Indoor path helps Covenant earn Blue Zones designation

Covenant Medical Center recently completed the designation process to become Waterloo’s latest Blue Zones Worksite. Blue Zones Project is dedicated to helping communities become healthier better places to live, work and play. Designation measures and rewards the strides area organizations are making in the community.

“Covenant is thrilled to join other sites around the Cedar Valley who have officially become a Blue Zones worksite. Promoting actions that make Covenant a happier, healthier worksite is in line with our commitment of providing the best care to the community we serve. Happier, healthier caregivers, provide better, more focused care,” says Amy Hetherton, customer and community relations manager.

To become designated Covenant selected from a menu of actions and engaged at least 25 percent of its employees to complete a personal pledge action. Actions are small changes that provide benefits to people’s physical health, emotional health and social relationships. Something unique Covenant and other Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare sites have established are indoor walking paths.

“In the winter, it can be especially challenging to motivate ourselves to get up and move. We wanted to do something that made it easier for employees to stay active, so we set up hallway markers featuring the Blue Zones Project signage to designate indoor walking paths,” says Sheri Purdy, director of wellness.

The paths vary in length and allow employees to stay warm while improving their health.

“Blue Zones Project awareness and participation in the workplace has been a great asset,” said BJ Powell, application analyst at Covenant Medical Center. “My co-workers and I use the path on a daily basis and have had good results. I would say it energizes us, makes us feel better, in addition , we’ve had some weight loss. I appreciate Wheaton providing a place to help their employees improve their overall health.”

Covenant’s Adaptive playground for kids with disabilities

Children love to play.

But kids with developmental challenges can’t always use traditional playgrounds.

That’s where adaptive equipment comes in.

Here’s Health Plus to show you some:

Like any kid, the rush of swinging is something Christopher enjoys.

But the Waterloo 6-year-old was not able to experience it until he used a swing designed specifically for children with physical challenges like his cerebral palsy.

“Like six years he’s been coming here. They’ve helped him tremendously with him walking. They got him into a walker for assistance because he could do it as long as he had something to hang onto and gave him support,” said Shannon Schmidt, his mother.

It’s part of Covenant Medical Center’s adaptive playground.

The hospital’s Early Developmental Intervention program uses it for patient rehabilitation.

 ”I think it makes a big difference because we’re giving kids an opportunity to play that wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity. So you know like Christopher comes and he needs assistance getting up and down. He needs an adaptive swing so he can sit and utilize it appropriately and safely. So it’s a good motivator,” said Thea kurtz, Covenant EDI therapist.

In addition to its modified swing, the playground has a rubber surface.

It’s a great option for occupational therapy.

“It’s hard to have kids come and just exercise if they need to so giving them, you know, ‘we’re going up the stairs ‘cause then we get to go down the slide,’ is a huge motivator and benefit,” said Kurtz.

For parents like Christopher’s mom, their children’s joy is mirrored by their own.

“It’s awesome that he’s able to do things already that he couldn’t ever do before with his classmates,” said his mom.

Covenant’s adaptive playground has been around a few years, but its swing is a newer addition.

See the video,at: http://www.kwwl.com/story/19981836/health-plus-adaptive-playground-for-kids-with-disabilities

Hospitals get healthy rating

Covenant holds groundbreaking for new emergency room

Zoning panel endorses new Covenant ER

WATERLOO, Iowa —- Plans for a new Covenant Medical Center emergency department breezed over a zoning hurdle this week.

Members of the city’s Planning, Programming and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to endorse a special permit for the planned $17 million hospital addition. And there were no objections or concerns raised during the preceding public hearing.

InVision Architecture designed the building and Graham Construction of Des Moines will manage the construction process. Work is expected to be complete in late summer 2013.

Read More: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/zoning-panel-endorses-new-covenant-er/article_414c3bab-897a-502b-a45e-e9bc3740eb8b.html

Covenant’s ER Expansion Supported By Competitor