Hobart, Indiana
Small Town Big Results
The Well City USA project in Hobart was born out of a magazine article passed on to Milt Triana, CEO of St. Mary’s Medical Center, who then shared the article and the idea of Well City USA with Hobart Mayor Linda Buzinec. “Both became very excited about the idea of becoming a Well City USA,” says Patrick Midkif, Vice President of Planning and Business Development at St. Mary’s Medical Center and a leader in the Well City project. “I think they saw it as a natural fit for the City of Hobart—they saw both the quality of life issues and the productivity issues that stood to benefit the whole community.”
Setting out to make their big idea a reality, Triana and Mayor Buzinec partnered with the Wellness Council of Indiana and set the wheels in motion for Hobart’s Well City USA initiative.
Rallying the Crowd
Because Hobart is comprised largely of small businesses, it took some work convincing local business leaders that this project was right for them. “After we were able to convince a couple of employers of how much it would help their employees,” says AC Costello, an employee of St. Mary’s who worked almost exclusively on the project, “the initiative pretty much began flying on its own.”
To help introduce the concept of worksite wellness and the possibilities it held for businesses and the business community at large, the Wellness Council of Indiana hosted several Well Workplace Universities. “I think it really helped getting down to the nitty-gritty of wellness and the Well City project,” recalls Midkif. “Companies came away from the Well Workplace Universities really motivated and inspired. Each time we held one, more and more people joined in the movement.”
In an initiative that takes several years to reach fruition, it is vitally important that participants remain focused on their goals. Triana and Mayor Buzinec continued their efforts to keep the project on course. Wherever they were, both had the ability to rally the crowd. Making public announcements, meeting one-on-one with local business leaders, and hosting community meetings played an integral role in the overall success of the project.
Leading the State
Located in Northwest Indiana, an area that often struggled with its health indicators, Hobart’s major health risks weren’t good. In fact, a report issued just before the Well City USA campaign was initiated, indicated that Lake County, including the City of Hobart, was leading the state in incidence of heart disease and cancer. A while later, numbers on obesity and lack of exercise were released. They too, weren’t promising. Midkif believed that these indicators played a huge role in motivating Hobart to take action early on, remarking that, “the numbers spoke for themselves.”
A Turnaround
Over the course of Hobart’s Well City project—and in the days since—Hobart has seen a reversal in what were some rather disturbing trends for Northwest Indiana.
“I see it in our indicators,” says Midkif. “We’ve actually improved on several health status factors. Employers have indeed seen an impact—and are now striving for even better results.”
Beyond the Numbers
In addition to the improved health and well-being of thousands of its citizens, the City of Hobart has experienced a number of changes in the overall climate within the business community. Explains Midkif, “We’ve seen a handful of our businesses continue to grow and develop their wellness programs, even in the midst of some restrictive financial situations from the city perspective. Many of these companies are changing their programs to include longer hours at their facilities, as well as adding additional services for their employees.”
From a community perspective, Hobart has taken pride in its achievement and sees its Well City USA designation as playing an integral role in the overall economic viability of the community. “There’s the obvious factors of people becoming healthier within their own businesses,” says Midkif, “but when you look across the community, you can see just how these efforts have truly mushroomed and become a part of the way we do business. And because of this, our Chamber of Commerce has used Well
City USA as a way to promote and draw more businesses to Hobart.”
A Well Future
Hobart’s plans for the future include the expansion of the project from the business community to the community at large, and eventually, beyond the city gates. “I think that it’s already happening,” say Midkif. “Through organizations like our City Parks Department and the YMCA, our community is continually being exposed to health promotion, and people are catching on.”
Well City USA Award Stat Sheet
1. City/Project: Hobart Well City
2. Month & Year Designated: October, 2000
3. Population:
Current: 21,000
4. Top 5 Industries within Community:
1. Manufacturing
2. Health Care
3. Retail
4. Services
5. Education
5. Number of Well Workplaces Participating: Total: 20
6. Number of Employees within Well City Project: 5,000
Small Town Big Results
The Well City USA project in Hobart was born out of a magazine article passed on to Milt Triana, CEO of St. Mary’s Medical Center, who then shared the article and the idea of Well City USA with Hobart Mayor Linda Buzinec. “Both became very excited about the idea of becoming a Well City USA,” says Patrick Midkif, Vice President of Planning and Business Development at St. Mary’s Medical Center and a leader in the Well City project. “I think they saw it as a natural fit for the City of Hobart—they saw both the quality of life issues and the productivity issues that stood to benefit the whole community.”
Setting out to make their big idea a reality, Triana and Mayor Buzinec partnered with the Wellness Council of Indiana and set the wheels in motion for Hobart’s Well City USA initiative.
Rallying the Crowd
Because Hobart is comprised largely of small businesses, it took some work convincing local business leaders that this project was right for them. “After we were able to convince a couple of employers of how much it would help their employees,” says AC Costello, an employee of St. Mary’s who worked almost exclusively on the project, “the initiative pretty much began flying on its own.”
To help introduce the concept of worksite wellness and the possibilities it held for businesses and the business community at large, the Wellness Council of Indiana hosted several Well Workplace Universities. “I think it really helped getting down to the nitty-gritty of wellness and the Well City project,” recalls Midkif. “Companies came away from the Well Workplace Universities really motivated and inspired. Each time we held one, more and more people joined in the movement.”
In an initiative that takes several years to reach fruition, it is vitally important that participants remain focused on their goals. Triana and Mayor Buzinec continued their efforts to keep the project on course. Wherever they were, both had the ability to rally the crowd. Making public announcements, meeting one-on-one with local business leaders, and hosting community meetings played an integral role in the overall success of the project.
Leading the State
Located in Northwest Indiana, an area that often struggled with its health indicators, Hobart’s major health risks weren’t good. In fact, a report issued just before the Well City USA campaign was initiated, indicated that Lake County, including the City of Hobart, was leading the state in incidence of heart disease and cancer. A while later, numbers on obesity and lack of exercise were released. They too, weren’t promising. Midkif believed that these indicators played a huge role in motivating Hobart to take action early on, remarking that, “the numbers spoke for themselves.”
A Turnaround
Over the course of Hobart’s Well City project—and in the days since—Hobart has seen a reversal in what were some rather disturbing trends for Northwest Indiana.
“I see it in our indicators,” says Midkif. “We’ve actually improved on several health status factors. Employers have indeed seen an impact—and are now striving for even better results.”
Beyond the Numbers
In addition to the improved health and well-being of thousands of its citizens, the City of Hobart has experienced a number of changes in the overall climate within the business community. Explains Midkif, “We’ve seen a handful of our businesses continue to grow and develop their wellness programs, even in the midst of some restrictive financial situations from the city perspective. Many of these companies are changing their programs to include longer hours at their facilities, as well as adding additional services for their employees.”
From a community perspective, Hobart has taken pride in its achievement and sees its Well City USA designation as playing an integral role in the overall economic viability of the community. “There’s the obvious factors of people becoming healthier within their own businesses,” says Midkif, “but when you look across the community, you can see just how these efforts have truly mushroomed and become a part of the way we do business. And because of this, our Chamber of Commerce has used Well
City USA as a way to promote and draw more businesses to Hobart.”
A Well Future
Hobart’s plans for the future include the expansion of the project from the business community to the community at large, and eventually, beyond the city gates. “I think that it’s already happening,” say Midkif. “Through organizations like our City Parks Department and the YMCA, our community is continually being exposed to health promotion, and people are catching on.”
Well City USA Award Stat Sheet
1. City/Project: Hobart Well City
2. Month & Year Designated: October, 2000
3. Population:
4. Top 5 Industries within Community:
1. Manufacturing
2. Health Care
3. Retail
4. Services
5. Education
5. Number of Well Workplaces Participating: Total: 20
6. Number of Employees within Well City Project: 5,000
