MAY 22, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
KeizerCommunity
City tackles employee health
KEIZERTIMES.COM
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
The lower costs were sim-
ply an added perk.
When Machell DePina
and Kristen Brokaw, the two-
person Human Resources
department for the City of
Keizer, started a Health and
Wellness Incentive Program
for city employees last year,
they found options galore.
Out of 95 employees at the
city, 60 are taking part in the
program.
“We’re not giving up on
the other 35,” said DePina,
the HR director.
DePina and Brokaw, the
HR generalist for the city,
also didn’t want to fall into a
trap.
“A lot of government enti-
ties are looking at ways to re-
duce health care costs,” DePi-
na said. “They look at things
to build into their insurance
programs. If you do that, you
get lower rates. But it’s not
our culture. That’s not the
way we do things here. We
didn’t want to go down any
of those roads, to participate
only so you get lower insur-
ance rates.
“We didn’t want that cul-
ture,” she added. “We wanted
people to participate because
they choose to. We didn’t
want folks angry because they
had to be in or pay more for
their insurance.”
DePina said the criteria
got rid of a large number of
programs right away.
In July 2012, the Keizer
Police Department imple-
mented its Oregon Physi-
cal Abilities Test (ORPAT)
Incentive Program, a physi-
cal agility and skill course
designed to simulate police
chase and capture activities.
Those completing the course
receive an incentive bonus of
$250.
That’s nice, but not ex-
actly ideal for regular public
employees. After some re-
search, DePina and Brokaw
selected Portland-based Hub-
Above: Arturo
Madrid takes a big
bite of a lettuce
wrap prepared by
Kristen Brokaw,
while fellow utility
worker Juan Ale-
man looks on.
Right: Kristen
Brokaw explains
the ingredients for
her lettuce wraps
while serving them
to fellow city em-
ployees last week
in the break area at
Keizer Civic Center.
All photos courtesy
Machell DePina
bub Health to be the founda-
tion for the city’s program. It
costs employees $3 a month
to participate, which includes
personal health coaching, ac-
cess for family members and a
variety of activities to choose
from.
“We sent out a survey (to
employees) that if we de-
signed a program for the city,
what would you like to see, a
whole laundry list,” DePina
said. “Of course, everyone
wanted something different.
We knew we needed some-
thing super fl exible to get a
majority of employees in-
terested. We looked at every
program under the sun. We
looked at private and public
sector plans, free and paid. We
did not want a program to be
established and then sit on the
shelf. We were looking for
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something simple with vari-
ety, something we could easily
manage.”
Brokaw said there can be
up to 25 activities to choose
from at a time. While fi tness
is certainly a key option, this
isn’t a gym membership sub-
stitute.
“You have activity min-
utes,” Brokaw said. “What you
do in those minutes is up to
you. You can walk the dog or
walk with the kids. You can
log minutes in a gym. You can
log minutes pounding fences.
You can paddle up the Wil-
lamette River. There are a lot
of different activities. We have
a challenge to keep track of
minutes. The idea is the chal-
lenges are endless.”
That means challenges have
included drinking enough
water, taking vitamins, joining
a book club and even making
the bed in the morning.
No, really, that last one is
for real.
“You can say, ‘I did this’ and
it sets you on a positive path
for the day,” DePina said. “It
is just simple things like that.”
Employees are eligible for
a one-time $50 incentive for
creating an online account
and confi dentially entering
personal health information.
There are also fi nancial in-
centives based on minutes ac-
counted for. For example, 150
minutes in a two-week period
means a $10 incentive, while
600 minutes in the same time
period means a $15 incentive.
Earlier this year, city em-
ployees won a national Hub-
bub Health competition, a
two-week “Break for Recess”
challenge requiring employ-
ees to grab a co-worker and
go for walks. A total of 20 par-
ticipants logged 6,841 min-
utes of exercise to earn a $500
prize from Hubbub.
Much attention is paid to
education, including educa-
tion about healthy snacks. At
least twice a month, Brokaw
goes into the kitchen in the
break area and tries out a new
healthy recipe, then invites
employees to stop by and try
it.
“It is fun having everyone
be guinea pigs,” Brokaw said
with a laugh. “I’ll fi gure out
what works and what doesn’t.”
DePina said the snacks
have been popular, especially
when combined with regular
employee potlucks.
“We put out a spread with
informational items,” DePina
said. “Folks can come, stand
and try things. People talk
about it, share information
with others and tell what they
love and do not love.”
From the start, DePina and
Brokaw wanted to partner
with a company that would
keep employees interested.
“It needed to be an entity
that stays fresh and turns over
quickly,” DePina said. “If it
feels stale, people lose interest.
Hubbub was the best at hav-
ing something new going on
all the time.”
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Participants in last year’s drama camp practice blocking an
improv scene.
Register for choir, drama camps
Keizer students interested in singing and acting can sign up
now for the annual McNary Area choir and drama camps.
Camps are open to students entering fourth through ninth
grades and run July 13 through 17.
“We are in our sixth season of running the camps and each
year the attendance just keeps growing,” said Andy Thomas,
Whiteaker choir director and one of the camp instructors.
Last year, the camps reached 150 participants and had 13 in-
structors and assistants between the two camps, the most yet.
The choir portion runs from 9 a.m. to noon and the drama
camp runs from 12:30 to 3 p.m.
Kids are welcome to participate in just one of the camps or
both, but one feeds into the other.
Participants will get to work with Jim Taylor, choir director
at McNary High school, Thomas, three McNary choir graduates
and Angy Thomas, a middle school drama specialist
Drama camp exposes participants to teamwork, imagina-
tion, voice, pantomime and many other aspects of theatre.
Registration forms are available from music teachers at each
Keizer school, at McNary High School offi ce, the Whiteaker
main offi ce and via e-mail at thomas_andy@salkeiz.k12.or.us.
Registrations are due by June 5. Cost is $65 per camp which
includes a camp T-shirt and all materials.
Audition for the Bard’s
Midsummer production
Keizer Homegrown The-
atre is hosting auditions for its
production of A Midsummer
Night’s Dream Saturday, May 30,
at noon.
Auditions will be held at the
Keizer Civic Center gazebo
and hopefuls should bring a
prepared monologue.
The play will be an updated
take on the William Shake-
speare’s script featuring not-so-
young lovers who fall comically
in and out of love in a ridicu-
lously brief period of time. The
lovers in KHT’s version are se-
nior residents of a retirement
home who, chafi ng under the
expectation that they “act their
age,” run away to a place where
happiness is not dictated by
who or how old you are.
Additional audition in-
formation, specifi c character
descriptions and a download-
able audition form available at
www.keizerhomegrownthe-
atre.org
Community Band’s
fi nal concert set
The Keizer Community Band will present its fi nal concert of
the season on Wednesday, June 3, at 7 p.m. in the McNary High
School auditorium.
The 50-piece band, conducted by Michael Koenig is made
up of members from Keizer, Salem and surrounding communi-
ties. It’s members range in age from sixth grade through age 90.
The concert will include March From the Great Escape, Pirates
of the Caribbean, The Cowboys, Benny Goodman - King of Swing and
others. Admission and parking are free.
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Wednesdays
& Thursdays
Morning hours available
CALL 503- 983- 3092 or 503- 393-4437
WorshipDirectory
These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit.
Call to list your church in our Worship Directory: (503) 390-1051
John Knox Presbyterian Church
JOIN US FOR
SUNDAY WORSHIP
8:30 am • 10 am • 11:30 am • 6 pm
PEOPLESCHURCH
4500 LANCASTER DR NE | SALEM
503.304.4000 • www.peopleschurch.com
Celebration
Services
Saturday Evening
6:00 pm
Children’s Programs, Student and Adult Ministries
1755 Lockhaven Dr. NE Keizer
503-390-3900
www.dayspringfellowship.com
452 Cummings Lane North • 393-0404
Father Gary L. Zerr, Pastor
Saturday Vigil Liturgy: 5:30 p.m.
Sundays: 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
La Misa en Español: 12:30 p.m.
Rev. Dr. John Neal, Pastor
Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Education Hour - 10:00 a.m.
Nursery Care Available
www.keizerjkpres.org
Jason Lee UMC
820 Jeff erson St. NE
Salem OR 97301
9:00 am
Dr. Jon F. Langenwalter, Pastor
The church with the purple doors
10:45 am
Worship at 9:30 am • Child Care Available
Sunday Morning
and
503-364-2844
Faith Lutheran Church
4505 River Rd N • 393-4507
Sunday Schedule:
9:00 a.m. Children’s Church
9:15 a.m. Adult Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Children’s Activities
Pastor
Virginia Eggert 10:30 a.m. Worship with Communion