Autumn 2011

Inside this issue:

Meet Andy Wood ..........2

Workstation Tips ...........2

Desk Yoga ....................3

Functional Fitness ........3

Fighting the Flu .............4

Working WellThe Newsletter of the Occupational Medicine Department

Occupational Medicine: Working together to support your business and the health of your employees

Dedicated staff, combined with clinical and worksite-based services, open sched-uling, and easy access to expert care define Olmsted Medical Center’s Occupa-tional Medicine Services.

Businesses can count on the Occupational Medi-cine team to meet the healthcare needs of their employees.

Services Provided:

Work-Related ServicesPre-placement Exams• Ergonomic Evaluation• Functional Capacity • EvaluationsReturn to Work Exams• Blood & Body Fluid • Exposure TrainingPulmonary Function • Testing

Injury Evaluation/• Worker’s Compensa-tionVision & Hearing • Screenings

EducationWeight & Nutrition• Blood-borne Patho-• gens (29CFR Part 1910)Injury Prevention• Health & Wellness•

Worksite ServicesHealth Fairs• Biometric Screenings • & RecommendationsFunctional Job • DescriptionsImmunizations

Influenza (flu)• Tuberculosis skin • testsHepatitis A & B•

Drug-Free WorkplaceDrug and Alcohol • Testing & CollectionsDOT (49CFR Part 40) • & Non-DOT ExamsServices Available • 24/7DATIA-accredited • Facility

Regulatory ExamsDOT (Department of • Transportation)FMCSA• FAA• OSHA• Respiratory Surveil-• lance (29CFR Part 1910)Proactive Surveilliance • & Monitoring

Health Tip of the Month

Find out what you can do in five minutes or less to make a difference to your health and safety—and take action!

Here are some things you can do to protect yourself and your family:

Wash hands • (20 seconds)

Buckle up • (4 seconds)

Make an appoint-• ment (2 minutes)

Visit www.cdc.gov for more information!

Place the monitor 18” to 23” from • your eyes (or an arm’s reach with the palm facing the monitor) de-pending on the type of screen and your own vision conditions.The top of the monitor should be • slightly below horizontal eye level. If you wear bi-focals the monitor should be lower, similar to how you would read a newspaper.Tilt the top of the monitor away from • you at a 10- to 20-degree angle.Remember to “clean the screen” to • keep your monitor clear of finger-prints and dust.Your feet should be flat on the • floor with your knees greater than 90 degrees.

Working WellPage 2 Autumn 2011 Page 3

Workstation Arrangement Tips from Andy Wood

Spotlight on Our Staff: Andy WoodIn 2011, Andrew (Andy) Wood joined OMC, bringing his expertise in work-place ergonomics, wellness, and work hardening (preparing to return to work).

Andy Wood received his Bach-elor’s Degree in biology from Ham-line University, St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1977. He completed his profes-sional training in Physical Therapy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minne-sota, in 1979. He practiced physical therapy for two years in Montrose, Colorado, working in acute ortho-pedic care and cardiac rehabilita-tion. Upon returning to Minnesota, he completed his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy with an emphasis in exercise physiology in 1982 at the University of Minnesota.

Andy was the Manager of Health Promotion and Ergonomics at Gener-

If you are in a sedentary job at work, you may have experienced stiffness, headaches, back pain, sore shoul-ders, and tired eyes.

Taking a few minutes every day to stretch at your desk can help to relieve stress, increase productivity, and, most importantly, help you feel better.

Cat and Cow Stretch

Bring both feet flat on the • floor.

Desk Yoga, Anyone?Bring your hands onto your • knees.On an inhale, arch the back • and look up toward the ceiling.On the exhale, round the • spine and let your head dropforward.• Repeat for 3-5 breaths.•

For more ideas on how to stay active at your desk, contact the Occupational Medicine department at 507.292.7186 or occmed@olmmed.org.

What is termed “functional fitness” may seem trendy, but it has stay-ing power. It is part of the updated adult physical activity recommenda-tions from the American College of Sports Medicine (June 2011) that suggest functional fitness training two or three days per week for 20-30 minutes a day. Functional fit-ness involves balance, agility, co-ordination, and gait skills. The goal is to better prepare your body for every-day tasks such as reaching up for a can on a high shelf or holding your baby while shutting a door.

Squat and LiftStand with your feet wide and hands down in front of you. Squat down, moving your rear backwards. Keep your knees over your ankles, and your head up and back straight.

Functional Fitness: Conditioning Your Body for Everyday Tasks

Return to the start position and lift your hands over your head with your arms straight. Repeat.

For extra effort, do this while hold-ing a medicine ball or some weights in your hands.

Stair Climb and CurlStart at the bottom of a stairway. Climb the stairs while performing bi-cep curls. Walk down the stairs with arms down at your sides. Repeat.

For extra effort, do this while hold-ing light weights.

Diagonal ReachStand tall while holding light weights in your hands. Lift the weights diago-nally overhead to the right, straight-ening your arms while extending your

left leg to the side. You will have a diagonal line from the weights down to your foot. Repeat this in the oppo-site direction.

Modified PlankBegin by lying on your stomach. Lift your body up onto your forearms and toes. Try to keep your body as straight as possible. Lift one foot off the floor and move it away from the other foot. Return it to the middle and place your foot back down to the floor. Repeat with the opposite foot.

*Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any exercise program. The information contained here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

As OMC’s Injury Prevention and Wellness Specialist, Andy develops injury prevention programs, con-ducting functional assessments, and developing wellness programs for OMC’s Occupational Medicine and Rehabilitation Services clients.

Andy has authored several arti-cles and given presentations on the development assessment of health promotion and ergonomics programs in industry. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Associa-tion, the American College of Sports Medicine, the Human Factors and Er-gonomics Society, and the National Wellness Association. In his spare time Andy enjoys competitive cross-country skiing, hiking, fishing, hunt-ing, dog-training, working on antique automobiles, and working on his fam-ily farm near Rock Dell, Minnesota.

al Mills, Inc., for more than 25 years. He was responsible for managing and coordinating health promotion activities for manufacturing and field sales, advising on musculoskeletal injury prevention and ergonomics, and treating employees with mus-culoskeletal injuries in the corporate medical department.

From 2008 to 2010, he was Di-rector of Ergonomics and Corporate Solutions at Muve, Inc., in Roches-ter, where he was responsible for developing and implementing ac-tivity-based wellness programs for corporate clients along with sales and account management. After leaving Muve, Andy ran his own company, Ergonomics and Well-ness Consultants Inc., consulting with several large companies in er-gonomics and wellness.

Your back should be snug against • the seat to fit your spinal contour. Thigh-to-trunk angle should be greater than 90 degrees.Your elbows should be bent at 90 • to 110 degrees with your wrists in a straight or neutral position. A wrist rest maybe helpful to protect your wrist from the hard surface of the desk and maintain a neutral position.The mouse should be positioned • right next to the keyboard.Most importantly, remember to take • frequent mini-breaks every 20 to 30 minutes. One or two minutes of stretching and even looking away can help with your comfort and in-crease your productivity.

Olmsted Medical Center is pleased to offer work-site flu shots for your company for the low price of $25 per dose.

To schedule your com-pany’s worksite flu-shot clinic, please call our Corporate Care Flu Shot line at 507.292.7177 or e-mail occmed@olmmed.org for more details.

Worksite Flu Vaccines

Flu season is here, which means it’s time to prepare. To keep yourself and those around you healthy this season, there are some simple things you can do:

Wash your hands often with soap and water • or hand sanitizer.Cover your cough and sneezes with a tissue • or your elbow.Avoid close contact with sick people.• If you are sick, stay home for at least 24 hours • after your fever is gone.If you are sick, limit contact with others to keep • them from getting sick.Get vaccinated!•

210 Ninth Street SE

Rochester, MN 55904

AH-CHOO! Fight the Flu this Season

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Working Well is a quarterly newsletter produced by Olmsted Medical Center’s Occupational Medicine department. To be added to or removed from our

mailing list, contact us at 507.292.7186 or occmed@olmmed.org.