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From left: BWPO's Adam Licurse, Jessica Dudley, Jeff Greenberg, Bill Johnston, Casey Steiger, Karl Laskowski and Kelly Fanning, with their fitbits
Joshua Kosowsky, MD, clinical director of the Emergency Department, says his conversations with patients have taken on a new quality ever since signing on to the Brigham and Women's Physicians Organization (BWPO) Fitness Challenge pilot earlier this year.
"When counseling patients about the value of exercise, the conversations feel more grounded now," said Kosowsky, who is co-chair of the BWH Physicians Council, a group of physicians that develops and supports activities in the areas of volunteerism, leadership and work life. "I can empathize with them about the challenges of getting started on an exercise regimen and also about how satisfying it can ultimately be."
For the last two years, the council has worked to develop programs to help BWPO physicians improve their overall health and sense of well-being. Council members heard about Dermatology's successful exercise challenge using pedometers and decided to give it a try on a larger scale.
With the help of 500 Fitbits-small, wireless activity trackers-purchased and distributed to faculty and administrators across different departments, participants recently wrapped up the first of two eight-week challenges. They will begin the second phase later this month.
During the first challenge, 60 teams competed for the highest average number of steps per team. The second phase will be more individualized, encouraging all participants to increase their exercise by 3,000 steps each week, which amounts to about an extra 1.5 miles of activity per week.
Casey Steiger, a BWPO project manager who helped organize the challenge, said the feedback she's received from participants has far exceeded her expectations. More than 90 percent of participants who responded to a data poll say they are glad they are participating, and more than 80 percent of participants increased their exercise as a result of the challenge.
"The success stories bring a smile to my face," said Steiger. "For the second challenge, I hope to hear even more of these stories."
One of the best parts of the challenge for Jessica Dudley, MD, chief medical officer of the BWPO and co-chair of the BWH Physicians Council, has been seeing teammates connect with each other in ways they weren't able to before.
The challenge has even inspired others beyond the BWPO, including participants' family members and friends, to purchase their own pedometers and track their exercise progress.
"The fitness challenge has made a lot of us more conscious of our level of activity," Kosowsky said. "And when you're more aware of your physical activity, you can't help but think about your eating and sleeping habits, too, all of which lead to better overall health."
Kosowsky and Dudley said they hope the challenge can be expanded into a hospital-wide initiative in the future.