10. Community Involvement
St.
John’s is an active participant in making a measurable impact on local
health issues. The health system has partnered with other local
organizations to combat obesity, child abuse and tobacco use, as well as
to increase the number of pregnant women receiving appropriate prenatal
care.
This year, St. John’s partnered with Springfield
Public Schools and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board’s SPARC
program (Schools, Parks Are Reaching Communities) to form the Step Club,
which was also funded with a grant from St. John’s Foundation for
Community Health. The Step Club encourages students to walk 20-30 minutes
two mornings a week, before classes.
“Everyone at SPARC is so pleased about the
opportunity to partner on this new and exciting program,” says SPARC
Coordinator Sandra Pratt. “Not only do participants learn about goal
setting and receive incentives as they achieve different levels of the
program, but the interaction with other students and family members in the
mornings is a great way to show that exercising is fun.”
The Step Club isn’t the only way St. John’s is
fighting childhood obesity. St. John’s Fitness Center offers a program
that combines the fun of video gaming with the benefit of cardiovascular
exercise.
A special stationary bike called a Cateye Game Bike
at the fitness center offers plug-and-play technology for Sony Playstation
and Playstation 2 consoles. The bike works with any of the speed-related
games that are popular today, including many car, off-road, speedboat and
motorcycle racing games. The fitness center has an off-road ATV-racing
game and a speedboat-racing game.
“This program educates the entire family about
nutrition and exercise. Studies have shown that to beat the childhood
obesity epidemic, an entire family – not just the kids – must eat sensibly
and exercise, preferably together,” says Fitness Instructor Amy Little.
“We require at least one parent to participate each session.”
St. John’s recognizes that childhood obesity is a
growing problem, especially in Missouri.
“Missouri is the 10th most obese state in America,”
says St. John’s pediatrician Michael Goler, M.D. “What is so disturbing
about the childhood obesity problem is that if it isn’t tackled, this
generation of children may be the first in history to not live a longer
life span than their parents. The Family Fitness program is just one way
that St. John’s is working to combat this health problem. We believe that
people have a tough time making changes to their lifestyle on their own
and that’s why we are encouraging them to make these changes as families.”
St. John’s Foundation for Community Health raises
the much-needed funds for many community endeavors. Donations to the
foundation provide nursing scholarships, Habitat for Humanity Homes,
clothing for foster children, dental care for needy children,
post-hospitalization prescriptions for those who can’t afford them and
medical care for sick children at St. John’s Children’s Specialty Clinic.
St. John’s is also a supporter of The Kitchen Inc. and a major donor to
Convoy of Hope, an annual event to provide the area’s poor with groceries,
toiletries, haircuts, clothing, education and job opportunities. St.
John’s has also been the largest employer donor to the United Way of the
Ozarks for several years.