The Idea is Born

The members of the President’s Council at Adventist Health Portland used to dread their 3-hour meetings on Tuesdays. “It’s a long meeting,” Cindy Nutter, the Nursing Executive explains, “and I would always go home at the end of the day and think, I’ve just got to move! We are sitting way too much.”

Now, members of the Council are eager to attend meetings in their new Innovation Center, an active workspace that features iMovR’s treadmill desks as replacements for their traditional Boardroom conference table.

Employees can choose to walk, stand, or cycle during their meeting, which makes them feel more energized, Nutter said.  “Now instead of being the day I sit the most, it’s the day I get 22,000 steps in before I leave. So when I go home, I can relax. It’s wonderful.”

Adventist Health’s Regional President Joyce Newmyer conceptualized this unique meeting space while brainstorming with a preventive medicine physician on additional ways to better support employee well-being.

She passed on the idea to Ed Hoover, the manager of the LivingWell and Community Wellness Program, who led a grant writing team to secure funding to create their active meeting room.

Partnering with iMovR

Hoover and team began their research online and quickly became familiar with iMovR’s suite of office fitness products. He says,

“I got excited about iMovR, mainly because of the quality. I love the fact that the treadmills were designed from the ground up to be a walking treadmill, as opposed to being converted from a running treadmill because this wasn’t going to be a running environment. We were focused on creating moving meetings, and it was important for us to have quiet treadmills...iMovR had done their homework...“

Another critical factor for the Adventist team was choosing products designed for people of various sizes, shapes, and weights. Hoover notes that the click-wrap liability waiver included in the treadmill console appealed to the team: “It made it easier for us in terms of the liability considerations for our staff. It creates an extra awareness.“

After several weeks of research, including helpful discussions with iMovR’s Workplace Wellness Solutions Specialists, Hoover’s team purchased eight iMovR Energize desks. Half of the desks were outfitted with iMovR Thermotread GT treadmills, and the other half were paired with desk cycles. A couple of bistro tables and some task stools make room for up to twelve.

Since the Innovation Center does not have windows, the team added inspiring nature photography and artificial plants to create a welcoming environment that fosters focus and creativity. There is also a Mission Wall that features faces from the diverse cultures and age groups that the hospital proudly serves.

Asked about his thoughts working with iMovR, Hoover adds,

"The iMovR customer service team...was just amazing. They were really great in terms of responsiveness, and that really made a difference for me."

Executing and Onboarding

In January 2018, they held a dedication ceremony and open house to create awareness for their Innovation Center and orient the Adventist Health staff on how to use the Center’s resources. Hoover says, “When they first came in, they pretty much jumped right on the treadmills and intuitively started using them. It’s was exciting to see how easily it happened.”

Dorane Brower, Integrated Physician and Health Plan Services Executive for Adventist Health and President of HealthCare Resources NW, says, “We stay awake, we’re more alert, we’re more in tune, we’re more engaged, we’re more focused on the topic at hand, rather than thinking about other things.”

The Innovation Center is one of many resources Adventist Health has created to help employees feel valued and to support them on their own health journeys. Dorane Brower reflects, “In order to be able to give to someone, you have to be resilient yourself. You have to make sure you’re taking care of yourself - your physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing - in order to ensure that you’re able to do that same thing for the patient in front of you.”

Impact and Plans for the Future...

Ed Hoover and the Adventist Community Wellness Program staff plan to survey employees to gain more feedback about the Innovation Center, but their preliminary findings have been overwhelmingly positive. “The biggest reward for me is seeing other people’s enthusiasm for the concept and to see people coming together to use the space,” Hoover says.

Hoover adds, “The concept is a winner for us, and iMovR has been a great partner. I would definitely recommend doing something like this for other companies on the journey to create a healthier, more engaging work environment for their teams.”

 

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The President’s Council manages the Portland Health Care Network, including Adventist Health Portland Medical Center, 33 Medical Clinics, 6 Physical Therapy clinics, and works with affiliated Adventist Health Home Care, Personal Care and Hospice services in the greater Portland/Vancouver metro area.

iMovR Products Used

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