Jerimy Clift, of York, NE and MetalQuest employee, didn’t put much stock in the results of his first wellness screening at MetalQuest. He figured it was just a one-off, but when the second year’s results came back with the same issues, he knew it was a real issue and that he needed to do something to take charge of his health.
MetalQuest, in collaboration with Thayer County Health Services, offers a Corporate Wellness program that consists of an optional annual wellness screening and, if necessary, follow up one-on-one consultation when risk factors are flagged. Employees are eligible to participate, regardless of their insurance plan, as an added perk of being a MetalQuest employee.
Jerimy and Whitney Miller, MPA, Wellness Director at Thayer County Health Services (TCHS), met weekly for health coaching sessions. “She would give me guidance for the week, and the following week we would go over the results and add something new. She would add pieces over the course of the program, and throughout the ten weeks, I lost over 30 pounds. We discussed different topics, and the one that was the most helpful to me was portion sizes. Whitney utilized visual tools to assist in portion control, and that really helped me personally,” said Jerimy.
At the conclusion of the program, participants underwent a follow-up metabolic screening to gauge their progress. During the initial screening, Jerimy’s results flagged three factors, but over the course of the program, he was able to reduce one of the factors, his blood pressure, and take charge of his health.
Jerimy was impressed with the scope and ease of the program, saying, “The best part of the program was that she wasn’t preaching at me. Whitney was really good about bringing me helpful information and was always willing to give me more when I asked for it. She made the program work for us because she had our individual interests at hand when she was instructing us. The individual treatment I received was wonderful because she would take the general instruction and really tailor it to us and explain how it applied to us individually. She provided me with an exercise program that built upon itself over time. I could’ve gone online and found something myself, but Whitney said, ‘No, I’ll bring you something the next time we meet.’ and she gave me one that fit my needs and was manageable. She knew where I was on a physical level and tailored it to me. It was really helpful!”
When asked why he wanted to participate in this program, Jerimy stated that he wanted to be healthier overall. The first time he received his results from the metabolic screening, he chalked it up to a bad day and bad test because he felt okay overall, but he now realizes that hindsight is 20/20. This program truly made a difference in his life.
“The test wasn’t lying; I failed it two years in a row. They (TCHS) took something that I thought was difficult; things like meal planning, exercise, things that I didn’t think I had time for in my day I fit it in easily now. This program helped make healthy living part of a routine. And it’s not the type of routine where if I fall off tomorrow and go get some pizza that I can’t get back into it. It’s not a preachy, strict program; it is more of a lifestyle change,” said Jerimy. He has seen fellow coworkers go through the program and now wishes he would have done it the first time around, especially because MetalQuest offers the program to its employees for free. Jerimy wants anyone that is on the fence to give the program a chance and take the time to really invest in it. He said, “It is 10 minutes a week for ten weeks that is going to change your life. It will only work if you want it to. Whitney motivated me by not pushing me too hard. A lot of times, it focused on correcting my actions – you are here, and we need to get you here. Instead of a hard turn, it is kind of a merge. She made it manageable; the steps weren’t too big to take. It was easy to keep up with the program. I just want MetalQuest and Whitney at TCHS to know I’m thankful. The first year when I failed it, I had this mentality that I was healthy, how could I be failing this? But when I failed it the second time, I am glad I had access to the program, and it is available to MetalQuest employees. The ease of the meetings being on site was wonderful, and I worked second shift, so I didn’t arrive until 3 o’clock, but Whitney was there and energized even though I was her last appointment of the day.”
Thayer County Health Services offers Corporate Wellness programs at MetalQuest, Norders, and Reinke Manufacturing. If you or your organization is interested in learning more about Corporate Wellness or TCHS’s wellness program in general, call (402) 768-4676 or email Kaylee Amato, Wellness Director at kamato@tchsne.org. Kaylee is excited to build upon a successful foundation and help our area with wellness needs into the future!