In an effort to draw attention to employer-sponsored health promotion and chronic disease prevention, the American Heart Association is calling on employers across the country to establish health and physical activity initiatives such as walking during “National Workplace Wellness Week” (April 5-11, 2009).  This year the association’s National Start! Walking Day, which aims to get Americans up and moving for 30 minutes on April 8, will take place during the week.

“National Workplace Wellness Week” serves to encourage private and public employers across the country to invest in the health of their employees by creating worksite health promotion programs and to share their best practices with other employers. The week was initiated by the American Heart Association to raise awareness about the importance of wellness programs like Start! and to address the nation’s soaring healthcare costs, rising obesity rates, sedentary behavior and increasing prevalence of chronic disease.  It was introduced last year by U.S. Representatives Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) and Charles Boustany (R-LA) and established by the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Workplace wellness programs are critical to improving employee health, increasing productivity, reducing absenteeism and lowering health care costs,” said Craig Thorne, M.D., MPH, American Heart Association spokesperson.   “National Workplace Wellness Week” is an ideal time for employers to start investing in their employees by joining free programs like Start! and participating in National Start! Walking Day.”

More than a third of the working-age population in the United States is at risk for chronic illnesses due to physical inactivity and the nation’s obesity epidemic. The estimated cost of obesity and overweight related health conditions is $117 billion per year.  Just three chronic conditions, asthma, diabetes and hypertension, are associated with 164 million lost work days per year at a cost to employers of $30 billion.

The Start! initiative works with employers and the 135 million Americans in the workplace to create a culture of walking before, during or after work. It offers resources for employers to implement a walking program in the workplace and track employees’ progress in the program.  Start!’s Fit-Friendly Companies program recognizes companies for meeting criteria for employee fitness. More than 1,000 US companies have been recognized for demonstrating their commitment to promoting exercise and good nutrition in the workplace.

“Getting your employees to walk briskly for just 30 minutes a day can help lower chronic disease risk factors such as high blood pressure,” said Dr. Thorne.  “Educating them about basic cardiovascular disease prevention and developing health education programs that focus on lifestyle behavior change is a huge investment that will increase any company’s bottom line.”

For more information, visit “>http://www.americanheart.org/workplacewellness”>www.americanheart.org/workplacewellness or “>http://www.startmidlandssc.org/”>www.startmidlandssc.org.

About the American Heart Association

Founded in 1924, we’re the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke.  To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health.  To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit “>http://www.americanheart.org/”>americanheart.org.

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From the 1990 Album “Brigade” It was a rainy night when he came into sight Standing by the road, no umbrella, no coat So I pulled up along side and I offered him a ride He accepted with a smile so we drove for a while I didn’t ask him his name, this lonely boy in the rain Fate tell me it’s right, is this love at first sight Please don’t make it wrong, just stay for the night All I wanna do is make love to you Say you will you want me too All I wanna do is make love to you I’ve got lovin …

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“The Lord is the Strength of my Life” (Psalm 27:1). How strong is the Lord? The Lord is ALL Powerful, one of His names is Almighty. That means that He is All Powerful! He doesn’t lack the power to perform any miracle.  

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

All things are possible because He is:

1. He is all powerful to preform all miracles.

2. He is all knowing, He knows how to make happen what mankind could never figure out.
/>3. He is all present. Where ever He is needed for a miracle to happen. He is there to perform the miracle.  

I have some very good news.

For with God nothing will be impossible to heal.
For with God nothing will be impossible to prosper.
For with God nothing will be impossible in your life.
For with God nothing will be impossible in 2009.

For with God nothing will be impossible. He is not a respecter of persons. If He said it to one He says it to you. Only believe. He is powerful to perform miracles for you.

Think of this, if the devil can cause great distress, poverty and sickness then how much more can Jesus who is All Powerful do for you! However, Jesus will only do good. He will only give Peace because He is the Prince of Peace. He will only give prosperity because He came to give life and life more abundantly. He will only come to heal because by His stripes we are healed!

This All Powerful One is in you!

When you accepted the sacrifice of Jesus (His death on the cross, His burial, His ascent into heaven on the fortieth day after the Resurrection) when you made Him Lord of your life and when you were born again, He came into your heart.  Now you cannot fail again because your Savior Who is All Powerful, lives in you.

Because of His presence in you it is impossible for you not to be more than a conqueror, abounding in victory and fearless in the face of any challenge. You cannot be defeated because Jesus your Strength lives in you.

I Jn. 4:4 “Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.”

Jesus in you is greater than the devil.
Jesus in you is greater than anything the devil can throw at you.
Jesus in you is greater than any sickness, disease or infirmity you may face.
Jesus in you is greater than any financial lack.
Jesus in you is greater!
Jesus lives in you. Jesus is the same in you as He was 2,000 years ago.

He overcame everything that was in opposition to Him 2,000 years ago and He has not changed. He is the same today. Inside you and through you, He desires to overcome every the devil is coming against you with today that you are facing.

He is your strength. Call on Him. Give Him permission to move in power in your life, your body, your finances and your relationships. Thank Him for working quickly, thank Him for being so faithful, thank Him for His goodness and mercy to you. Rejoice that He is moving on your behalf. This is faith, calling those things that are not as though they were.

“The Lord is the Strength of my Life” (Psalm 27:1). What is your life? The part of your life you have allowed Him to be Lord of is the part He can be the Strength of. Trust Him with you whole life and watch His Strength empower and infuse it with His life.

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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Mike and Denise Hartmann-Echterling. © Hart To Heart Ministries. Website: www.h2hm.org

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From their 1985 self titled album the video for “These Dreams” Spare a little candle, save some light for me. Figures Up ahead moving in the trees. White skin in linen, Perfume on my wrist, and the full moon that hangs over These dreams in the mist. CHORUS These dreams go on when I close my eyes. Every second Of the night, I live another life. These dreams that Sleep when it’s cold outside, every moment I’m awake, The further I’m away. Is it cloak and dagger, could it be Spring or Fall? I …

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About Author

Mike and Denise Hartmann-Echterling and their daughter Michelle have flown from one end of North America to the other preaching, teaching, and singing in revival services, churches, camp-meetings, conferences, seminars and Christian TV programs. Hart to Heart Ministries is about winning souls to the Kingdom of God. Mike and Denise Hartmann-Echterling has just one motive… to share their heart with people. It is a heart that is full of love for God and it is a heart that is full of love for people.

Mike and Denise Hartmann-Echterling’s passion is for people to see the wonderful heights that God has made available to them through Jesus Christ. Mike and Denise’s clear and concise teaching of God’s word and her God-given gifting to lead people into the depths of worship allow people to experience the unending love God has for them.

Hamilton Health Care System and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia have reached an agreement to provide health care services for the University System of Georgia.

The agreement will allow any of the 50,000 employees and retirees of the university system, including those at Dalton State College, to receive care at either Hamilton Medical Center or Murray Medical Center as part of Blue Cross’ preferred provider organization (PPO) network. The agreement will also mean university employees and retirees will have access to more than 200 physicians in the area, according to Blue Cross.

In a statement, Blue Cross said Hamilton placed talks to cover all of Blue Cross’ PPO customers on hold on July 14. But Hamilton and Physicians Health Services, which represents almost all of the area’s doctors, say they will begin negotiations next month with Blue Cross and other major health insurance companies that may bring the hospitals and local doctors into those companies’ PPO networks.

“We are planning to start having language discussions, contract language discussions next month,” said David McCreery, president of Physicians Health Services. “That is the first step. Depending on how quickly they are willing to move on that, we are ready to proceed with at least the four major players in the marketplace.”

McCreery says those companies are Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Aetna and Cigna, the four largest health insurance companies nationwide.

“We plan to actively contact them, not just sit back and wait on them to call us,” he said.

Hamilton, and many local doctors, do not currently accept those major plans.

“We want the community to know we have heard the community’s request to access our services through a wider variety of insurance plans, and we are working hard to extend our relationship with Blue Cross and other national insurers,” said Hamilton CEO John Bowling.

Will having reached an agreement on university employees make it easier for Hamilton and Blue Cross to reach an overall agreement?

“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia has approached the two discussions independently of one another and does not feel that one discussion will impact the other,” Blue Cross said in the statement.

Bowling says that the university agreement might make it a bit easier since each side is now more familiar with each other’s concerns.

“The caveat would be that this is a Board of Regents matter. Therefore, they control it, not Blue Cross. Blue Cross just serves as a third party administrator. Blue Cross is not the payer there, and where Blue Cross is the payer, there’s likely to be some different contractual language,” he said.

Hamilton and Physicians Health Services say clinical integration — developing a common set of clinical protocols for all physicians — will be key to contract negotiations. They had set a deadline of July 31 to complete that process.

“The plan was to try to do that. It was really a deadline requested by the Chamber of Commerce. We are running a little behind that schedule. There have been some unanticipated difficulties with the information systems of the physicians,” said McCreery. “But we have made a lot of progress. We are getting real close to saying that we are clinically integrated. We’re trying to make sure the difficulties we have encountered don’t slow down our ability to engage in the contracting process.”

In April, several local business leaders sent a letter to Bowling asking for local health care providers to take part in a larger number of health insurance networks.

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What are some cheap health insurance companies?
My mom is a single mom with 3 kids and a mom with Dementia that she is taking care of and a daughter that has disease. She does things for us but doesn't worry about herself. I am worried about her health. She does not have insurance. She needs cheap but good insurance,any ideas?