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University of Washington Releases Healthy Worksite Initiative Evaluation

By SARA EVE SARLIKERJuly 27, 2010

The University of Washington has released a final report of the Healthy Worksite Initiative, a legislative-funded project in seven Washington State agencies that tested a model for comprehensive, rapid, and sustainable organizational change to improve employee health and productivity and ultimately reduce the rising cost trend of health care. The report documents improvements in health behaviors/conditions (cholesterol, diabetes risk factors, absenteeism, physical activity, diet/nutrition and depression) that occurred during the course of the initiative. The Healthy Worksite Initiative produced the model for the Washington Wellness Worksite designation program.

Changes to Tools That Help Manage Your Health

By SARA EVE SARLIKERMarch 8, 2010

Group Health, Aetna Public Employee Plan and Uniform Medical Plan now have revised tools to help you manage your health up and running. For Group Health members, log on to MyGroupHealth to take your Health Profile. Aetna Public Employee Plan and Uniform Medical Plan members can now access an enhanced version of the MyActiveHealth web site with added tools and trackers. For more information, visit the Aetna Public Employee Plan or Uniform Medical Plan to find out how using MyActiveHealth can allow you to receive up to $60 in gift cards this year.

Physical Activity Toolkit Released

By SARA EVE SARLIKERFebruary 4, 2010

Washington Wellness is happy to announce the release of the Washington Wellness Physical Activity Toolkit, containing recommendations, resources, tips and evidence for increasing physical activity among employees at Washington State worksites.

Fresh Local Produce (CSAs) At The Worksite

By SARA EVE SARLIKERJanuary 26, 2010

The Executive Ethics Board has ruled that State organizations can serve as delivery sites for Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). Find out more at the Community Supported Agriculture resources page.

Fitness Club Discount Program Reaches 125 Facilities

By Shyloh WidemanOctober 27, 2009

Thanks to the participation of the Central Spokane YMCA, North Spokane YMCA, and Spokane Valley YMCA, the Fitness Club Discount Program has now reached 125 facilities. This is equivilent to just over 1 facility joining every 3 days. Wow! Know we're close to the end of the year but I'm hoping we can get this up to 182, which would average 1 facility joining every 2 days.

Know of a facility that is still not listed? Give the FCDP Club Flier (PDF) to the facility manager and help us out! That will give them all the information they need in order to get listed and even my contact info if they have any questions. And thanks to all of you who have already passed on the good word. We definitely appreciate the help!

Over 20 New Facilities Participate in the Fitness Club Discount Program

By Shyloh WidemanOctober 15, 2009

Over 20 new facilities are participating in the Fitness Club Discount Program bringing us up to nearly 125 locations across Washington and Oregon. The new locations are all in Washington state: Auburn, Buckley, Castlerock, Centralia, DuPont, Kennewick, Lacey, Lakewood, Moses Lake, Olympia, Orting, Pullman, Richland, Spokane, Tumwater, Vancouver, Wenatchee, and Yelm. Check them out!

2010 Open Enrollment - Change Your Medical and Dental Benefits

By Shyloh WidemanOctober 9, 2009

Coming up October 26th, PEBB employees can change medical plans, change dental plans, or re-enroll in a medical plan without proof of continuous medical coverage if they have previously waived coverage. Here is the letter from Steve Hill, the Health Care Authority Administrator, which went out to state agencies and school district administrators:

DATE: October 6, 2009
TO: Agency Directors and School District Administrators
FROM: Steve Hill, Administrator
SUBJECT: PUBLIC EMPLOYEES BENEFITS BOARD 2010 OPEN ENROLLMENT

The Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) open enrollment period for plan year 2010 begins October 26 and continues through November 30, 2009. This is the time of year that PEBB enrollees are given the opportunity to change medical and/or dental plans, or re-enroll in a PEBB medical plan without proof of continuous medical coverage if they have previously waived coverage.

Choosing a medical and dental plan that meets their needs is an important decision for your employees and their families. Out-of-pocket costs, in the form of deductibles and copays, will increase next year. PEBB’s newsletter announcing open enrollment and explaining premium and benefit changes will be mailed to employees by the end of this week. This information will also be posted on the PEBB Web site beginning October 7.

Your employees can use the PEBB Web site to select a plan for their 2010 coverage during the open enrollment period. They will also be able to use the PEBB Web site to compare plans and access information about doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies that contract with PEBB medical plans.

We will also conduct a series of benefits fairs around the state to provide employees with information about their PEBB coverage. These events provide an additional source of information and an opportunity to speak directly with health plan representatives. At the same time, PEBB staff members are working with your agency’s personnel, payroll, and benefits staff to familiarize them with open enrollment procedures.

This year, we are also asking employees who cover dependents to provide documentation that their dependents are eligible for PEBB benefits. Please encourage them to cooperate in this eligibility audit. The purpose is simply to ensure that PEBB is not paying for coverage for anyone that does not meet PEBB eligibility guidelines. The deadline for submitting those documents is November 30.

I urge you to provide your employees with the opportunity to use the PEBB Web site and attend a benefits fair. It is important for employees to learn about changes that will affect their health coverage, as well as their paychecks. Thank you for your cooperation.

Healthy Worksite Initiative Employee Experiences

By Shyloh WidemanOctober 8, 2009

In very broad terms, the Healthy Worksite Initiative was a collaborative of six state agencies prototyping healthy work environments. This work was fundamental in the creation of the Washington Wellness Worksite designation program, a way to formalize, assess, and recognize a state organization on where they are on the “healthy work environment” spectrum, which, in this case, means an environment where healthy choices are provided and encouraged through policy, management, time, and resources.

Here is a short video of employees speaking about the changes they’ve witnessed because of the Healthy Worksite Initiative, both in themselves and in their workplace.

Discontinuation of Health & Government News Blog Entries

By Shyloh WidemanOctober 8, 2009

For about a year now, I have been posting links to health and government news articles, videos, and other resources about once or twice each week (see the Blog and Blog Archives). Due to time constraints, I am no longer going to be able to provide this out to you. Washington Wellness is shifting some of its work and producing more of its own resources (such as the new Washington Wellness Worksite designation program below and the video for the Healthy Worksite Intiative above), which means a shift in what we will be providing out to you.

That said, while the Health & Government News blog entries will be going away, we'll still be continuing the blog. It'll just be a little more program-centric.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions around this, please contact us.

Washington Wellness Worksite Handbook Preview

By Sara Eve SarlikerOctober 7, 2009

After a year of planning and two years of the Healthy Worksite Initiative, the Washington Wellness Worksite designation program is nearly launched. You can preview the Washington Wellness Worksite handbook now. We expect to have the Organization Application out within the month. Will keep you posted (and tell you more, promise)!

Coverage of the National Health Care Debate

By Shyloh WidemanSeptember 15, 2009

Everything that we know, that is not firsthand, has already been filtered by the source of that information. Not that this is bad or wrong, but it may create certain distortions in our own perception of what is being relayed to us. For example, a glass half full to one is a glass half empty to another. And have you ever gone to a movie with a friend and disagreed as to the lesson, plot, or even main character, yet you definitely went to the same movie?

And even this:

optical illusion

Which "side" of the box is facing you? Is that a vase or two people looking at one another? The answer could be one, the other, or both and still be correct!

Okay, my point is that sometimes, when someone else is describing something, even if they are right in what they are describing, we might not be getting the full picture. Check out the speech, direct responses, and articles about coverage in the "President Obama's Health Care Reform Speech and Response" blog entry below if you haven't already, and "perceive" for yourself... firsthand.

President Obama's Health Care Reform Speech and Responses

By Shyloh WidemanSeptember 15, 2009

Be informed on the national debate and see how our state responded! Here is the text of President Obama's health care speech, the GOP response, and our own Washington State Governor Gregoire's response, as well as the original broadcast video of President Obama's speech.

And a little about media coverage and advertising around the debate.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanSeptember 15, 2009

Combined Fund Drive turns 25!

By Shyloh WidemanAugust 27, 2009

For 25 years the Washington State Combined Fund Drive has set the standard of giving amongst similar workplace giving programs. With the help of volunteers, and the generous gifts from every participant, the CFD raises millions of dollars per year for local, national and international communities. To make a donation, search for charieties in your area, or find out more, check out the Combined Fund Drive.

2009 Public Employees Safety Awareness & Preparedness Fair

By Shyloh WidemanAugust 25, 2009

To coincide with National Preparedness Month, the third annual Public Employees Safety Awareness and Preparedness Fair is being organized through the cooperative efforts of agency safety offices in numerous agencies. It will be held on the Capitol Campus in Olympia, WA on September 11, 2009 from 10:00AM-2:00PM.

This event is designed to raise the awareness of both the public and public employees about safety related issues, offers the opportunity for state agencies and local emergency service providers to share information about their public safety services, and offers the opportunity for vendors to provide valuable safety information and to provide safety related merchandise for purchase. (Not to mention, special guest appearances by Smokey Bear!)

For more information and to see all of last year's videos, check out the 2009 Public Employees Safety Awareness & Preparedness Fair.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanAugust 25, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanAugust 14, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanAugust 11, 2009

A Sunday hike turns into a helicopter flight to Harborview

By Shyloh WidemanAugust 5, 2009

Well, I did promise to fill you in on what happened when I tumbled down the mountain and was out of the office for three weeks. Sharon Michael, part of the Health Care Authority Public Affairs team, conducted a short interview and did a write up for our intranet site. And thus:

A Sunday hike turns into a helicopter flight to Harborview

But, as fate would have it, they decided to accompany three friends to Mason County and climb the snow chute. And then, like thousands of others do every spring, they planned to slide down the snowy chute on the seat of their pants.

“It’s like sledding, without a sled,” Shyloh said.

Mt. Ellinor Chute

The "breathtaking view" from near the summit of Mount Ellinore. The snow chute
that attracts hikers runs almost straight down the mountain from here. (Photo: Scott McMillian)

The official term is glissading, and it’s best done with a good snow cover and a pick axe to use for a break, if necessary.

Shyloh did have a pick axe, but was offered a tarp by one of his hiking companions. The tarp made a fast ride even faster, but much shorter. He lost control and slid 50 feet, head first, into a boulder. After he hit the boulder, he lost consciousness and slid another 100 feet until he was stopped by a pile of rocks.

“Luckily, I don’t remember any of that,” Shyloh said.

He does remember walking down the mountain, with the assistance of five other people, to a spot below the clouds where the military helicopter picked him up and flew him to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He also remembers shivering and shaking on the flight to Seattle, and even in the hospital several hours later.

“I think the cold slowed down my blood flow and helped keep me alive,” he said.

Shyloh fractured his skull and tore one ear nearly off in the accident. He was fortunate that one of his friends, Scott McMillan, had a first aid kit with him and a doctor at the scene helped him administer first aid while a second friend, Dan Steevy, rant down the mountain to call for help.

Shyloh Wideman Recovering
A bruised and battered Shyloh recovers at home after being
released from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. (Photo: Shyloh Wideman)

At Harborview, doctors reattached his ear, but he has permanent nerve damage that caused some hearing loss. His hairline skull fracture is expected to heal without complications.

Shyloh was off work for three weeks. It could have been worse. Much worse.

Just the week before Shyloh’s accident, three other hikers suffered injuries that required rescue. Two that were hit by a falling chunk of ice were brought out by helicopter in the early morning hours.

Washington Trails took note of Shyloh’s accident and warned that glissading is becoming even more dangerous as more snow melts.

Shyloh said the view from the summit is worth the hike. “It was a breathtaking view,” he said. “It’s an amazing hike. The accident was unfortunate, but I’m glad I went.”

There are lots of birds and wildflowers, and even some mountain goats. But if you go, please be careful. Heed the advice posted on The Washington Trails Web site: Be extra careful if you going to glissade. Have an ice axe and know how to self arrest. Better yet, watch the sport on YouTube so you know what you’re getting into.

Here are some links to local media coverage of the accident:

H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Resources

By Shyloh WidemanAugust 5, 2009

Special Picks

By Shyloh WidemanAugust 5, 2009

The following are "special picks" from our team.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 31, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 29, 2009

Diversity Fair 2009

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 28, 2009

Diversity Fair 2009 Poster The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is hosting Diversity Fair 2009 on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 at the Department of Labor and Industries Headquarters Building, 7273 Linderson Way SW, Tumwater, WA 98512. The event is open to all Washington State Employees and Community Members. There will be resource tables featuring State and Community Organizations, educational exhibits, mouth-watering ethnic foods, a featured keynote speaker, and workshops.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 28, 2009

Among the news items this past week were some on the Washington Prescription Drug Program card (provided through Washington State government by the Health Care Authority) and the Washington Drug Card. Because of the similarity in name and function, they were confused for one another. Check out the Yakima Herald-Republic articles below for more information.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 14, 2009

Obama's First Veggie Garden Harvest

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 7, 2009

The Obama's, with a little help from the students of Bancroft Elementary, harvested thier first crop of home grown veggies: 73 pounds of lettuce, 12 pounds of peas and, sadly, only one cucumber. "My hope is that [through] this garden, we can continue to make the connection between what we eat and how we feel and how healthy we are," said Michelle Obama. Check out the full story of the harvest at Salon.com - The Obama's First Harvest and check out these videos:

First Lady Michelle Obama's White House Garden (the harvest video)

First Lady Michelle Obama in the Garden on Health and Nutrition (the harvest speech video)

Michelle Obama in the Garden (the original planting and history video)

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 7, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 2, 2009

Health Care Authority Administrator Steve Hill on the Basic Health Plan

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 1, 2009

TVW (Washington State Public Affairs Network) interviewed Health Care Authority Administrator Steve Hill on the Basic Health Plan on June 25, 2009 on their Inside Olympia show. Check out Steve's interview with host Austin Jenkins below (the first half hour) or the discussion on what we can expect from Congress this summer as far as national health policy (the last half hour).

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJuly 1, 2009

Gov. Gregoire meets with President Obama on health care reform

By Shyloh WidemanJune 25, 2009

“The message I delivered was we need health care reform, and we need it now,” Gregoire said. “We can’t let the rising cost of health care continue to bankrupt our families, businesses and government. We have to take steps to make health care more affordable, and enhance the quality of care our families are receiving.”

For more information on their June 24th meeting, check out Governor Gregoire's Press Release and President Obama's Full Remarks.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJune 25, 2009

Nearly a month worth of news to catch up on today. I was in an accident that kept me out of work for the past three weeks but more on that later. First, the news:

Website Changes... Three dust makers!

By Shyloh WidemanJune 3, 2009

Hey, everybody! A few major changes underway on the website spawned by a few cool projects. The first is the integration of a website just for Washington State Wellness Coordinators into this website. Before, we were trying to keep the two sites separate (one for Wellness Coordinators and one for state employees, retirees, and family members) but now we are going to try merging the two into this website so all Washington Wellness information is gathered on one place.

This also leads into the second dust maker: a wellness "designation" program, which focuses on creating positive work environments in which wellness is not only supported, but nurtured. While we haven't figured out a name and are still working on the details, I can tell you a little of the thinking behind how it's going to affect the website.

First, we'll be looking at areas of action, such as nutrition and physical activity, to identify what exactly we will be promoting on the website. Second, we'll then be applying something called the "change package", which is a way of looking at all the different aspects one can build for success around an activity. This will identify all the information and resources we will need to provide on the website. And third, we will split that information by website "user type" (senior leader, wellness coordinator, middle management, administrative assistant, employee, retiree, and family member tentatively) so that each person gets the appropriate message. The idea is that everyone can help drive their own decisions but only certain individuals are able to order food for meetings, set agency-wide policies, or put posters up, so we'll try and split up an overwhelming amount of content into usable, appropriate blocks.

Finally, the third dust maker is an internal restructuring which embeds our little group into something bigger called PEBB Plan Management (PEBB, if you don't already know, stands for Public Employee Benefits Board and provides medical, dental, life, long-term disability coverage, discounts on auto and home insurance and more). This is a great opportunity to help bring wellness and prevention more to the forefront of benefit design, purchasing, and management so we're all really excited! Anyway, this change will also trickle down to the website in some form or another, at least on the About page.

THAT SAID: No shocking changes over the next few months but you should see the site evolve with incremental changes almost daily. Current changes are to the Events page (where I've split out open events and Wellness Coordinator-specific events) and the Resources page (which now has all the materials for Wellness Coordinators included but has not been cleaned up for usability yet). If you find any broken links, spelling errors, have suggestions for wellness/health related events for the calendar, or have any questions or other suggestions, please send them my way at info@washingtonwellness.gov.

Are we in control of our own decisions?

By Shyloh WidemanJune 2, 2009

In the video below, behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive research findings to show how we're not as rational as we think when we make decisions. (Very informative and very entertaining!)

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanJune 2, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanMay 27, 2009

Swine flu stories are bolded.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanMay 12, 2009

Swine flu stories are bolded.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanMay 05, 2009

Swine flu stories are bolded.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanMay 01, 2009

Swine flu stories are bolded.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanApril 30, 2009

Swine flu hits Washington state (see bolded items).

Fitness Club Discount Program - Help us reach 100!

By Shyloh WidemanApril 28, 2009

With today's 17 new Washington state listings, we've expanded service to Covington, Mill Creek, and Tukwilla and have reached 99 clubs on the Fitness Club Discount Program. So close! We're asking for everyone to help out by letting any fitness club not listed here know how they can join up and provide discounts to state employees, retirees, and both of their family members. It only takes a minute:

  1. Print the FCDP Club Flier (DOC)
  2. Drop it off with the manager of your local fitness club (that is not already listed)

That's it! Or, via phone or email, you can also direct them to the "Add a Fitness Club" section on the Fitness Club Discount Program page. Finally, if you have two extra minutes and want to become an expert spokesperson, you can bone up by reviewing the Club Application FAQ.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanApril 28, 2009

If you haven't heard, the new state budget is out. Unfortunately, so is the swine flu (see bolded items).

Fitness Club Discount Program - Over 75 Clubs!

By Shyloh WidemanApril 24, 2009

With today's 5 new Oregon state listings, we've passed the 75 club mark (and now at 48 locations) for the Fitness Club Discount Program! These new listings provide expanded service in Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Portland as well as new service to:

  • Gresham, OR

Washington State Parks New Website

By Shyloh WidemanApril 23, 2009

Time to take advantage of this great weather and the newly redesigned Washington State Parks website!

With over a bagazillion acres to explore, and various events and activities going on year-round, it's looking like they've got something for everyone... even us techies who might want to spend time outdoors while not quite leaving all the trappings of mondern society behind. For us, they've got cabins, yurts, teepees, tents, vacation homes, a few other things, and my personal favorite: a mountaintop fire lookout. What better way to start the day than with a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains, a cup of joe, and a morning dose of cute things falling asleep on the ol' laptop?

Other handy links on the Washington State Parks website are:

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanApril 20, 2009

Fitness Club Discount Program - New Locations!

By Shyloh WidemanApril 20, 2009

Another leap forward on the Fitness Club Discount Program! I added 19 new Washington locations today, expanding service in Everett, Lakewood, Olympia, Seattle, and Vancouver, as well as to these new locations:

  • Auburn, WA
  • Bellevue, WA
  • Federal Way, WA
  • Kent, WA
  • Kirkland, WA
  • Lynwood, WA
  • Renton, WA

Fitness Club Discount Program - Over 50 Clubs!

By Shyloh WidemanApril 17, 2009

With today's 11 new Oregon state listings, we've passed the 50 club mark (and 40 locations) for the Fitness Club Discount Program! Yeah! These new listings provide expanded service in Beaverton and Portland as well as new service to these locations:

  • Clackamas, OR
  • Hillsboro, OR
  • Salem, OR
  • Tigard, OR

Fitness Club Discount Program - New Locations!

By Shyloh WidemanApril 14, 2009

Wow, things just keep getting busier here at Washington Wellness. Look like it's been over a month since I've had a chance to post some of the new fitness facilities to the Fitness Club Discount Program. Today I have added 19 new facilities in total, which expands services to these new locations:

  • Centralia, WA
  • Chehalis, WA
  • Connell, WA
  • East Wenatchee, WA
  • Everett, WA
  • Kennewick, WA
  • Marysville, WA
  • Monroe, WA
  • Montesano, WA
  • Mukilteo, WA
  • Pasco, WA
  • Pullman, WA
  • Rochester, WA
  • Sumner, WA
  • Wenatchee, WA

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanApril 09, 2009

HRA for non-Aetna, Kaiser, Group Health, & UMP Enrollees

By Shyloh WidemanApril 3, 2009

For those of you not enrolled in a Public Employee Benefit Board health plan (the ones listed above), you can now take one on the Risks page in the "How do I take my HRA?" section by clicking "None/Other". This HRA is offered by Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine and requires no registration.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanMarch 31, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanMarch 25, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanMarch 16, 2009

Fitness Club Discount Program - New Locations!

By Shyloh WidemanMarch 03, 2009

Finally had a chance to post some of the new fitness facilities to the Fitness Club Discount Program. There are 17 new facilities in total and expanded service to these new locations:

  • Beaverton, OR
  • Bellingham, WA
  • Lakewood, WA
  • Liberty Lake, WA
  • Longview, WA
  • Portland, OR
  • Seattle, WA
  • Shelton, WA
  • Sherwood, OR
  • Tumwater, WA
  • Vancouver, WA
  • Washougal, WA
  • Yakima, WA
  • Yelm, WA

You can see the complete fitness club locations list on the Fitness Club Discount Program page. And, as always, if you don't see the facility you go to or would like to go to, there is information on how to add a club under the ever-so-aptly titled "Add a Fitness Club" section of that page.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh WidemanMarch 03, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh Wideman February 25, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh Wideman February 18, 2009

Top HRA Completions Rates for 2008

By Shyloh Wideman February 10, 2009

Congratulations to the following organizations for reaching 30% and higher HRA completion rates and, of course, to all of you, the employees, that made this possible! By taking your Health Risk Assessment, not only are you able to get personal, immediate feedback, but you are also helping your agency, Washington Wellness, and the state as a whole, figure out what benefits, programs, and policies need to be put in place in order to help all of us be as healthy as we can. Or should I say "want" as I can't speak for everyone and, personally, I don't see my sweet tooth going away any time soon. ;)

So once again, congrats to the following:

For more information on taking your own Health Risk Assessment, check out the Risks page. For more information on the HRA initiative (geared towards Senior Leaders and Wellness Coordinators), check out the Health Risk Assessments Iniative page. Also, from there you can download the 12/2008 HRA Completion Report to look and see how your organization did and how it stacked up against the other state organizations.

Job Opportunity: Program Integration Consultant

By Shyloh Wideman February 10, 2009

Position: Program Integration Consultant (Health Services Consultant 3)
Division: Division of Community and Family Health, Office of Maternal and Child Health
Location: Tumwater
Organization: Department of Health

For other state government job opportunities, check out www.careers.wa.gov, subscribe to the Washington State Employment Opportunities Listserv, and look for listings on each organization's website.

Job Opportunity: WIC Integrity Unit Manager

By Shyloh Wideman February 10, 2009

Position: WIC Integrity Unit Manager (Health Services Consultant 4)
Division: Division of Community and Family Health, Women, Infant & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program
Location: Tumwater
Organization: Department of Health

For other state government job opportunities, check out www.careers.wa.gov, subscribe to the Washington State Employment Opportunities Listserv, and look for listings on each organization's website.

Job Opportunity: Nursing Retention Coordinator & Tutoring Specialist

By Shyloh Wideman February 10, 2009

Position: Nursing Retention Coordinator & Tutoring Specialist
Division: Community and Family Health, Women, Infant & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program
Organization: Tacoma Community College

For other state government job opportunities, check out www.careers.wa.gov, subscribe to the Washington State Employment Opportunities Listserv, and look for listings on each organization's website.

Job Opportunity: Occupational Therapist

By Shyloh Wideman February 10, 2009

Position: Occupational Therapist
Division: Insurance Consultation Services, Early Return to Work
Location: Tacoma
Organization: Labor & Industry
Salary: $3,726-4,888/month
Opens: 2/6/2009
Closes: Open until filled

For other state government job opportunities, check out www.careers.wa.gov, subscribe to the Washington State Employment Opportunities Listserv, and look for listings on each organization's website.

Job Opportunity: Independent Medical Examinations Supervisor

By Shyloh Wideman February 10, 2009

Position: Independent Medical Examinations Supervisor
Division: Region 2, Insurance & Consultation Services
Location: Seattle
Organization: Labor & Industry
Salary: $2,724-3,549/month
Opens: 2/4/2009
Closes: Open until filled

For other state government job opportunities, check out www.careers.wa.gov, subscribe to the Washington State Employment Opportunities Listserv, and look for listings on each organization's website.

Job Opportunity: Performance Accountability & Communications Consultant

By Shyloh Wideman February 10, 2009

Position: Performance Accountability & Communications Consultant
Division: Division of Community and Family Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary
Location: Tumwater
Organization: Department of Health
Closes: 12/13/2009

For other state government job opportunities, check out www.careers.wa.gov, subscribe to the Washington State Employment Opportunities Listserv, and look for listings on each organization's website.

Health & Government News

By Shyloh Wideman February 10, 2009

Job Opportunity: Occupational Therapist

By Shyloh Wideman January 30, 2009

Position: Occupational Therapist
Division: Insurance Consultation Services, Early Return to Work
Location: Yakima, Moses Lake, E. Wenatchee, Kennewick depending on the successful candidate
Agency: Labor & Industry
Salary: $3,726-4,888/month
Opens: 1/30/2009
Closes: Open until filled

For other state government job opportunities, check out www.careers.wa.gov, subscribe to the Washington State Employment Opportunities Listserv, and look for listings on each organization's website.

Job Opportunity: Safety Consultant

By Shyloh Wideman January 28, 2009

This is the first job opportunity I've posted to our site but I hope to post more in the future! Of course, as a state goverment wellness site, I will be keeping listings to wellness and safety positions within our Washington State government agencies and higher education institutions. You can also always check out www.careers.wa.gov for a huge listing of open state government positions of all sorts across the entire state or subscribe to the Washington State Employment Opportunities Listserv by sending them an email. Now on to the open position:

Position: Safety Consultant
Division: Safety & Health Consultation, Region 2
Location: Seattle or Tukwila
Agency: Labor & Industry
Salary: $3,726-4,888/month
Opens: 1/26/2009
Closes: Open until filled

National Wear Red Day (February 6th)

By Shyloh Wideman January 28, 2009

February 6 is National Wear Red Day - a day when Americans nationwide will take women’s health to heart by wearing red to show their support for women’s heart disease awareness. Last year, over 50 people in our agency, the Health Care Authority, wore red, making for some great support (and very bright photos).

Facts:

  • Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women, accounting for nearly 25% of deaths.
  • Heart disease can also lead to disability and a significantly decreased quality of life.
  • The Heart Truth about heart disease in women and more about National Wear Red Day is just a click away.

I hope you'll find out more and show your support by wearing red on February 6th!

Health & Government News

By Shyloh Wideman January 28, 2009

Thought you might like to know where these links come from. Every day the Public Affairs department of the Health Care Authority list a few health and government articles in thier Daily News Brief. What you see here are those links gathered together about once each week.

Healthy Food At Work

By KATHLEEN CLARK January 23, 2009

Amy Ellings (Department of Health) and I are working to increase healthy food choices at work. We worked with General Administration to provide agencies and colleges with a list of caterers who are state approved to serve healthy meals and light refreshments at state sponsored meetings. Many agencies and colleges are using the Energize Your Meetings Guidelines to increase the healthy food choices in their worksite. This is not about taking unhealthy food away; it's about making sure that healthy food choices are always available.

We are "testing" this out with Thurston County caterers and, when we have the bugs worked out, we hope to expand the list of healthy caterers to the rest of the state. For more information, check out Healthy Catering (Energize Your Meetings).

Health & Government News

By Shyloh Wideman January 22, 2009

Fitness Club Discount Program

By Shyloh Wideman January 14, 2009

For the past month, I' ve been working on the Fitness Club Discount Program directory (for state employees, retirees, and their family members) and the online application (for fitness club owners/operators). While our numbers of clubs are still low, I'm very pleased with the result. Improvements over the last year include the addition of the following for each club listing: photos, logos, email address, issue reporting (to us), discount details, hours of operation, amenities list, club description, and an interactive map that provides driving directions. The biggest win though, is the true support for retirees and the family members of both employees and retirees.

I am hoping everyone will go check out the directory and help us get more clubs listed by downloading the FCDP Club Flier (DOC) and passing it on to the owners or managers of the fitness clubs in your area.

Cleaning House and the New Designation Program

By Shyloh Wideman January 14, 2009

We are working on integrating the Washington Wellness main website (this one) and the Washington Wellness Resource Center (geared towards the Wellness Coordinators at each state organization with a staff of 50 or more). This effort was prompted by some new work we're doing: creating a "designation program" that state organizations can participate in that will help measure and recognize them as a "wellness workplace". What that looks like exactly... Well, that is what we are working on now. Additional bonuses will be greater transparency in our work and a better delivery system of our services.

You will see we've shortened the names of our main pages in the navigation bar at the top of the page in order to make way for our Events and Blog but don't worry. You can still find all the same great material on those pages. :)

Health & Government News

By Shyloh Wideman January 14, 2009

Health & Government News

By Shyloh Wideman January 9, 2009

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