HEAL: Healthy Eating Active Living
For the latest HEAL information, read the monthly HEAL Newsletter:
July 2010
The Healthy Eating Active Living project was established in November 2004 by Community and Public Health with the objectives to:
- Increase CDHB staffs awareness about healthy eating and active living
- Develop and maintain initiatives for staff that support healthy eating and active living
- Develop environments, policies and practices that support healthy eating and active living for staff
- Develop systems to support healthy eating and active living for outpatients and inpatients, particularly those at high risk.
The approach used in this project is the Health Promoting Health Services approach, a WHO developed model, with specific standards. This model considers health promotion as a core dimension of health services and that health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. It has a strong emphasis on the need to consider the social, physical and cultural environments and how they support healthy choices.
HEAL the story so far
The project has concentrated on developing and implementing a nutrition policy for all CDHB premises. This policy has achieved 70% healthy food choices in our hospital café’s and food vending machines. We also support and staff to become physically active, a number of initiatives have already been promoted through the project such as City 2 Surf, Push Play and Sea2Sea.
In addition small financial grants have been applied for and awarded to support staff in healthy activities. We are now currently looking at delivering subsidised class’s within the hospitals based on staff needs.
HEAL the next phase
While the project has partially achieved the objective of making the healthy choice the easy choice for staff, patients and visitors it now needs to consider other aspects that contribute to a healthy, productive workforce.
HEAL is supported and steered by a wide range of staff from within the CDHB. From this Steering Group, a Working Party has been established consisting of staff from Community and Public Health, Health and Safety/Occupational Health, Communications as well as the HEAL Facilitator.
The HEAL Facilitator has been formed to take this project into a very exciting new phase and is funded by HEHA (Healthy, Eating, Healthy Action), working within two hospitals (Princess Margaret Hospital and Christchurch Women’s and Children’s Health).
Sport Canterbury has been awarded the contract to supply the HEAL Facilitator, and it is with great pleasure that we welcome such an experienced organisation to work within the CDHB.
Sport Canterbury has a lot to offer this new phase of the project and it is envisaged that a number of exciting opportunities will be available for staff around nutrition and physical activity with such a strong collaboration between Sport Canterbury and the HEAL Working Party.
Who's Who for HEAL?
Sport Canterbury
Hayley Shearer
HEAL Facilitator
Hayley was contracted to the Canterbury District Health Board in October 2008. Hayley has a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a Post Graduate Diploma in Rehabilitation from the University of Otago. She has over 15 years experience of working in workplace and community health, both in public and private sectors. These have included stints with the Royal New Zealand Airforce, New Zealand Police and Shell Todd Oil Services.
Hayley is passionate about walking the talk and encouraging others with respect to healthy living. She enjoys all forms of physical activity, and particularly enjoys the fact that her recently modified retro bike allows her to pass traffic jammed cars when cycling to and from work in style.
hayley.shearer@cdhb.govt.nz
Extn: 68971
DDI: (03) 337 8971
Last updated: 2 July 2010