TOP STORY > >Health and Wellness Center wins Governor’s Award

By Arlo Taylor
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

The 19th Medical Group’s Health and Wellness Center was awarded the 2009 Arkansas Governor’s Leadership in Fitness Award Nov. 13.

This is the second time the HAWC has been recognized as the winner of the Government Agency Award Category. Each year, the Arkansas Governor’s Council on Fitness and Baptist Heath recognize those individuals and organizations whose efforts affected the health and fitness of Arkansans.

“It’s great to have your work recognized. I think it great that the State of Arkansas recognizes fitness as being important. The HAWC’s job is very important we make sure people receive accurate and truthful health, nutrition and fitness information,” said Jeffrey Vaughn, the HAWC’s exercise physiologist.

The center has many programs available for free that some beneficiaries may pay for off base.

Classes cover a wide range of issues from nutrition counseling and smoking cessation services to diabetes self-management and push-up improvement classes. The staff’s focus is helping the Little Rock Air Force Base community - active-duty members, National Guard and Reserves, retirees and their families -- build healthy lifestyles.

“The HAWC is an intricate part of the health care provided by the 19th Medical Group, providing a holistic approach to medicine and our approach to disease management. The HAWC staff provides the 19th Medical Group the ability to treat the whole person and not just the disease,” said Lt. Col. Tom Morrison, 19th Aeromedical Squadron commander.

The bottom line is the health and wellness center is having a tremendous impact in cultivating a culture of fitness for our Airmen and their families.

“Our ability to affect lifestyle changes through education and practice increases our enrollee’s quality of life while decreasing health care cost. The HAWC staff provides professional fitness and nutrition counseling to more than 3,000 individuals per year, supplying educational resources to men and women enhancing their ability to take control of their own health,” Colonel Morrison said. “The tireless effort and unequal care provided by the HAWC staff provides our enrollees with the best health care in the state.”

Mr. Vaughn credits the tireless efforts of the center’s staff for the governor’s award recognition.

“Our HAWC impacts lots of individuals with a small staff. Any time you have 700 to 800 contact hours per week when we are at full staffing, that’s great with a staff of four people,” he said. “The staff as a team worked lots of extra hours (unpaid) because they have a passion for fitness and nutrition and care about the health and well being of airmen assigned to Little Rock Air Force Base.”

For more information about services provided by the health and wellness center, call 987-7288.