Sumitomo of Edmonton is a factory that manufactures car parts.  Employees often work long shifts, in a fast paced, detail oriented setting.  Employees work at times, up to seven days a week during periods of high production demand.  Many Sumitomo employees have suffered from stress related health impacts such as Type II diabetes, overweight, obesity and cardiovascular health issues, but they are all working on improving their wellness.  

For over 10 years, this FCS Extension Agent has partnered with Sumitomo Human Resources benefits manager and in-house Nurse, to begin offering 10- 11 annual sessions of work site wellness programs, to employees from all three shifts.  Employees attending 4 or more of the now 10 annual sessions offered, receive a 10% discount off the annual employee cost share for their health insurance benefit.  (8 sessions were provided this year by this FCS Agent with the 3 remaining provided by the Metcalfe Co. NEP program assistant using the adult NEP curriculum).  All eligible employees have participated and the majority attend every session, with up to 122 full time regular employees from all three shifts, attending the monthly sessions.  

From July 2018 - June 2019, this FCS Extension Agent provided 7 work site wellness sessions using FCS Extension publications, as the basis for each and providing samples of healthy Plate - It - Up - KY Proud recipes.  Program subject matter for 2018/19 follows 1. The Mediterranean Diet & Lifestyle; 2. Pandemic Flu/Home nursing for the ill at home; 3. A1C and Hemoglobin 4. The Gluten Free Choice is it for me? and Fit Blue intro; 5  Green Cleaning and Green recipes for the home; 6. Farmers Market Fresh, local farmers market promotion; 8. Conducted a Fit Blue step challenge and health fair.  

30 employees successfully downloaded the Fit blue app and were able to record or sync steps into the app for the step challenge.  The employee with the highest step achievement logged 941286 steps in four weeks!  The thirty participants all together, logged a total of 8,070,436 steps!  Prizes were provided by Sumitomo and UK Healthcare for the top step makers.  A wrap up health fair, was conducted for all employees, with 5 different health outlet presenters/information stations/health activities available.  This Extension Agent staffed a health fair booth for all three shifts and provided UK Healthcare Diabetes meal planners, sunscreen, lip balm, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, new PIUKYP recipe cards and offered samples of the healthy, 4 - H chewy granola bar recipe.  

There was a focus on Diabetes and A1C education during the end of the 2017/18 and during the 2018/19 program years, at the request of staff.  Employees received six different, monthly work site wellness sessions with a focus on diabetes specific education and nutritional strategies such as increasing fruit and vegetable intake in their daily diets, after their 2018 and prior to their 2019 annual work site provided A1C blood tests.  While Sumitomo Nursing could not provide this Extension Agent with any result data, 22 employees, shared with this Extension Agent that their A1C numbers had improved significantly in 2019 over their previous 2018 A1C blood work and they  attributed that to diet and lifestyle changes they implemented, based on what they learned from the work site wellness sessions provided by this Extension Agent.