CARE CHOICES AND ST. MARY MERCY HOSPITAL SUPPORT DAY OF FAMILY FUN, FITNESS

Event helps families understand role of exercise in staying healthy

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., April 14, 2005—In an effort to encourage families to make fitness a priority, Care Choices HMO is teaming up with the Livonia Community Recreation Center and St. Mary Mercy Hospital to offer free fitness activities and health education on Sunday, May 1, from noon until 4 p.m.

Through the Care Choices Fit Families, Healthy Future program, all youths ages 17 and under can participate for free in this event, which is endorsed by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports. Children age 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Adult members of Care Choices HMO or Preferred Choices PPO who show their health plan ID card can participate for free. Admission for all other participating adults is $3 per person.

Kids and their parents will be able to explore the water playground, complete with a lazy river and 250' water slide; face the challenges offered by the climbing wall (1 to 3 p.m. only); run around the indoor track and open gym (2 to 3 p.m. only); and discover the twists and turns of the giant indoor play structure. There will also be games, prizes and healthy snacks, courtesy of Busch’s and Natural Ovens Bakery. Medical professionals from St. Mary Mercy Hospital and Care Choices will provide free body mass index checks and blood pressure screenings for ages five and up, as well as health education information.

The Livonia Community Recreation Center is located at 15100 Hubbard, one half mile east of Farmington, south of Five Mile. Bring a swimsuit, towel, play clothes and sneakers. For more information on the event, call 1-800-852-9780.

“Care Choices focuses on making a difference in the health and well-being of the communities we serve,” said Gilbert Burgos, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer of Care Choices. “We believe in encouraging families to find different fitness activities that they can enjoy together and to find ways to work fitness into their schedules on a regular basis.”

Care Choices and its partners are, by encouraging physical fitness and healthy eating habits, helping to fight what is considered by some experts to be one of the greatest medical risks faced by American children and their parents today—obesity. The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent are overweight, or triple what the proportion was in 1980. The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults is 19.8 percent, which reflects a 61 percent increase since 1991 alone.

Obesity increases a person’s risk for a number of serious health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and some types of cancer, according to the CDC. Studies show that vigorous exercise burns calories to help fight obesity. Other benefits of regular physical activity are enhanced academic performance, creativity and imagination and a positive self-image.

Care Choices HMO is a nonprofit health care organization and a subsidiary of Trinity Health, one of the nation’s leading providers of health care services. Since 1986, Care Choices has been providing quality health care to its thousands of members throughout Michigan. Care Choices offers a broad, fully integrated network of physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals all sharing a strong commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves by delivering effective and affordable health care. Care Choices HMO maintains the highest rating available of Excellent by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and holds a B+ financial-strength rating from A.M. Best Co.

St. Mary Mercy Hospital is a 304-bed community hospital that provides acute-care medical and health services including: medical/surgical care, intensive/cardiac care, oncology/radiation therapy, maternity, women’s health, diagnostic services, physical medicine and rehabilitation, behavioral medicine, child care, 24-hour emergency care, Fast Track and community health education. St. Mary Mercy Hospital is a member of Trinity Health.