David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – Today, First Lady Dawn Ige will join The Queen’s Medical Center and the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) at 12:30 p.m. to celebrate Queen’s “Walk at Work on Wednesdays,” a weekly walking tour designed to promote physical activity among employees in the downtown Honolulu area. Following a brief program, Mrs. Ige will join participants in the 15-minute walk around The Queen’s Medical Center’s Punchbowl campus. “Walk at Work on Wednesdays” will take place each Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. and is a great collaboration between employees of DOH and Queen’s.

“We are very pleased to partner with Queen’s and the First Lady to support worksite wellness,” said Dr. Virginia Pressler, Director of Health. “With the holidays just around the corner, it’s important to remind people to keep their health in mind, and this includes getting the recommended amount of physical activity.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, and 2 or more hours of muscle-strengthening activity each week. Staying physically active can prevent against obesity and chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

At the event, Mrs. Ige will also congratulate The Queen’s Medical Center on the adoption of the Department of Health’s Choose Healthy Now project, which is being rolled out in the Harkness Dining Room. The project labels healthier food and drink options and places them in highly visible areas, making them easier to locate and more attractive to customers. The concept is already being used to categorize healthier options in the Harkness salad bar, and will soon extend to an expanded menu of snack items as well.

“One of our key goals is to sustain a healthy work environment. Programs like the Department of Health’s Choose Healthy Now and Queen’s ‘Walk at Work on Wednesdays’ will make it that much easier and convenient for our employees, staff, patients, and visitors to make good choices,” said Art Ushijima, President of The Queen’s Medical Center. “Worksite wellness programs have proven effective at improving the health of employees, lowering overall health care costs, reducing absenteeism, and improving employee morale and productivity.”

To learn more about Choose Healthy Now, please visit: https://health.hawaii.gov/physical-activity-nutrition/choose-healthy-now/.

For more information on the benefits of worksite wellness or how to start your own worksite wellness program, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/.

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