Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Brian Avila, supervisor of Wellpower, Stormont Vail Health’s employee wellness program, believes we each have the power to live healthier lives – and that power comes from “progression,” not “perfection.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a varied impact on people. The pandemic has been stressful for many, including health care workers balancing work and personal responsibilities. It is possible to move past the pandemic and into a healthier lifestyle.

Brian offers these tips on how you can work toward a healthier life:

First and foremost, don’t be so hard on yourself.

• “Many of the conversations I have with people has to do with the guilt they feel when they eat or drink something ‘unhealthy,’ or when the scale does not read what they want it to read. If we do not allow ourselves the opportunity to consume the foods we enjoy, a healthy lifestyle will not be sustainable,” he says. Long-term guilt may be worse for your health than the slice of pizza. “The scale only tells a small portion of the story. A healthy behavior is a healthy behavior no matter what the scale says,” he says.

Know your why.

• If you know your “why,” you can deal with any “how.” To achieve long-term sustained motivation, we must search for our internal motivators. “If we can remind ourselves of our whys, or what we truly value in life, then we can get through the tough times on our health journey,” he says.

Be consistent.

• “I have seen many individuals have a good month and then fall off because they are not seeing the improvements they expect from the work they are putting into being healthy,” Brian says. Health is a lifetime commitment. Not every day is going to be a great day.
• “Say ‘no’ to that unhealthy food a little more often, or remind yourself of how grateful you are when you go on a walk or after a good workout. It is the little things that add up over a lifetime,” Brian says.

Strive for progression, not perfection.

• “If perfection is our goal, then we have already lost. What we should work towards is consistent progression, even if it is just a little bit each week,” Brian says. Set one to three weekly S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Action focused (I will vs. I will not), Realistic and Time-bound) goals and see where you are after a month. It is important to focus on the process rather than the outcome since it takes consistently working a solid process over a period of time to get to any meaningful outcome.

Make time for rest and recovery.

• If you had all the time in the world, what would you do? “It is important for us to take time to do things we enjoy. Whether it is fishing, going on a walk or hike, or spending time with our family, find time to enjoy life.” Brian says. Some specific skills and techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness, can be practiced to help reduce the physiological effects of stress. The most important part of rest and recovery is 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep.

When people focus on health, they have more energy and are generally happier. “Eating healthy, moving more and sitting less, and prioritizing rest and recovery can help us to be more resilient and better equipped to deal with adversity,” Brian notes.

Stormont Vail Health team members interested in learning more about healthy habits or becoming more resilient, should consider a Wellpower class. A new course, Skills for Recovery and Resilience, developed by the teams at Wellpower and Stormont Vail Behavioral Health, is educating team members about skills and tools to more effectively deal with stressful situations. To learn more, contact [email protected]

Here are today’s updates:

• COVID-19 Scorecard (English | Spanish)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Update

COVID-19 Scorecard (Scorecard attached in English and Spanish)

Here’s a look at today’s COVID-19 scorecard:

• We have 4 inpatients who are COVID-19 positive today.
• We have 16 COVID-19 positive patients in the outpatient Enhanced Primary Care program.
• The percentage of patients testing positive for COVID-19 at Stormont Vail facilities is 6.4%.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

• We have administered 85,665 vaccinations at our Vaccine Clinic at the Stormont Vail Events Center. This includes first and second doses of the vaccine. Individuals age 12 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
• The Vaccine Clinic will be open this Friday, July 9, then will close. There is walk-in availability from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, or individuals can schedule an appointment at https://www.stormontvail.org/covid19/vaccine/ or call (785) 270-4786.
• COVID-19 vaccinations are now available at the Stormont Vail Retail Pharmacy, 2252 S.W. 10th Ave., just east of 10^th and MacVicar.

Health Care Workers Vaccination Update

*Information available through 7/3/21. It does not include those who have received vaccine outside of Stormont Vail Health.

We together,
Robert Kenagy, MD