More on LI sign up to take a healthy challenge
Organizers Michelle Cohen, left, and Corinne McBride lead employees from the Certillman Balin law firm in East Meadow as they stroll through the corporate parking lot as part of a wellness program. (March 8, 2011) Credit: Kevin P Coughlin
For breakfast at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury Tuesday morning, the Action Long Island business group served bran muffins, fruit, juices, coffee and tea. There was an ambulance standing outside -- not "just in case," but for show. But then again, "just in case" maybe too.
And if all that was not healthy enough, ALI chairman Sheldon Sackstein announced that the Melville-based organization's second annual Corporate Challenge has signed up about 16,000 participants, up from about 7,500 last year.
The participants sign up for about six months of exercises programs, nutrition and wellness classes, which add points to their company's score. Last year, Melville-based Leviton Manufacturing won the Corporate Challenge Cup.
Sackstein made his announcement before an hourlong panel discussion on the current federal health care legislation. Moderator Kevin Dahill, president of the Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Council, noting how volatile the health care issue had become, recalled that last year police had to be called at a meeting on the matter held by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton). Dahill more recently flew back from Washington with Bishop. He told Bishop he was holding a health care meeting with Rep. Steve Israel (D-Dix Hills). Bishop urged caution.
"I told him not to worry," Dahill said. "Israel was doing it by teleconference."
Jokes aside, the panel noted the soaring costs of health care, and broadly concluded the key to keeping them down was wellness. Panelist Bob Nystrom, the former Islander hockey star who is now executive vice president of Melville-based Kinloch Consulting Group, said "a number" of companies are now reducing health care contributions for employees who participate in wellness programs.
Nystrom said there is "much more awareness" of wellness these days. "It cuts costs" for companies "and the employees benefit too," Nystrom said.
Sackstein also announced ALI hired a new operations director, Lisa Rosenthal of Port Jefferson, who had been a private consultant.
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