HEH Winter 17

 Mission:Health in 2018: How to Fulfill Your Requirements
 Understanding Health Risks: How to Improve Your Health
 Tai Chi & Your Health: A Modern Take on an Ancient Practice
 Employee Highlight: Mobile Mammography Saved My Life
 Step to Get Fit: We Walked Around the World!
 2018 WebEx Topics
 Holiday Recipe: Holiday Pear Pecan Salad
 Final Thoughts

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In February 2018, you’ll receive a letter from our offi
recently! This letter will outline what, if any, steps you

Mission:Health credit. This letter will also identify
Completion of Mission:Health coa
coaching option

adlines have past, you’re still encouraged to use your WebMD portal to
and resources on a host of topics. To learn more about Mission:Health,

please visit WaveNet.

essful Mission:Health participation and maintenance of your Mission:Health
redit is based upon completion of two tasks by their respective deadlines:

March 31st Personal Health Assessment completed
June 30th First telephonic coaching call completed

OR
Digital Health Assistant was been created

ice to the address listed in OneLink. Make sure to update it if you’ve moved
u’ll need to take to continue your journey to better health and maintain your
y what type of coaching you selected during open enrollment, if applicable.

aching requirements is based on adhering to whichever
n was chosen during open enrollment.

Congrats on completing your Personal Health Profile
(PHP) and choosing to enroll in Mission:Health this
fall during open enrollment! The results of your PHP
determined if you fell into one of two groups: 0-1 risks
or 2+ risks. If you fell into the 2+ risk group, you were
notified while completing your benefits selection and

asked to choose either online or telephonic health
coaching beginning in 2018.

ethnicity. Others are within your control, like your
diet, physical activity, and whether you wear a
seatbelt.

When you see health statistics, consider the types of
people being described. If they’re not similar to you,
or if the category is very broad, then your risks may be
isks are all around us. A nearby sneeze may different. A general statement like “More than half of
raise your risk for catching the flu. Obesity boosts the Americans over age 45 will develop heart disease at
odds you’ll get diabetes. Smoking increases your risk some point” is based on statistical averages across the
for many cancers. And if you pay attention to news entire U.S. population. If you’re younger than 45, your
headlines, you may worry that you’re at risk for food heart disease risk will generally be much lower. The
poisoning, Zika infection, shark attacks, and more. more risk factors you have—such as smoking, high
How can you know which health risks apply to blood pressure, or diabetes—the greater your risk.
you? Exercise and a healthy diet, on the other hand, can

make your chance of developing heart disease lower
Health risks can sometimes be confusing, but they’re than for most other people.
important to understand. Knowing the risks you and

your family may face can help you find ways to avoid “In many ways, our perception of risk is irrational,”
health problems. It can also keep you from fretting says Elwood. “We sometimes worry over something
over unlikely threats. Knowing the risks and benefits that’s extremely unlikely, like Ebola in the U.S. And
of a medical treatment can help you and your doctor we ignore steps we can take to prevent what’s much
make informed decisions. more likely to harm us, like heart disease or colon

“Understanding health risks is key to making your cancer.”

own health care decisions,” says Dr. William Elwood, Talking about health risks can seem intimidating.
a psychologist and behavioral scientist at NIH. “It Even doctors sometimes have trouble with risk con-
gives you perspective on potential harms and benefits, cepts. That’s why NIH supports research to improve
so you can make smart choices based on facts and not how medical staff and others communicate health
fears.” risks and prevention strategies to patients and the

A health risk is the chance or likelihood that some- public.

thing will harm or otherwise affect your health. Risk “Math in general is hard for a lot of people. Yet math
doesn’t mean that something bad will definitely hap- is often hidden in everyday activities that affect our
pen. It’s just a possibility. Several characteristics, health,” says Dr. Russell Rothman, a physician and
called risk factors, affect whether your health risks are scientist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Roth-
high or low. man’s research focuses on helping people understand

Your personal health risk factors include your age, and work with numbers, so they can reduce their risks
sex, family health history, lifestyle, and more. Some for diabetes and excess weight, including childhood
risks factors can’t be changed, such as your genes or obesity.

Studies show that the way we hear and understand treatment than their doctors did. Most patients didn’t
health statistics can be influenced by how the realize that their outlook differed from their doctors.
numbers are described, or how they’re “framed.” Such misunderstandings might affect whether

Different descriptions can affect how clear the patients choose to undergo harsh treatments.
information is and also what emotions it stirs.
For example, the statement: “More than 20% of
“Communication is a 2-way street,” says the study’s
Americans will eventually die of cancer” might sound lead researcher, Dr. Ronald M. Epstein of the
less scary from a different perspective: “Nearly 80% University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.
of Americans will not die of cancer.” The same “For effective discussions to occur, doctors must

information might seem clearer described as a ratio: provide encouragement and answers. And patients
“More than 1 in 5 Americans will eventually die of
have to ask important questions.” Epstein and
cancer.” Research shows that pictures or diagrams are colleagues are developing methods to help doctors
often the most understandable—for instance, showing and patients have realistic discussions about topics
5 human figures with 1 in a different color. such as emotions, treatment choices, and likely

To understand the potential risks or benefits of a outcomes.

medical treatment or behavior change, it helps to “We’ve shown it’s possible to improve the
focus on a math concept called “absolute risk.” conversations. It helps if patients come prepared
Absolute risk is the chance of something happening, with 3 or 4 big-picture questions to ask their
such as a health problem that might arise over a doctors,” Epstein says. For people with
period of time. For example, a disease might affect 2 advanced cancer, questions might include:
in 100 middle-aged men over their lifetimes. If a How will treatment affect my quality of life?
certain drug lowers their risk for the disease to 1 in What’s the average survival time for this
100, the drug has reduced their absolute risk by 1
person in 100, or 1%. Another way to think of it is that type of cancer?

you’d need to treat 100 people with this medicine to “It can feel scary to ask
prevent just 1 additional person from getting the those kinds of questions.
disease. Sometimes you don’t really

want to know the answers,
or you have mixed feelings,”
Epstein says. “Doctors can
help by opening the door

to conversation. They can
say, ‘Tell me what’s on
your mind. Do you have
any questions?’” Such
open conversations can
help patients and their
Often, however, you might hear numbers that use a families make more
related concept called “relative risk.” Relative risk informed health decisions.
compares the absolute risks of one group to another.
In the example above, you could also say that the
drug reduced the risk of disease by 50%, since 1 is Start by talking with your
half of 2. Looking at relative risk alone, you may doctor about your health
mistakenly think that the drug is highly effective. risks. Ask how you can
reduce your risks. And look
to trustworthy websites—
“Many times, the relative risk sounds much greater like NIH’s health.nih.gov—
than the absolute risk, which can be confusing,” for reliable health
Rothman explains. When you hear numbers about information.
risk, it’s best to focus on the absolute risk.

Health risks can be especially hard to grasp when
emotions run high, such as when people are faced
with a serious illness. One recent NIH-funded study
found that people with advanced cancer tended to
expect better outcomes and longer survival times from

You may have seen the flowing postures and gentle movements of
tai chi and wondered what it’s all about. Tai chi is an ancient mind
and body practice. While more research is needed, studies suggest

that it may have many health benefits.

Tai chi is sometimes referred to as “moving meditation.” There are
many types of tai chi. They typically combine slow movements
with breathing patterns and mental focus and relaxation.
Movements may be done while walking, standing, or sitting.

“At its root, tai chi is about treating the whole person and enhancing
the balance and crosstalk between the body’s systems,” says
Dr. Peter Wayne, a longtime tai chi researcher at Harvard

Medical School. “It’s a promising intervention for preserving and
improving many areas of health, especially in older adults.”

Several studies have found evidence that tai chi can increase
balance and stability in older people and reduce the risk and fear
of falls. Each year, more than 1 in 4 older adults falls, and 1 out of 5 of
these falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury.

“Trying to be careful can make you more prone to falls,” Wayne says.
“Tai chi may help you move more confidently and safely again.” Some
NIH-funded research suggests that tai chi may also improve balance and

prevent falls in people with mild-to-moderate Parkinson’s disease.

Research suggests that practicing tai chi might help improve posture and
confidence, how you think and manage emotions, and your quality of
life. Studies have found that it may help people with fibromyalgia sleep

better and cope with pain, fatigue, and depression. Regular practice may
also improve quality of life and mood in people with chronic heart failure

or cancer. Older adults may find that tai chi can help improve sleep
quality and protect learning, memory, and other mental functions.

Item number: 584241258

Further study will be needed to fully evaluate and confirm the potential
benefits of tai chi. But since the practice involves moving slowly and
mindfully, there’s little chance of harm when done correctly.

“Whether you’re interested in trying tai chi to help with a chronic health
issue or the stresses of everyday life, tai chi—if taught properly—can be a

great complement to other ways of healthy living and rehabilitation,”
Wayne says. “I think we’re all looking for tools to help us live productive,

long lives with a little more grace and ease.”
There are different styles and ways to practice tai chi, Wayne says. If
you’re interested in trying it, you can start simply. For instance, try
standing behind and holding onto a sturdy chair for support, then mind-
fully rock back and forth to build awareness of all the parts of your body
and their connections. Eventually, you might move on to practice more

complex movements or sequences.

Reprinted with permission from NIH News in Health, December 2016
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/12/tai-chi-your-health

Sentara employees and members of the community have access to free DVDs, like tai chi,
which help viewers strengthen their bodies, relax mentally and physically manage stress
reactions. Regular practice of the 18 movements of Tai Chi Qigong Shibashi teaches your
body to mentally and physically relax. The movements enhance your blood flow, release
muscle tension, improve your balance and help you maintain a high quality of life.

Visit www.wellnesforme.com to request a copy. Learn more about this program and other
free resources by visiting online!

to the 397 Sentara employees
that participated in the Step to

Get Fit walking challenge!

Stay tuned for more information about our next challenge in 2018.

The health habits of those around us have a powerful influence on
our own habits. Wellness challenges connect people within an

organization, giving them the structure and support they need to
make positive changes while having fun.

Optima Health and WebMD Health Services bring together the tools to run engaging
individual and team-based competitions:

 Challenges are seamlessly integrated with your WebMD wellness portal.
 Each challenge offers a clear structure and steps necessary to build a healthy habit.
 Record challenge activity on your WebMD portal, or sync a compatible activity device for auto-

matic upload.
 View your progress on individual and team leader boards.
 Receive ongoing motivation with timely challenge messages and activity tips.
 Tap into support, offer encouragement, and remain accountable on challenge message boards.

WebEx Topics



The mobile mammography van visits multiple Sentara facilities throughout
the year. The schedule for 2018 visits is currently being finalized. In January

2018 and before every visit, employees at each facility will be emailed
with information on how to schedule an appointment.

“As a 9 year breast cancer survivor I can tell you that if it
weren’t for my family, friends and my fami-Leigh at the
Family Maternity Center at Sentara Leigh as well as Drs. Reed,
Uroskie, Abrams, Danso, Fabiszewski, and Davis and a host of
other Sentara family co-workers, I would not have had such an

easy time dealing with a devastating disease.

Also, if it wasn’t for the Sentara Employee Mammogram Program
back in 2005 I never would have gotten my first mammogram.
I also would not have gotten the one in 2008 that showed cancer.

Before the ACA it was expensive even with my employee discount.
I had no symptoms and had no reason to get the mammogram

except that I wanted the clock that you were giving out. Thank you
to Sentara for being on the cutting edge of employee health by

offering free screening mammograms to the employees back then.
You saved my life!

Just a reminder that men also get breast cancer. They need your support too!”

Dawn Sterling

Health Record & Info Tech, Family Maternity Center at Sentara Leigh Hospital