MyMichigan Health offers life improvement program
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ALPENA -- MyMichigan Health, the Midland-based owner of Alpena's hospital, is now offering a virtual lifestyle health program for cardiovascular disease patients and its employees.
Called Pivio and costing $250, the 12-week program puts participants in a group setting in which experts in different medical fields, including lifestyle medicine leaders, discuss new techniques and habits that can change a person's lifestyle.
Jennifer Felten, lifestyle medicine project manager at MyMichigan Health, said six priorities help improve a person's lifestyle, including a healthy diet, regular physical activity, good sleep, stress management, avoiding potentially risky substances, and maintaining healthy social relationships.
How each person fits those priorities into their own life is important. Felten said.
"We had an employee who really liked to walk, but did not want to run," she said. "We said that you don't have to run and you can achieve steady physical activity through walking. We help figure out what physical activity works for you."
To help participants understand whether Pivio worked after the three-month run of the program, MyMichigan conducts biometric screenings and lab work on participants before and after to compare results.
"Everyone is a good candidate for lifestyle medicine," Felten said in a statement. "The majority of adults in the United States have at least one lifestyle factor that can be improved that will ultimately benefit their overall health or assist in managing a chronic disease or condition. During the Pivio program, participants will learn healthy, lasting habits that will bring about long-term, positive health results."
At the moment, only MyMichigan Health employees and patients with cardiovascular diseases can join Pivio, but Felten hopes the program will expand to other medical departments.
Pivio was previously called the Complete Health Improvement Program, or CHIP. The health system changed the name to give participants the mentality of pivoting lifestyles.
"This program gives people hope," Felten said. "It encourages them, because, through the 12 weeks, they'll see improvements and realize they actually can change their health."
Info sessions for the program will happen virtually at noon on Nov. 14 and 16. Anyone interested must register either at mymichigan.org/pivioinfosession or by calling 989-837-9090.