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Comments from Cardium Health participants, customers
and clinicians.
“My counselor has helped me to eat better and encouraged me to exercise almost
every day. I have lost 20 pounds in 10 months and lowered my cholesterol. I feel great
and I am committed to sticking with my daily walking to keep the weight off. It’s
nice to know my counselor really cares about me.”
- Nancie, Certified Nurse Assistant, Brockton, MA
I’m at the point in my life where I really enjoy
what I’m doing.
I like my job. My kids are grown. I don’t want to give it up. Cardium
Health helped put me on a path to better health. When my counselor called, she
was a real cheerleader. What began as a smoking cessation program
snowballed into a decision to change my life. We’re bombarded with messages every day about the ill effects
of bad habits, but I hadn’t done anything until I started the program with Cardium
Health. In less than one year, I quit smoking, started exercising, lowered my cholesterol,
and lost 40 pounds. I didn’t realize how bad I felt until I
started feeling good.
- Jim, Plant Manager, Redondo Beach, CA
“I want to thank my Cardium Health counselor for being
my motivation and foundation of support. By providing the help and encouragement needed,
I have lost 19 pounds and my diabetes, for the first time, is under control.
I feel very good about myself and I am so grateful that my company sponsors such a program.”
“This program has been very informative to me. They keep me
on track with my blood sugars and call about once a month. When I need to get a hold
of them, I can a lot easier than my doctor. Cardium Health keeps
me up on my testing of sugars, which I would not be doing if it was not for the program!”
- Rudy, Long-term Disability, Liberty Center, OH
“I have lost over 50 pounds and it’s all thanks to Cardium Health. My
counselor worked with me to better understand my health issues and find ways to exercise
that fit into my everyday routine. I am very grateful for feeling like I have
another shot at life.”
“Cardium
Health has enabled me to get back to a state of wellness. My main goal has been to develop an exercise routine I can
stick to. Because of her, I have been able to lose weight and have kept it off. Talking
with my counselor is like having a cup of tea with my friend. We just chat and she listens.”
- Barbara, Retiree, Venus, PA
“What my Cardium Health counselor does for me is really
important. It’s easy to make excuses for not exercising or eating right. If
my counselor was not calling regularly, I might not follow through with lifestyle changes
to improve my health. Getting new information over the phone and receiving written materials
in the mail is also very helpful.”
Disease management is one of the best ROI decisions
we’ve made. Our ROI in the
first year was about 280%. We’ve got approximately 25,000 members and we care about
them. Cardium Health’s clinicians make a difference by connecting with people and
developing relationships. They are great listeners and they follow through for people
who need their help. I believe all employer groups should look into offering a disease
management program. It’s the way to a healthier workforce.
- Jim Chitwood, Executive Director
Our company has a culture for wellness and health promotion. We
see disease management as a way to help our employees improve their health status, lower their
claims costs, and improve their quality of life. With this in mind, Cardium Health is part of
an integrated total healthcare system to ensure that our employees and their families
get the most appropriate care depending on their health status. We selectively chose best-in-class
providers who understand what we are trying to do as a company and are willing to work with us – and
with each other – to
achieve it. First and foremost is what’s in the best interest of our employees.
- Jackie Austad, General Director Benefits & Wellness
“I love what I do.
Everyday I’m able to make a positive difference in someone’s
life. I teach people how to manage their health and use their medical benefits properly. “When
it comes to health information, everyone knows what they should do. Our job as health counselors
is to move participants from knowing to doing. We connect with people one-on-one and put
their health in a meaningful context. We take the time to fill the communication gap between
participants and their doctors. More than anything else, we listen. Even the smallest thing can
make a significant difference.”
- Patricia Simmons, Registered Dietitian
As a cardiac registered nurse, I enjoy the opportunity to provide people with the information
they need to stay healthy with heart disease. Anyone who has experienced a cardiac event
is familiar with the motivating force of fear. While still in a hospital bed, patients
vow to lose weight, start exercising and eat healthier. But, as fear subsides, promises
to change may not last or knowing what to do may not be fully understood. I like helping people
choose strategies to improve their cholesterol levels, lower their blood pressure, lose weight or
exercise more regularly. For some people, just knowing that I'll be calling
on a regular basis helps them to stay on target with their plan. When my participant’s reports success, I am just as
excited as they are.
- Fran
Chabot, Registered Nurse
As a Behavior Health Specialist, I assist in providing a combination of education,
affirmation, support, advocacy and care management in order to help participants understand and
manage their conditions. Any major illness has a profound impact on our emotional health,
whether we are consciously aware of it or not. It may be the source of intense anxiety
or anger, or we may experience sadness and depression. Our goal here at Cardium Health is to help
you understand that, with time and continual support, you can feel better!
- Paula Ruth, Registered Nurse
As an Exercise Physiologist, I provide the knowledge, support and motivation to stay with an exercise
program to help each participant improve their physical and mental health. Proper
exercise will positively affect every aspect of your life. Our goal at Cardium Health is to recommend safe
and effective exercise to help manage any chronic condition, improve your health and help achieve
your goals.
- Rick Garay, Exercise Physiologist
As a certified diabetes educator, it is my passion to help people with diabetes better understand
the relationship of the many variables that impact their condition every day. Today, unlike
the past, an individual’s health and ultimate prevention of complications lies in their hands
with their doctor as a co-pilot. It is the decisions they make daily about dietary choices,
exercise, stress management, medication, blood sugar monitoring, and reaction to adverse
findings that ultimately effect short and long term health and wellbeing. With
a goal of independence in life, diabetes does not have to be a debilitating disease if it is managed
well along the road of life. It is my hope and mission to be supportive and informative for participants in whatever
aspect of this road they choose to walk.
- Betsy Guadian, RN, CDE, RD
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