Gov. Heineman Declares March as Wellness Month in Nebraska

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today signed a proclamation declaring March as Wellness Month in Nebraska. Throughout the month, the Governor will be highlighting efforts that promote wellness in Nebraska, emphasizing wellness at school, work, home, and in local communities.

“It’s our goal to create a culture of wellness across the state,” Gov. Heineman said. “By changing our mindset, we can surround Nebraskans with wellness and improve our already good quality of life. This applies to everyone, young and old.”

Dr. Joann Schaefer, Chief Medical Officer for the state, said, “Surrounding children with wellness at school, adults at work, communities where people live and reminding folks of the importance of choices they make at home is the cornerstone to achieving better health in Nebraska. Wellness emphasizes four components: prevention, active lifestyles, good nutrition, and stress management.”

As a major employer in Nebraska, the state is trying to lead by example with LB 884, introduced by Sen. Tim Gay of Papillion, which would give the administration more flexibility to design an innovative and dynamic wellness component to the state employees’ health insurance program.

The Governor has also encouraged state employee participation in the N-Lighten Nebraska campaign. N-Lighten Nebraska encourages adults and children to participate in wellness activities and provides a way for individuals to track progress toward goals.

Two Nebraska businesses have recently achieved national recognition for outstanding wellness programs. Duncan Aviation and Lincoln Industries were among only nine U.S. businesses recognized recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for their success in encouraging employee wellness. Both programs have improved employee health, reduced stress, lowered absenteeism, and reduced the company’s healthcare costs. Employees have benefitted from these efforts by lower health insurance premiums.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. Schaefer cited the need for greater colon cancer screenings as a prime example of prevention. Nebraska has one of the lowest colon cancer screening rates in the country.

Dr. Schaefer also highlighted the new “Whatcha doin’?” campaign being implemented in four Lincoln schools. The campaign was developed by a University of Nebraska—Lincoln advertising class to promote physical activity and proper nutrition among young people.

Stress management programs are available to encourage exercise, achieve better sleep and support wellness, particularly for those with chronic health concerns. Opportunities for physical activity are better than ever and provide significant cardiovascular and lung benefits while improving upper body movement and strength.

Information about wellness programs can be found online at the Department of Health and Human Services Web site, http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/hew/hewindex.htm