NEW ULM - Martin Luther College (MLC) has volunteered to be the first or "pilot" organization in New Ulm to participate in screening under the new Heart of New Ulm project.
The voluntary screening is scheduled to take place 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 17, and 7 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 18, at the MLC gymnasium.
It is open to faculty, staff, retirees and their spouses.
Some 130 to 150 people are expected to participate, said Prof. Jack Gronholz, chairman of the MLC Wellness Committee.
The screening ties together two significant recent health initiatives: the Heart of New Ulm project and MLC's new wellness program.
The Heart of New Ulm is an effort to reduce and eventually eliminate heart attacks in the New Ulm area. It is led by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, the New Ulm Medical Center, the Minneapolis Heart Institute, Allina Hospitals and Clinics and the City of New Ulm.
The project seeks to offer opportunities to participate in community wide screenings to assess heart health and heart attack risks; support efforts to decrease heart health risks, including programs to help with weight loss, tobacco cessation, stress management, increased physical activity and healthy food choices; develop a community environment that supports a healthy lifestyle; and improve access to high quality medical care.
The MLC Wellness Program, launched this fall, is intended to involve faculty and staff in activities promoting healthy lifestyles. More immediately, it is aimed at the 260 or staff, faculty, retirees and spouses; ultimately, however, the effort will be expanded to more directly involve students, said Gronholz.
A wellness program at MLC not only has the potential to create a climate and culture of healthy living within the campus family, he noted. It can also influence a wider group of people, through called workers who model a healthy lifestyle.
The MLC wellness program is a new initiative and so in its developmental stages. The scope of the wellness efforts and specific plans are taking shape.
Initially, the focus of the committee has been to develop a faculty and staff wellness plan working, among other things, with the New Ulm Medical Center's Wellness @ Work Program. In addition, MLC volunteered to be a pilot partner in the Heart of New Ulm project. Other more immediate steps include the presentation of workshops on walking programs, this spring.
During the screening, participants will be asked to complete a health assessment. Biometric measurements (height, weight, etc.) will be taken. The screening includes a blood test. A health coach will speak with participants afterwards, interpreting the results and offering suggestions.