Features Editor

Nov. 15, 2000 10 PM

With an hour left in the Sikorsky Support Services Inc. Wellness Fair Tuesday, almost 90 percent of the industry’s employees had taken advantage of the opportunity to get health checks that could alert them to possible health concerns.

Michelle Ward, human resource director for SSSI, said the health checks proved to be timely, in that several employees were found to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

"These problems could be caused by sedentary lifestyles, smoking and/or poor eating habits," she said. "Doing something about these concerns now can help prevent chronic problems later on."

The Wellness Fair offered blood sugar checks, body fat analysis, sickle cell anemia tests, blood pressure checks and health instruction including self breast exams.

Terry Watkins, education outreach coordinator for Edge Regional Medical Center, said

preventive measures are far less expensive than treating and taking care of a chronic illness once it occurs.

"The Wellness Fair is an example of how industries, like Sikorsky, are impressing on their employees the value of regular checkups," Watkins said. "It’s good for the employees and it’s good for the industry."

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and, with that in mind, more businesses and industries are making convenient health checks and screening available to their employees.

The employees at Sikorsky were allowed time during the work day to take advantage of the health checks.

"Our employees are given time to participate in the Wellness Fair as part of their work day, Ward said. "That way, they know that Sikorsky feels health checkups are important. We had excellent participation, so that shows that our employees are thinking wellness, too."

Ward expressed appreciation to all of those who made the Wellness Fair possible – Edge Regional Medical Center, Pike Internal Medicine, Southeast Alabama Sickle Cell Foundation, Troy Health and Fitness Center and the Pike County Extension System.

"A very special thanks to Tony Scott, who was a facilitator," Ward said. "By everyone working together and with the support of our employees, the SSSI Wellness Fair was a great success."