Everett James, PA Secretary of Health enjoyed selecting a healthy item from the menu at the East Mountain Inn's Wildflowers restaurant, an Eat Right, Right Here participating restaurant. Pictured L-R: Leslie Best, PA DOH Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction; Elizabeth Schaffer, Steps Community Health Coordinator; Nadine Howe, East Mountain Inn, General Manager; Mark Popeck, East Mountain Inn, Executive Chef and Secretary Everett James.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Visits
Luzerne County

Secretary of Health, Everett James, visited Luzerne County in April in celebration of National Public Health Week and to see, first hand, the efforts that the county has made to help make the healthy choice the easy choice where people live learn, earn, play and pray.

The Secretary began his visit with lunch at the East Mountain Inn where their restaurant, Wildflowers, participates in the Eat Right, Right Here program that helps restaurants label healthy menu items. Wildflowers Manager, Nadine Howe reported that this is a very popular program that is appreciated by their customers. "Nearly 35% of the entrees we served on Valentines Day were the healthy menu items - this is such a success that we have labeled our banquet and bar menus' items and will be working on our children's menu next" according to Ms. Howe. The program assists restaurants in offering and promoting healthy eating away from home by identifying menu items that provide healthy options thus enabling customers to make more informed choices while dining out.
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Janie Schneider, Assistant Administrator & Director of Personal Care at Wesley Village and Keith Chadwick, President of United Methodist Homes welcome Secretary James to the launch of Wesley Village's Employee Wellness program.

The Secretary then traveled to Wesley Village, Pittston, passing two Young Lungs At Play parks in Wilkes-Barre and Plains. Sec. James helped to launch the company's new staff wellness program with of a crowd of about 50 employees and guests. Following the launch, a panel of local employers shared their experiences providing workplace wellness programming then the Secretary led an open discussion on workplace.

Secretary James had a great time keeping up with the students as they enjoyed their CATCH Kids Club games; designed to give kids 30 minutes of continuous physical activity - half or their recommended daily amount.

Secretary James concluded his visit with a stop in Hazleton where the YM/WCA hosts School's Out, an after-school program at Heights Terrace Elementary and Middle School. The program features the CATCH Kids Club which teaches children skills and behaviors associated with maintaining healthy lifestyles.

"In Pennsylvania, chronic diseases, many of which can be prevented - account for nearly 80% of all health care expenditures. Organized wellness programs that focus on prevention improve productivity and help drive down health care costs" reported Secretary James. Steps to a HealthierPA Luzerne County, working with a wide variety of community partners, has helped to make all of the above wellness efforts in Luzerne County possible.

Dupont joins Young Lungs at Play along with Duryea, Edwardsville, Forty Fort, Hazleton, Kingston, Nescopeck Township, Plains, West Pittston, Wilkes-Barre City, West Wyoming and Wyoming. Together these towns have made 57 Luzerne County parks, playgrounds and recreation areas tobacco-free.

Young Lungs at Play Tobacco Free Parks & Playgrounds

Twelve Luzerne County municipalities have joined the "Young Lungs at Play" initiative; an effort to eliminate tobacco use from public parks, playgrounds and playing fields and putting an end to children's exposure to second hand smoke and nicotine pollution while they enjoy the out-of-doors. Any municipality or school district, even county government, may join this no cost tobacco free parks and playground initiative that has been proven successful in other parts of Pennsylvania and the country. This initiative helps to protect the environment, reduce maintenance costs and protects the health of everyone.

Steps assists municipalities or school districts in passing local ordinances, policies or resolutions that designate their public, outdoor recreation spaces to be tobacco-free by providing sample ordinances that have been successfully implemented elsewhere. Once passed, Steps then provides the municipality or school district with weather resistant Young Lungs at Play signs that can be posted in the designated smoke-free areas. Enforcement is up to the municipality however, the greatest benefit of this program is that it empowers park and playground users by giving them a voice to be able to say "See the sign - this is a smoke-free park" to anyone violating the ordinance.

For more information about the Young Lungs at Play initiative contact Mary Mazur, Steps Youth & School Coordinator.
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