By Kristine Milbrandt

Wartburg has been selected as the 2012 college/university recipient of the Healthy Iowa Award bestowed by the Wellness Council of Iowa.

The award will be presented tonight at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines. The award program, now in its fourth year, also recognizes cities, schools and leaders that promote health to their citizens, students and staff.

Gary Grace, vice president for the administration, said Wartburg has made wellness a priority.

“The college has been very intentional to create and facilitate a formal health promotion program that actively engages students, faculty, and staff in wellness education and encourages participation,” he said.

Grace noted that the Wartburg-Waverly Sports and Wellness Center has been a significant factor in this initiative.

“This wellness facility and operation deliver education, assessment, and activities that encourage our community to become engaged and involved in their own health,” Grace said. “Our goal has been to create and maintain a campus-wide culture of wellness.”

“Wellness is something that the college is passionate about,” said Dawn Wiegmann, R.N., Wartburg’s wellness director. “People are taking advantage of what the college provides, and they are learning about their personal well-being.” 

The W offers wellness programs for faculty and staff, and Wiegmann provides learning opportunities, newsletters, health screenings and feedback to all who meet with her individually. 

“We assist, teach and work alongside our employees so they can have access to personal screenings, better understand their health and maintain good health,” Wiegmann said. “Wellness encompasses the mind, body and spirit. We hope to assist our community with balancing busy lives while paying attention to all facets of wellness.” 

Tina Miller, director of human resources and wellness services for the Accel Group in Waverly, nominated Wartburg for the award. Miller, who is on the Wartburg Wellness Council, works with the college to develop and implement wellness programs.

Miller cited a number of college wellness initiatives: 

• A worksite wellness program to promote the health and well-being of employees and spouses. 
• A participation-based program with health screening, risk assessment, and well physicals, providing participants with information regarding their health status and identifying potential risks. 
• BenefitFusion, an online portal with wellness tools and resources—health screening results and health risk assessment and diet tracking, wellness newsletters, tips, healthy snacks and recipes.
• Flu vaccines during the fall semester for all employees and spouses.
• Lunch-and-Learn programs throughout the year with topics determined by the results of the health screening and health risk assessment.
• Health screening and health risk assessments that consist of a blood profile and biometric measurements. Participants also provided additional information about lifestyle and behaviors.
• Well physicals as an important component of an individual’s wellness plan.
• Steps or exercise tracking, which requires participants to record either their steps or exercise activities in the wellness portal three times per week for six months.