Photo By Kevin Larson | The FIT2WINN logo. The employee wellness program is designed to promote health and...... read more read more
Winn Army Community Hospital’s mission is to keep its warfighters healthy and well so they can do the nation’s bidding at any time. But providing health care to the most vital weapon system can take its toll on the medically ready soldiers and staff charged with that duty.
Enter FIT2WINN, a holistic employee wellness program started in January. The brainchild of hospital director and Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield’s U.S. Army Medical Department Activity commander Col. Margaret Berryman, its goal is to combine physical and mental health components to foster a positive work environment, said Lt. Col. Tracey Williams, Stewart-Hunter public health chief.
Encouraging that positivity will lead to a productive staff energized to continue keeping the 3rd Infantry Division medically tough, she said.
“Combining the mental health piece and the physical piece of the program creates a kind of synergistic effect, so to speak,” Williams said. “That leads to overall well-being of not just the staff, but the soldiers and their families as well.”
Each month is centered around a wellness theme; May’s is mindfulness. Mental health-focused practices like meditation classes are available to the staff, Williams said. Past months’ themes included increasing physical movement by logging steps and healthy eating. Both the staff and the leadership contributed ideas for themes.
“The sky is the limit,” she said. "As far as that goes, we try to tailor the program to meet the needs of the employees.
Case in point, one of the employees requested the step challenge to the hospital commander.
“They tell us what they want, and we try to meet those demands.”
Part of FIT2WINN is the competitive aspect. A winner is selected each month based on the criteria of the theme. January’s winner was Joshua Castillo, a licensed clinical social worker in 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade’s embedded behavioral health clinic.
Bordering on diabetes and living a sedentary lifestyle, Castillo was struggling with his weight in the fall of 2024. An expert in change behavior because of his career, Castillo knew he needed to make a change.
“I started working out more, mostly strength training, which had previously been effective,” he said. “But my next check was even worse! I really needed to figure it out, so I spent hours reading and listening to information to educate myself.”
After a rough start, he stumbled onto the solution for his health: walking. Along with walking after meals, Castillo also tracked his sugar levels. Day after day, his steps increased and his sugar dropped.
“I purchased an over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor and set a goal to walk for at least 10 minutes after each meal,” he said. “The glucose monitor was an invaluable tool that helped me learn how to eat. I made significant changes to my diet. My after-meal walks kept increasing. My glucose levels were dropping and my daily steps were increasing.”
And then, FIT2WINN was created and January’s team step challenge was announced. Castillo and his 3rd CAB clinic colleagues entered the competition. Together, his team did well.
“We came in second,” he said. “But my colleague who was kind enough to track our steps pointed out I had walked more steps than the individual winner or anyone on any of the teams. This was probably the first time I realized I was a contender for ‘winning' something.”
Castillo made a mindful effort for February’s theme, heart health hustle, to increase his distance and keep walking.
“I won,” he said.
Tyrone Singletary, an industrial hygiene technician and occupational hearing conservationist in the public health department, won the healthy eating competition in March. His motivation was to get back in shape following an accident.
“My goal was not to win but to participate and achieve increased wellness and health,” he said.
The encouragement and guidance the wellness program provides is a benefit, too, both Singletary and Castillo said.
“FIT2WINN is important for employees because it gives you a roadmap or guideline to help you improve your health and wellness,” Singletary said.
Castillo said the program supported his pre-existing goals, with the added element of competition providing a welcome boost.
“While I would have continued to walk with or without the program, it was nice to challenge each other and participate,” he said.
More challenges are coming in the months ahead, Williams said. June will be about hydration, and July will focus on stretching.
“It’s just a lot of fun things, each challenge building on the next,” she said.
For health care professionals, the structured support of a wellness program like FIT2WINN is particularly vital, Castillo said. The demands of the profession, including long hours and unpredictable schedules, can often lead to neglecting personal well-being. Prioritizing his health positively impacted his work performance and family life.
“I am grateful for being able to take care of me,” Castillo said. “My family counts on me and I want to be here for them as healthy as I can be.”
The FIT2WINN program at Winn Army Community Hospital is fostering a culture where taking those steps toward better health is encouraged and supported, benefiting both the staff and the mission, Williams said.
“It’s just a lot of fun things, each challenge building on the next,” she said.
Achieving these benefits often comes down to simple, accessible actions, Castillo said.
“I have less pain and countless other benefits to my fitness,” he said. “I didn’t do anything that almost everyone is capable of…walking.”
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.15.2025 11:05 |
| Story ID: | 498052 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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