b'Spotlight on The Learning Collaborative: Organizational OrganizationalChampions Take it to the Next LevelIn May, Keenes Mayor Kendall Lane signed a proclamation that celebrated the 11 local agencies, businesses and Champions organizations that completed a five-month Healthy Monadnock Organizational Champions Learning Collaborative.And there was cause for celebration. These 11 organizations, already Healthy Monadnock Organizational Champions with successful wellness initiatives firmly in place, were chosenand accepted the challengeto take it to the next level, says Linda Rubin, director of the Healthy Community Initiative of Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene.As part of the Learning Collaborative, these organizations pledged to move the needle toward greater health improvement in workplaces by implementing environmental and policy changes that make the healthy choice the easy choice for all.The overarching objective of the Learning Collaborative, notes Rubin, was to help the organizations come up with policies and projects they could implement that would establish a culture of health and wellness and effectively change the behavior of employees. Representatives of these businesses and organizations set goals that were achievable, realistically implemented and measurable; they set timetables and developed strategies for success. In addition, they pledged to recruit Individual Champions and promote the mission of Healthy Monadnock and use its brand on their web sites, on banners, in emails, in program guides, and other promotional materials regularly used by those organizations. The strength of the collaborative is people working together, says Rubin. They are the foot soldiers for change. Heres a look at what these 11 Champions have in store for the rest of this year and beyond.Cheshire Countyand to that end have pledged to develop aGreater Keene Sheriffs Office Healthy Celebrations guidebook and trainChamber of Like manymanagers on how to use it.CommerceOrganizationalThe guidelines would be a department- With just five Champions, thewide commitment to ensure there areemployees, all Cheshire Countyhealthy options at such celebrations aspart-time, its more Sheriffs Office aimsbirthdays, achievements and anniversaries,of a challenge for to implement dailysays Jennifer Begley, the hospitals wellnessthe Greater Keene activity breaks, but has also pledged toprogram manager. By October 15, 2015,Chamber of Commerce to build activity establish a private space for quiet meditationthe goal is for all 1,400 employees to reportbreaks into the workday, notes Christine and breastfeeding mothers by June 2015(based on surveys) that healthy food hasHadlow (pictured), member services that will be open to the public, as well asbeen offered at celebrations.manager. But by April 30, 2015, Hadlow hopes employees.In addition, hospital staff will provideto meet that target as well as offering healthy With the court moving out of thequarterly blood pressure screenings for allfood at the monthly board meetings. building, we had a chance of potentiallyits employees and aims to recruit 60 newHadlow is an Individual Champion and converting a vacant room into a quiet roomIndividual Champions. has set a goal of all the Chamber employees for mothers, says Sheriff Eli Rivera (picturedCity of Keene becoming Champions, as well as signing up above). We did some research and spokeThe City of Keene12 board members as Individual Champions.with the county administration, and the ideais taking part in theHadlow says her co-workers are already was welcomed.Walk New Hampshireconscious about getting up from the desk A measure of success will be 10 people achallenge, a statewideand walking around and taking the stairs at week using the space by August 2015.program that chal- the office, so she felt that the daily activity Other measures of success: Nine newlenges participants tobreaks would be something they could all Individual Champions and all employees willwalk a minimum of 12get behind. be taking activity breaks and have increasedmiles a week, and give out prize incentives forHamshaw their overall activity levels.the most miles walked.LumberThe Citys goal is to have at least 50Hamshaw percent of its 238 employees join theLumber is challenge. committed City of Keene officials are also reviewingto helping its its tobacco-free policy and will have a revisedemployees be more active and eat healthier and updated policy by May 2015.by September 2015. (Pictured, employees Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth- By then, the City hopes to recruit 47 newwalking on break.)Hitchcock Keene Individual Champions to join the current 12To make the healthy choice the easy The folks at Cheshire Medical Center/ Champions on the City staff. (Pictured, Andychoice, Hamshaw Lumber has pledged to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene want to makeBohannan, director, Keene Parks, Recreationincorporate an activity break into the daily sure its celebratory functions are healthy,and Facilities.) schedule with all 82 employees taking breaks; 18 Healthy Monadnock Update 2015'