Montgomery County Public Schools and Kaiser Permanente Celebrate Results of MCPS on the Move Fitness Competition

Program promotes health and fitness among MCPS employees

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States recently recognized MCPS employees for their outstanding accomplishments in phase two of the MCPS on the Move Fitness Challenge.

MCPS on the Move, a friendly nutrition and fitness competition, strives to create a culture of healthy eating habits and lifelong exercise among MCPS employees.  More than 3,100 middle and high school employees and central services office staff signed up, joined a team, and participated in the 12-week fitness challenge and competed for $50,000 in prizes for themselves, their teams, and their schools. 

From October 3 to December 23, 2011, Montgomery County's engaged educators and administrators:

• Recorded 3,169,029 minutes of activity on the Fitness Journal website
• Exercised a total of 52,819 hours
• Traveled 211,267 miles in support of this challenge – this is the same as traveling around the earth 8.5 times

"I am so proud that thousands of our employees made a commitment to living a healthier lifestyle by participating in the MCPS on the Move program," said MCPS Superintendent of Schools Joshua P. Starr. "They not only took positive steps to improve their lives personally and professionally, but they served as outstanding role models to our students and our community. I want to thank Kaiser Permanente for their commitment to the health and well-being of our employees."

MCPS on the Move, an innovative and first-of-its-kind fitness competition, was established in 2010 to help create and promote a culture of healthy eating and active living among MCPS employees.  The program was first introduced in the county's 131 elementary schools and due to the success of the pilot program, Kaiser Permanente and MCPS continued the partnership in 2011 expanding the program to secondary schools and central services office staff.

"Kaiser Permanente is invested in the total health of Montgomery County, Maryland," said Farzaneh Sabi, MD, FACOG, assistant physician in chief for the District of Columbia and Suburban Maryland with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group.  "At Kaiser Permanente, we are committed to helping build healthy communities and educating the public about the importance of healthy lifestyles.  We look forward to expanding our partnership with MCPS and continuing our investment in the health of Montgomery County."  

MCPS on the Move is designed to motivate employees to make their health a priority while they have fun competing against their colleagues for prizes.  Some of the 2011 grand prize winners include:

• John Poole Middle School, $7,000 grant for physical education equipment or to promote staff wellness
• Thomas Edison High School for Technology, $7,000 grant for physical education equipment or to promote staff wellness
• Team Biggest Winners, $2,000 grant for staff health and wellness
• Team Awesome Accounting Auditors, $2,000 grant for staff health and wellness
• Team Phat Winners, $2,000 grant for staff health and wellness

Through Kaiser Permanente's partnership with MCPS, the organizations have been able to set a positive example for staff and students while establishing the MCPS on the Move Fitness Challenge as a model for workplace wellness throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, and for the nation.  

About Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States region, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, provides and coordinates complete health care services for almost 500,000 members through 30 medical centers in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.  Founded in 1980, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is a total health organization comprised of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., and the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C., an independent medical group that features approximately 900 physicians who provide or arrange care for patients throughout the area.  Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is considered one of Maryland's "Top HMOs," according to the Maryland Health Care Commission.  The health plan was ranked in the nation's 50 top commercial health plans and 20 top Medicare health plans – and the #1 Medicare plan for Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. – by "NCQA Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2011-2012 Private."  For more information about Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, visit www.kp.org or follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/KPMidAtlantic.

About Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is the 16th largest school system in the nation, with 146,500 students. MCPS is one of the most successful large school districts in the country and has been recognized for its academic and operational excellence. In 2010, MCPS became just the sixth school district in the nation to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest presidential award an organization can receive. MCPS was also a finalist for the 2010 Broad Prize for Urban Education, which recognizes large districts that are improving student achievement and narrowing the achievement gap. For more information on MCPS, visit http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/ or follow the district on Twitter, www.twitter.com/MCPS.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States