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| WOW! Notices |
Learning Resource Center Classes
Did you know? If you are a MaineHealth employee and pay for a class through the Learning Resource Center it is reimbursable for up to $50 through WOW! Rebates. Print your WOW! Rebate form here.
Become a "Fan"
For late breaking WOW! news:
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| Dr. Lisa's Happy, Healthy Wellness ABCs |
Welcome to 2010!
Dr. Lisa's Wellness ABCs for January focus on "Healthy Resolutions."
What changes will you make in 2010? Most people place a healthy diet high on their list. Why not make the first meal of the day your first priority? January's recipe is a palate-pleasing morning porridge. Try winter-warming gingered oats and let us know what you think. Send your comments and your own favorite body-healthy recipes to mainehealthwow@mainehealth.org.
MaineHealth WOW! offers a wealth of healthy resolution resources, including WOW! Rewards and WOW! Rebates. Click here for more information on these programs and Dr. Lisa's Wellness ABCs.
Happy New Year!
Lisa Belisle, MD, MPH
Medical Advisor, MaineHealth WOW! Program |
| Superhero Spotlight ~ Dianne Bridges, HomeHealth Visiting Nurses |
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Dianne Bridges is January's WOW! Superheroes.
 "I can and I will," is the mantra that has kept Dianne Bridges, a vivacious grandmother and clinical support coordinator from HomeHealth Visiting Nurses, going strong through the last nine months of Weight Watchers. Dianne began the program last fall after receiving an invite from the HomeHealth WOW! Council. She'd been impressed by her coworkers' success with the program, and her husband had recently joined. In the first 12 weeks, Dianne lost 20 pounds by changing her diet and exercising. Now, 38 pounds later, she feels great. Last summer Dianne and her husband took two of their four grandchildren camping. "We never would have been able to do that before. We couldn't have kept up," she admits. "The trip was great. Iwas able to run, play and swim with the kids."
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Fruits & Veggies |
How many fruits and veggies do you need?
The Centers for Disease Control has a wonderful tool you can use to determine how many fruits and vegetables you should get daily based on your age, sex and level of physical activity. You can also find recipes, serving sizes and many more tips. Click here for more information. |
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Pouring on the Pounds |
Is your New Year's resolution to lose weight or reduce the number of calories you consume? If so, cutting soda out of your diet is one way you could possibly lose up to 10 lbs a year.
Watch NYC 's anti-soda ad. "Are You Pouring on the Pounds?" This ad comes from New York City's Health Department. It may make you think twice before you pick up that next soda. |
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Home, Doctor or Hospital? |
How to decide where to go when you are sick.
Deciding whether to stay home, see a doctor, or go to the hospital can be a tough call when you or a family member feel sick or are in pain. To help you decide what to do, ask for advice. Call your primary care provider's office and ask to speak with a nurse; if the office is closed, call your doctor's emergency phone number. If it is not an emergency, you can call the WOW! Health Coach service, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week for guidance from a nurse health coach over the phone. Call 1-888-318-2282 to have a health coach answer your questions, provide information about treatment options and support you in working with your provider.
When you call, be sure to tell the health coach all of the medicines that the you are taking - including over-the-counter cold medicines, headache and pain relievers, prescriptions, and even eye drops or multivitamins. Be sure to tell the health coach of any chronic conditions you have such as asthma, heart problems or diabetes.
 Calling a medical professional to help you decide what to do when you are sick can save you money and help you keep and stay healthy!
For more information about healthcare quality and advice on how to be a more effective healthcare consumer, visit the Maine Health Management Coalition at www.mhmc.info. |
| Tobacco Tales |
If at first you don't succeed, try again...
Click here to learn more. |
| Raising Readers |
 This month Raising Readers recommends Families by Rena Grossman, (Star Bright Books 2009; ISBN 978-1595721761). Families are important. Reinforce this theme and "explore the charming similarities between animals and humans in this fun photographic book."
For more children's book recommendations, visit the Raising Readers Blog or check out the Raising Readers Recommends Great Books: Great Topics brochure, available through Raising Readers.
MaineHealth believes that literacy is a family affair. If you are a healthcare provider, read more about this important topic in our Raising Readers Issue Brief, "Beyond Raising Readers: Literacy as a Family Affair." Did you know that Raising Readers turns ten in 2010? Look for more birthday-related information in upcoming months! Read on, friends. |
| KidsHealth |
We at WOW! know that good health begins early. Go to KidsHealth for articles:
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| LifeBalance Employee Assistance Program |
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Start the new year with a positive and renewed outlook.
January is a great time to look ahead and make positive changes. LifeBalance is here to help. We offer a wide range of resources to help you start the year off feeling positive and renewed.
Contact a consultant to talk about ways to set goals, adapt to change, manage stress, or keep up your energy in a changing world of work. You can also download the CD Navigating Workplace Change, with Gregory Shea and Robert Gunther. They share stories and valuable suggestions on how to master the skills you need to thrive through change. You can also listen to podcasts and recordings or read helpful articles like:
Remember to sign up for our monthly newsletters. The newsletters feature timely articles on such topics as money, work, health, parenting and caring for an older relative. If you're not already a subscriber, sign up today!
For managers and supervisors:
As a manager in today's economy, change is a big part of your job. We offer a wide range of resources designed especially for managers to help you keep your employees positive and focused during times of challenge and uncertainty.
You can contact a consultant to talk about ways to manage a performance issue. You can listen to podcasts and recordings, and read helpful articles like Managing Through Pressured Times. This month, you can also listen to the first of four new podcasts we're featuring for managers. In our January podcast, Motivating Employees, you'll hear expert tips on how to motivate employees to perform effectively in the new world of work.
For more information on other services that LifeBalance offers, click here. Your contact with LifeBalance services is free and completely confidential.  ID: mainehealth Password: lifebalance
Or call: 1-877-259-3785 |
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