A Well City designation for Racine . . . what is it all about? It starts with knowing "What do all of the following businesses have in common"?

- Andis Company

- Bank of Elmwood

- City of Racine

- CNH America, LLC

- Kenneth Gould D.D.S.

- Educators Credit Union

- Gateway Technical College

- Goodwill Industries

- InSinkErator

- JohnsonDiversey

-Johnson Outdoors, Inc.

- Lincoln Lutheran of Racine

- Modine Manufacturing

- O&H Danish Bakery

- Putzmeister Inc.

- Racine County

- Racine Federated Inc.

- The Journal Times

- Racine Unified School District

- RAMAC

- Ruud Lighting Inc.

- The Prairie School

- Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-All Saints

- YMCA of Racine

These 24 businesses are all committed to the Well City Racine initiative. This initiative started as a Leadership Racine team project in January 2008. Ken Buser, president and CEO of Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-All Saints, supported this worthwhile project by hosting a CEO breakfast. This event engaged several community business leaders to improve the health and well being of their work force.

The primary Well City criteria is to have at least twenty signed CEO letters of commitment representing 20 percent of the employed workforce in Racine County, East of I-94. Each business committed to implement a results-oriented wellness program to achieve a Well Workplace Award designation from the Wellness Councils of America. There are currently over 900 companies nationally that have received this prestigious award. Ultimately, these wellness programs can help employees make better lifestyle choices and positively impact the organization's bottom line. Both the employer and the employees will be winners by lowering their healthcare costs.

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-All Saints was the first employer in Racine to achieve a Well Workplace Award in 2006. The Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare system recently received a Silver Well Workplace Award in November 2008 which is a three year designation.

The Well City designation is awarded when at least 20 community businesses with 20% of the employed workforce are working for Well Workplace winning companies. The Well City Racine strategic plan was approved by the Wellness Council of America in October 2008 - the Racine businesses have until Nov. 1, 2011, to successfully meet the requirements. There are currently ten cities in the nation that have been designated as Well Cities.

The Well City Racine initiative is being lead by a Task Force consisting of representatives from several of the businesses as well as County Executive William McReynolds and Roger Caron, president of RAMAC. If any organization is interested in becoming a part of this community initiative, please contact the Task Force co-chairs, Kim Polzin and Tarey Bernhard at

wellcityracine@wi.rr.com

The Well City Racine Task Force hopes that this powerful positive initiative will result in community awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. All of us should strive to have a healthier longer life. I encourage each Journal Times reader to take the first step by taking better care of yourselves! Start with one small change like eating more fruits and vegetables, choosing water instead of soda, or taking a 10-minute walk.

Begin by changing one thing successfully and then work on another. Be sure to ask your employer to make a commitment to the employees' wellness and the Racine community. A Well City Racine designation in 2011, now that is something that would make our community proud!

Tarey Bernhard RN, COHN-S and Licensed Corporate Wellcoach with Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-All Saints Business Relations Department.