Contact:
Gina Pferdehirt
|
State Secretary of Health Joins UPMC Health Plan in Celebration of Physical Activity at Mt. Royal Middle School
PITTSBURGH (May 25, 2010) – The Pennsylvania state secretary of health, the vice president of medical affairs for UPMC Health Plan, Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris, Shaler Superintendent Don Lee, Pittsburgh Penguins’ mascot, Iceberg, the Pittsburgh Pirates Parrot and the Pierogies, will join 700 students at Mt. Royal Middle School in Shaler in a celebration of a year of increased physical activity that was a result of the Active Schools Grant program.
On Friday, May 28, at 1 p.m., Everette James of the Department of Health, and Michael Culyba, MD, of UPMC Health Plan will join the school officials, the Parrot, the Pierogies, Iceberg, and the students as they show how physical activity has become a regular part of Mt. Royal’s Active Schools program. To support the program, UPMC Health Plan awarded $10,000 to Mt. Royal, as well as to two other middle schools in Western Pennsylvania that are part of the Active Schools Grant program.
The Active Schools Grant program is a new statewide initiative aimed at curbing childhood obesity. The program implements evidence-based physical activity programs that meet the federal guidelines of moderate to vigorous daily physical activity. Each school received a $5,000 grant from the state departments of Health and
Education and an additional $10,000 grant from an organization in their region that agreed to support the Active Schools program.
“UPMC Health Plan has been excited to be part of the Active Schools Grant program in its first season,” said Dr. Culyba, Vice President Medical Affairs for UPMC Health Plan. “We strongly encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles for the young people in our region. It’s never too early to learn how to be active and healthy.”
UPMC Health Plan awarded $10,000 grants this school year to Mt. Royal in Allegheny County, Riverside Middle School in Ellwood City, Beaver County; and Clarence Brown Community School in Butler, Butler County. All three schools also received $5,000 from the Department of Health. The money is being used to help promote healthy activities during the school day.
“These steps are necessary to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity in a state where one-third of our children are overweight,” said James. “Being overweight puts them at risk for a lifetime of health problems.”
Statewide, 40 middle schools were selected to receive federally funded Active School grants for the 2009-10 school year. According to statistics submitted by the 40 participating schools, 16.07 percent of students in grades K-6 are overweight, while another 16.67 percent are obese. The grants are designed to help schools take the measures needed to improve the health of their students.
“We’re visiting these schools because we want to spread the word about Active Schools,’ said James. “Children have to be healthy to learn. We hope more schools will see how important it is to have their students be active and will want to participate in programs such as Active Schools.”
Mt. Royal School is using the funding to increase organized physical education time during and after the school day in an effort to improve student fitness. The Riverside Middle School in Ellwood City is using the funds to construct a 20-station fitness trail that will include outdoor fitness equipment. The Clarence Brown Community School in Butler is using the grant money to purchase equipment such as an interactive gamebike for vigorous cardiovascular endurance activity.
The Active Schools Grant program promotes activities that are based on federal guidelines for daily moderate to vigorous physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adolescents take part in one hour of physical activity every day. The CDC recommends that the bulk of that be an aerobic activity such as walking or running.
About UPMC Health Plan
UPMC Health Plan, the second-largest health insurer in western Pennsylvania, is owned by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the nation's top-ranked health systems. The integrated partner companies of the UPMC Insurance Services Division – which includes UPMC Health Plan, UPMC Work Partners, LifeSolutions (EAP), UPMC for You (Medical Assistance), and Community Care Behavioral Health – offer a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Special Needs, CHIP, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers' compensation products and services to nearly 1.3 million members. Our local provider network includes UPMC as well as community providers, totaling more than 80 hospitals and more than 7,600 physicians in a 29-county region.
View current press releases >