Hospital Employees Lose Weight, Get Free Health Insurance

Editor's note: The following is a press release from Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. 

Neither Liz Quinones nor Howie Manuel followed a magic formula to lose more than 30 pounds each in less than six months. Both Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital employees named healthy eating and working out as the keys to their success in losing the most weight in a hospital-sponsored healthy living contest.

In recognition of their achievement, both will receive free health insurance for a year – a prize valued at more than $1,200.

Quinones, director of patient access, lost almost 39 pounds. Manuel, senior physical therapist, lost 36 pounds. They were among 95 employees who lost more than 222 pounds in the hospital’s “Fit For Life Weight Loss Challenge.” The initiative launched in January as a way to promote lasting, healthy lifestyle changes through diet, nutrition and exercise.  

Both Quinones, of Romeoville, and Manuel, of Bolingbrook, thanked their colleagues for providing encouragement and support – in addition to some friendly competition.

“There was a lot of razzing in our department,” Quinones said. “We spurred each other on.”

Spiritually convicted that she needed to make a change in her life upon returning from the hospital’s mission trip to Costa Rica in January, Quinones began eating right and working out four to five times a week. Soon she was participating in 5K races and “super Spartan” obstacle races.

Manuel’s motivation was his family. He wanted to be “an active dad – not a couch potato” for his two children, a newborn and a 3 ½-year-old. Overcoming temptation proved difficult when his pregnant wife asked him to pick up snacks to satisfy her third-trimester cravings, but Manuel succeeded.

Rick Mace, chief executive officer of Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, congratulated Quinones, Manuel and all the other participants in the hospital’s wellness program. On average, participants lost six percent of their body weight.

“As caregivers ourselves, we share a responsibility to set a good example for our patients with our activities, nutrition and lifestyle choices,” Mace said. “We celebrate all of them and their tremendous success.”