net
8.010.6337.
CO
AC
H
2013
If you don’t open an HSA,
it’s not possible for you to receive VITAS’ annual contribution
to your account (VITAS’ contributions are $400 per year for
individuals and $800 per year for families), nor is it possible for
VITAS to deposit your elected payroll deductions that you set up
when you enrolled in the medical plan. VITAS wants you to have
access to your HSA funds, as they will help you toward meeting
your deductible.
It’s easy to open an HSA. Just to go to www.optumhealthbank.com,
click on “Enroll Online/Open an HSA,” which you will find in the
middle of the page, and follow the system instructions to complete
the application. If you receive a request for additional documents
(i.e., your driver’s license or Social Security card), you must send
them for the account to be opened.
No
Certified Lo
• Fireworks Safety Week (June 1-July 4)
• Home Safety Month
• Men’s Health Week (11 – 17)
• National Cancer Survivors Day (3)
We’re on the VITAS i-Net
VITASCares Wellness Benefits Department
100 Biscayne Blvd.,
Smaller
Than
Suite 1300
Miami,
.433” FL 33131­
305.350.6043­
FPO