Charles Jones, MBA is a Senior Patient Services Specialist and Administrative Assistant, for the Eskind Diabetes/Endocrinology Clinic in Franklin, TN and a Volunteer, Wellness Commodore for Health Plus, the Vanderbilt Health and Wellness Program for Faculty and Staff. Here, he discusses his commitment to healthy hearts in Tennessee, and how our community can support projects dedicated to improving the health of people across the state.
I completed the Body for Life fitness competition, based on the book with the same title by Bill Phillips in the Y2K era. This changed my life forever! I started exercising consistently and watching what I ate. This put me on the path to eating healthier and working out religiously.
I have been involved with several different non-profits to raise awareness, to educate people about the diseases and their impact, and fundraise for the past 10 years. These include the March of Dimes, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Colon Cancer Alliance Undy Run, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association. Specifically, I have had fundraising campaigns for the ADA, and JDRF to help them in their mission to raise awareness of Diabetes, to help patients to manage it, and to fund the research to help to find a cure for the disease.
Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in Tennessee, and America! In 2015, I initiated and implemented the Heart Healthy Luncheon six years ago in my department at work, the Vanderbilt Diabetes/Endocrinology clinic to educate the staff members about the seriousness of heart disease. I felt that the best approach to this was to focus on the diet. For 2020, I have decided to focus on fitness also.
This is an endeavor as a Wellness Commodore. The Wellness Commodore is a representative for Health Plus, the Vanderbilt Health and Wellness program for Faculty and Staff. We volunteer to represent the wellness center to encourage our co-workers to live healthier lives. I was honored to be selected to be featured in the video “Game Plan for Your Health” in 2015. Viewing the video was the last step (Gold), for the Vanderbilt Medical Center staff members (20,000 +), to complete the “Go for the Gold” wellness incentive program to receive all the incentive credits to be awarded for their health insurance benefits. The staff members will have the opportunity to have the “Know Your Numbers” completed by the Health Plus staff at the Luncheon as part of the assessment for Go for the Gold.
Reviewing the root cause analysis of heart disease; diet and fitness levels are contributing factors. To change the statistics of the high mortality rate, I felt that we must start somewhere by having the conversation. This is done through education, by empowering ourselves with the information. The process is a journey for everyone. Some people are more intrinsically motivated than other people are. You do your best to inform people with the information and they have to decide if the investment is worth the sacrifice to improve their health. A person can make the investment in their health now or pay for it later. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Some diseases coexist and improvement in one disease, may benefit another one. The American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association have joined forces in a national campaign to help people that are impacted by both diseases. For more information visit: www.KnowDiabetesbyHeart.org
The American Heart Association’s impact goal has been to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20%, while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent, by 2020. Let’s review how has the AHA did in trying to reach these goals. 80 percent of heart disease and stroke can be prevented! Heart-healthy habits reduce cancer risks by 38 percent.
Every 40 seconds someone has a heart attack or stroke! This drives the urgency that we must hear the call to action. Friday February 7th is the National Wear Red Day, as designated by the American Heart Association to raise awareness of heart disease. Women are impacted by heart disease differently than men, for more information, visit www.GoRedForWomen.org. I agree with the motto of the American Heart Association: “Life is why. We raise awareness, wear red, advocate, and fund research”
My goal has been to get businesses to partner with me to stand up and be counted to indicate that they are joining forces to fight this disease. This can be carried out through sponsorship/partnership, offering coupons, donate items for door prizes, provide heart healthy snacks etc. On February 13, I am a hosting Luncheon ‘Lunch and Learn’ event. We want to know how we can prevent this disease within ourselves, our family members, our co-workers, our church members etc.
“We have to be the change that we want to see.” – Mahatma Gandhi
To find out how you can be involved, please contact Charles Jones Charles.Jones@vumc.org
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