NGH Communities

Employee and spouse take control of health

In 2016, Albert “AJ” Barger, receptionist, Norton Occupational Medicine-New Albany, saw his world begin to turn upside down. His wife Sarah lost both her grandparents and his uncle passed away as well. Two years later, AJ’s father died in a canoeing accident. Even as the Barger family welcomed twin sons in 2019, tragedy was not far behind. After being born at only 26 weeks with a rare health condition, one of the boys, Coan Isaiah, didn’t make it. His brother, Layton Neal, would need an extended stay in the Norton Children’s Hospital NICU.

After facing so much grief and loss in such a short period of time, AJ and Sarah slipped into a state of depression. “The three months we stayed with Layton at the NICU were some of the scariest days of our lives. We constantly watched numbers on the machines our son was hooked up to,” AJ recalls. “With all of this happening, we definitely put our own health aside and did whatever we could to find some kind of happiness. In this case we turned to food.”

The Bargers were overjoyed to take Layton home from the NICU, but before long, the couple realized that they needed to start paying more attention to their health. In addition to managing their weight, the couple was determined to improve biometrics such as their blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. As their son prepared to take his first steps, AJ and Sarah were preparing to take strides of their own, respectively beginning intermittent fasting and Weight Watchers.

In addition to these efforts, the couple also found support from our N Good Health employee wellness program. They enrolled in online wellness workshops geared towards laying the foundation for healthy lifestyle changes. Working out at Planet Fitness soon became part of their routine, as they utilized employee and spouse discounts. They also participated in N Good Health’s 4 steps, which requires a health risk assessment, an annual wellness statement, an annual N Good Health physical and earning healthy action points for activities like walking or checking in to the gym. 

“Having the N Good Health appointments was a big motivator. We wanted to strive to be in better shape, so we could improve our lab results and check off all the areas to get our full wellness credits,” AJ said. As Norton Healthcare medical insurance holders, he and Sarah are each eligible for up to $910 in wellness credits after completing their 4 steps.

When all was said and done, AJ had lost 70 pounds and Sarah had lost 57 pounds in a period of just over seven months. After serious changes to their diet and lifestyle, they both also saw tremendous improvements in their blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.

“We are both a lot happier now, and we feel like we are in a much better place than we were last year. We are so proud of all the hard work and life changes we have made, and we are definitely able to get around a lot easier with Layton,” AJ said.

Are you determined to make changes to improve your health? Visit the N Good Health webpage and start your journey today!

Caring Tree applications available for employees

The Norton Healthcare family once again is sponsoring Caring Tree to assist employees facing the holidays with little food or the prospect of a holidays without a gift for their own children. As in past years, we are reaching out to our own employees who are feeling this anxiety and experiencing this struggle. While not every issue can be solved, we believe some of the hardships faced by our neediest employees can be eased.

If it’s been an unusually hard year, and you feel as though you need this help, click Caring Tree Application Form for the online application while logged into a Norton Healthcare computer. At the end of the application is the “Submit” button. A confirmation that the application has been received will be sent to your Norton Healthcare e-mail. If you don’t receive a confirmation email, contact Mission and Outreach at (502) 629-2004 before the application deadline on Monday, Oct. 19.

If doing an online application is not possible for you, contact Mission and Outreach at (502) 629-2004.

The application must be received no later than 11 p.m. EDT on Monday, Oct. 19.

Each application will be reviewed, and all applicants will be called between Thursday, Oct. 29,and Monday, Nov. 12. Be assured, the individuals responding to your application will keep your information confidential. 

Don’t forget your flu shot!

Flu season in the region can begin as early as the beginning of September or as late as October. ​So as a health care worker, what do you need to do to protect yourself and others?​​ “By the time our community at large begins to see flu, we want our employees vaccinated and protected to better serve the patients and their families,” said Pam Isaacs, system director, Infection Prevention and Employee Health. “Getting your flu shot as soon as it is available to you will prevent this flu season from overwhelming our Norton Healthcare family and the community we serve.”​

Norton Healthcare employees can now receive their flu vaccines. ​Get the vaccine by Nov. 1, but if you can, get it now.​

To simplify the process and help inform you where to get your flu vaccine this year, we’ve compiled a helpful checklist below.Here’s what to know about getting your flu vaccine by Nov. 1. ​

– All Norton Healthcare employees must get a flu shot by Nov. 1, 2020.
– Flu vaccines are now available fro​​m any Norton Healthcare Employee Health office. Appointments are required for the flu vaccine. To make an appointment, select your facility’s link. 
* Norton Audubon Hospital ​
* Norton Healthcare Pavilion/Downtown Campus​
* Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital
* Norton Brownsboro Hospital ​​

Employees working from home are encouraged to make an appointment at any of the eight Norton Prompt Care at Walgreens locations. Click here to make an appointment at any of the locations.

Flu vaccinations also can be received at a Norton Healthcare primary care provider (your copay may apply). Employees vaccinated at a Norton Healthcare primary care provider do not need to send proof to Employee Health. Employee Health records are available electronically through MyNortonChart.Clinical staff also can participate in the peer vaccination program. Managers can designate a nurse or certified pharmacist in their department to administer flu shots to employees.

More information is available by contacting an Employee Health office.​If none of the options above work, employees also can receive a flu vaccination at another primary care provider (your copay may apply), or a retail pharmacy or clinic. If you are vaccinated at a non-Norton Healthcare location you must submit written proof of your vaccination to Employee Health by Nov. 1, at 5 p.m., via email to [email protected]. 

Only employees with a medical reason to decline a flu shot may do so. Contact an Employee Health office to obtain a medical-declination form. The completed forms must be signed by a licensed medical provider, and then emailed to [email protected] by Thursday, Oct. 15.  If you have questions, or want more information, check the Employee Health department page on Nsite.​

Plan now to get your flu vaccination to protect your health and the health of our patients, your co-workers and family members.​

N Good Health 2020 Campaign: You Did It!

Thank you for your dedication to health and wellness.  We recognize this is an unprecedented time to be in health care, and we want to thank you for your dedication to your own health and wellness, and the safety of our patients and your colleagues. 

Your continued effort to engage in wellness activities has paid off.  More than 67% of eligible employees completed N Good Health 4 steps and will earn $910 throughout the remainder of 2020 and 2021.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything about life and work as we knew it.  We are focused on enabling you to be productive and healthy into 2021.  Take advantage of new resources such as the Norton Sports Performance Center, new NVest workshops and the upcoming Staying Healthy in an Unhealthy World podcast series.

We also know that a lot of things make up a healthy you, especially during this time.  From nutrition to emotional well-being to physical activity, N Good Health awards points toward Step 4 for numerous healthy actions.  Healthy actions include achieving 7,500 steps per day, RX For Better Health and telebehavioral health assessments with Wayne Corp., our employee assistance program.  For a full list of healthy actions, please visit NGoodHealth.com.

What if I didn’t complete my 4 steps by September 15th?

It’s not too late!  Employees can still earn wellness credits for 2021 by completing all 4 steps by December 15th.  If completed by December 15th, wellness credits will start to appear on the January pay vouchers.

Do you have more questions about completing the 4 steps?

Submit an N Good Health Self-Service ticket HERE or call (502) 629-2162.

Free Fitness Program Available to All Employees and Eligible Spouses

Employees and eligible spouses have the opportunity to participate in a free wellness program that begins Monday, October 19th.  Basic lifeREADY is a 12-week program designed for those who are ready to incorporate an exercise routine into their lives.  

The program combines various movements and strength exercises that allow participants to advance at their own pace and fitness level. It is designed to improve performance in activities of daily living, motivate you to invest in yourself and empower you to set and achieve goals. 

The first 150 to register will commit to three weekly sessions held at Norton Sports Performance (NSP) located at 12101 Sycamore Station Place in Louisville.  Sessions are held M-F at 5:30am and 5:30pm and Sat at 8:00am. 

Register for the free Basic lifeREADY program by calling (502) 409-8888. 

If you’d like more advanced training, Norton Sports Performance is accepting new members. This one-of-a-kind facility has a 10,000-square-foot turf area and offers over 80 weekly classes for adults and sport-specific training for student athletes.

Additionally, employees and spouses that participate in the N Good Health program can earn three points toward a step 4 healthy action for each daily check in.  To earn your points, be sure to check in for your workouts and make sure you are flagged in the NSP system as a NHC employee. 

For more information on Norton Sports Performance, please visit nortonsportsperformance.com

Why Whole Grains?

You hear a lot about eating “whole grains.” But why?

All grains start life as whole, or intact, grains. In their natural state, whole grains are the entire seed of a plant. This seed or kernel is made up of three edible parts – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. When you “refine” a grain, you are only left with the endosperm.

When you refine a grain down to a refined flour, you are left with calories void of nutrients, or “empty calories.” Because of this, it is encouraged to eat whole or intact grains as opposed to white, refined grains. They pack many nutrients, including fiber, that are health promoting.

When you refine a grain down to flour, it also becomes extremely easy for your body to digest. Quickly broken down into glucose, food products made with refined flour cause a large spike in blood sugar and hit our brain hard and fast. This blood sugar spike triggers the pleasure center in our brain leaving us wanting more and more of the product. Additionally, it is leaving us without actual nutrients leaving our hunger hormones to continue to tell us that we are hungry.

So in order to nourish your body well, keep your hunger and satiety hormones happy and keep your intake in control, reach for whole grains!

Several whole grain examples include:

  • Amaranth
  • Barley
  • Buckwheat
  • Corn
  • Millet
  • Oats
  • Quinoa
  • Brown rice
  • Wheat

So, next time you are headed down the bread, cracker, rice or pasta aisle, check your labels. Look for products that are 100% whole grain. Try brown rice with your dinner tonight or make a homemade barley soup. Your body will thank you!

Want to take it to the next level? Try sprouted grains.

Sprouted grain products use a grain after sprouting has begun. Grains that have just begun sprouting offer all the goodness of whole grains, while being more readily digested. What’s more, the sprouting process can increase the amount and bio-availability of some vitamins and minerals, making sprouted grains a nutrition powerhouse. Look for Ezekial bread in your grocer’s frozen section.

Get ready for N Good Health’s Fall Steps Challenge!

Fall is right around the corner, and who isn’t ready for some cooler weather? Sign-ups are now OPEN at NGoodHealth.com. You can participate on a team or as a team of one- the choice is yours! This is a three week challenge running from Oct. 7th – October 28th. Sign-ups are open until October 13th, so if you haven’t sign up yet- you still have time! Get your steps on & earn N Good Health points in the process; each time you hit 7500 or more steps in a single day, you earn 1 points for that day.

Get N sync with N Good Health

Did you know your N Good Health account syncs with more than 10 fitness devices? It’s easy to keep track of your steps and log your activity when you sync your fitness device with your account. To get a discounted Fitbit or Garmin before the challenge begins, visit NGoodHealth.com and click on the “Get Your Device” button. If you need help connecting your device to the website, please reach out.

Questions?

Contact N Good Health at (502) 629-2162 or submit an N Good Health service request on N Good Health’s page under Departments on Nsite.

Be Your Breast Self In October

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and at N Good Health, we want to make sure you have the best resources available to stay up to date on your cancer prevention screenings. In Step 2 in your N Good Health account (Annual Wellness Statement), you are asked if you have an up-to-date mammogram. Women age 40 and older should consider an annual mammogram in addition to monthly self-exams and an annual breast exam from a health care provider. If you’re due for a mammogram, consider the merits of going to a nationally accredited program.

The Norton Healthcare Breast Health Program is the leading provider of breast care in Louisville and Southern Indiana. It offers the latest resources, diagnostic testing and treatment services available to women in the community, including:

  • Five mammography locations and a mobile prevention unit for convenient care
  • The latest breast screening technologies to detect even the tiniest tumors, including state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, digital and 3D mammography, breast ultrasound and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • A full range of diagnostic and treatment programs designed to promote breast health
  • Dedicated patient navigators to help guide patients through the breast health journey
  • Same-day appointments for those diagnosed with breast cancer
  • Monthly breast cancer support groups for any woman affected by breast cancer
  • Norton Cancer Institute Behavioral Oncology Program, designed to provide supportive emotional and psychological care for patients diagnosed with breast cancer

To learn more about prevention and detection or breast cancer treatment options, click below.

Source: NortonHealthcare.com

Don’t let your food go to waste!

How often do you feel like you’re throwing out more food than you’re eating? It might not surprise you that in America, 40% of our food supply goes to waste. That means that 40% of the food developed goes uneaten and ends up in a landfill. Crazy, right? If you’re interested in reading more about the breakdown behind this stat, check out this Natural Resources Defense Council report.

But what’s most important is, ‘What can we do about it?’ With an average of $28-$48 dollars per month per individual of waste, how can we decrease this loss?

Our nation’s savvy cooks are taking on the food waste issue head on, “With a…deeper shift in the mood of the nation’s cooks, one in which wasting food is unfashionable. Running an efficient kitchen — where bruised fruit is blended into smoothies, carrot tops are pulsed into pesto, and a juicy pork shoulder can move seamlessly from Sunday supper to Monday’s carnitas to a rich pot of broth for the freezer — is becoming as satisfying as the food itself.” –K. Severson

Chef Dan Barber is so devoted to this movement that he opened up a pop-up restaurant in NYC where every dish was based on waste. Hence the name, WastED.

But, in order to know how to fix a problem, it’s important to understand how we got here. “Somewhere along the line, the art of kitchen efficiency was lost amid grocery stores packed with pre-made pizza shells, bagged lettuce and fruit so perfect it needed no knife work. Dinner was almost as likely to come from the drive-through … as from the stove. How were home cooks supposed to know what to do with a leftover chicken carcass if they didn’t know how to roast the chicken in the first place?” – K. Severson

But with a new food wave coming, one where we cook more like our grandmothers than our mothers, we can be the difference. The talk of “healthy eating costs more” can be improved with an efficient cook making up the difference.

Now, lacking a professional culinary degree, what can we actually do in our own kitchens to improve our food waste?

Chef Olivia Roszkiwski from the Natural Gourmet Institute shares several ideas that we domestic chefs can apply in our own kitchens!

  • Blanch and blend any greens (like from the tops of produce) for a pesto, relish or salsa
  • Use petite greens as a decorative garnish
  • Save greens for juicing or smoothies
  • Pickle stems for a tangy condiment
  • Coat seeds in oil and roast in  a pan
  • Grind seeds into a powder and use as a crispy coating
  • Use seeds as a garnish for a salad crunch
  • Roast peels into a crispy snack or garnish
  • Chop extra ingredients for a soup or gazpacho
  • Create infused water, drinks or cocktails for a special gathering (great conversation piece)

Some additional ideas include:

  • When produce looks like it is going bad, freeze for a smoothie later
  • Bake apples that are browning
  • Chop up a side salad with dinner to rid the fridge of extra produce
  • Share a dish with neighbors or co-workers
  • Chop produce into ready-to-eat form when you get home from the grocery – when its ready to eat, people will eat it

Have any other suggestions for reducing waste in your home?

Resources:

  1. “At the Chef Dan Barber’s Pop-Up, WastED, Brused and Misshapen Bits are Dinner.” Wells, Pete. 27 March, 2015. The New York Times.
  2. “Starve a Landfill: Efficiency in the Kitchen to Reduce Food Waste.” Severson, Kim. 3 March, 2015. The New York Times.
  3. Natural Gourmet Institute Blog.  

Walking For Exercise!

Something seeming simple can make a big difference – here’s how to make a plan and stick with it!

Getting started

  • Start slowly and set a short-term goal. For example, walk for 5 or 10 minutes every day.
  • Bit by bit, increase the amount you walk every day. Try for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. You also may want to swim, bike, or do other activities.
  • If finding enough time is a problem, it is fine to be active in blocks of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week.
  • To get the heart-healthy benefits of walking, you need to walk briskly enough to increase your heart rate and breathing, but not so fast that you cannot talk comfortably.
  • Wear comfortable shoes t hat fit well and provide good support for your feet and ankles.

Staying with your plan

  • After you’ve made walking a habit, set a longer-term goal. You may want to set a goal of walking briskly for longer or walking farther. Experts say to do 2½ hours of moderate activity a week. A faster heartbeat is what defines moderate-level activity.
  • To stay motivated, walk with friends, coworkers, or pets.
  • Use a phone app or activity tracking device to track your steps each day. Discounts on devices can be found at www.ngoodhealth.com. Set a goal of 7,500 steps and receive one N Good Health point towards step 4 each day you log it in your account. Once this is comfortable, set a higher goal and aim for 10,000 steps a day.
  • If the weather keeps you from walking outside, go for walks at the mall with a friend.

Fitting a walk into your workday

  • Park several blocks away from work, or get off the bus a few stops early.
  • Use the stairs instead of the elevator, at least for a few floors.
  • Suggest holding meetings with colleagues during a walk inside or outside the building.
  • Use the restroom that is the farthest from your desk or workstation.
  • Use your morning and afternoon breaks to take quick 15-minute walks.

Staying safe

  • Know your surroundings. Walk in a well-lighted, safe place. If it is dark, walk with a partner. Wear light-colored clothing or buy a vest or jacket that reflects light.
  • Carry a cell phone for emergencies.
  • Drink plenty of water. Take a water bottle with you when you walk if it is hot out.
  • Be careful not to slip on wet or icy ground. You can buy “grippers” for your shoes to help keep you from slipping.
  • Pay attention to your walking surface. Use sidewalks and paths.
  • If you have breathing problems like asthma or COPD, ask your doctor when it is safe for you to walk outdoors. Cold, dry air, smog, pollen, or other things in the air could cause breathing problems

Benefits of Walking

  • Burns calories
  • Strengthens the heart
  • Can help lower blood sugar
  • Supports joints
  • Boosts immune function
  • Increases energy levels
  • Improves mood
  • Can extend your life
  • Clears your mind
  • Improves circulation
  • Builds bone strength
  • Better sleep
  • Reduces risk for disease

We hope these tips have helped- happy walking & let us know how we can help you reach your goals!