May 25

Lunch & Learn: Repetitive Strain Injuries – June 9th, 2010

Posted by Wellpoint Health Services | Uncategorized

Spring feels as though it has finally arrived.  Hopefully you have found some time to enjoy the good weather we’ve had lately.  

Based on feedback and requests from our previous events, we are pleased to present a session dedicated to Repetitive Strain Injuries.  Many of you have expressed frustration with vague diagnosis and unclear treatment plans for these types of injuries.  This session will follow a more traditional lunch and lecture format given by Dr. Sharma, CEO of  Wellpoint Health. 

Dr. Sharma will be discussing relevant risk factors and high risk activities; management of patients with repetitive strain injuries from the medical perspective as well as in the workplace; and return to work planning for employees with Repetitive Strain Injuries. 

If you haven’t attended one of these sessions previously, they are normally described as very interesting and informative.  I hope you will be able to join us. Details are as follows:  

Where: CBI Calgary South ( Suite 103, 240 Midpark Way SE)

When:  June 9, 2010

Time:   Lunch served at 11:45, presentation 12:00-12:45

Cost:    Cash or Food Donation to Calgary Interfaith Food Bank

Please RSVP to Sunil Sharma, sunil.sharma@wellpointhealth.ca or (647) 637-2233



April 9

Midpark Location Open

Posted by Wellpoint Health Services | Uncategorized

Wellpoint Health Corp. has taken over the medical practice at CBI Health’s Midpark location effective April 1, 2010.  The clinic is located at 240 Midpark Way SE, #103. This clinic is a walk-in clinic and can accomodate general walk-ins and treatment of injured workers.

Hours of Operation are Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.

The physicians working at this location are Dr. Antia Daniel, Dr. Ron Mayrhofer, Dr. Jamie Chau and Dr. Martelle Preller.

For more information or to book an appointment, please call (403) 256-8213 or visit our website at www.wellpointhealth.ca



February 26

Lunch and Learn – Calgary

Posted by Wellpoint Health Services | Announcements

CBI Health in conjunction with Wellpoint Health is offering a Lunch and Learn on “Occupational Health Testing” 

When:    March 4, 2010
Time:     Doors Open at 11:30am
Where:  Glenmore Inn (2720 Glenmore Trail SE)
Cost:      Cash or Food Donation to Calgary Interfaith Food Bank
RSVP:     Mark Powell, mpowell@cbi.ca or (403) 831-8004



January 31

New Years Resolutions

Posted by Wellpoint Health Services | Health

How have you been doing with keeping up with your New Years Resolution so far in 2010? The most common resolutions made pertain to good health. Three common resolutions are to quit smoking, lose weight and exercise more. Here are some tips to keep you on the path you chose at the beginning of this year.

The most important factor in being successful at reaching your goals is self-motivation. Another important feature is to have reachable, realistic goals.

So let’s start thinking about smoking cessation. Everyone knows about the detrimental effects of smoking….ranging from cancer to heart disease and stroke. Once a smoker feels motivated to quit smoking, the battle is almost over. Sticking to the motivation is very important. How can a smoker go about quitting smoking? The methods vary from “Cold Turkey” quitting, hypnosis, nicotine replacement gums or patches and there are two prescription medications. The best thing to do would be to sit down with your physician and discuss the best option for you. The support of a friend or relative can also help. An important feature in quitting smoking is to substitute the behaviour of when a person smokes with alternative activities. For example, munch on a low calorie snack such as carrot or celery sticks, do something with your hands such as crossword puzzles or Sudoku, or go for a walk instead of lingering over an alcoholic beverage or coffee.

Weight loss is a very common resolution. How much weight should someone lose? Healthy weights are gauged with the Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference. Charts listing BMI are based on a person’s height. A healthy BMI is below 25. Overweight ranges from 25-29 and obesity is higher than a BMI of 30. Body fat around the waist leads to poor health, increasing the risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease. A woman’s waist circumference should be less than 88 cm and a man’s waist circumference should be less than 102 cm. Healthy weight loss can be achieved as a half to one pound loss per week. To achieve this, it is important to follow a well balanced diet….fad diets rarely keep weight off. The important thing is to follow a healthy diet and stick to it long term. This includes foods from all food groups. If you are uncertain of what you should be eating, you should make an appointment with one of Wellpoint’s Dietitians.

The reasons to exercise vary from assisting in weight loss, increasing muscle tone, flexibility, strength and cardiovascular endurance. Exercise also makes a person feel happier by releasing endorphins into the brain. Which ever the reason, have realistic goals. These may include reducing weight, reducing body fat and the number of centimeters of a certain body area, increasing the angle or distance of a stretch, increasing the distance or time of a cardiovascular exercise. The minimum number of hours of exercise per week should be a total of 2 ½ hours per week. The ideal should be 5 hours per week, of which approximately 2/3 of the time is spent doing cardiovascular exercises. If you are uncertain of your present musculoskeletal health, you may want to book an appointment with the Wellpoint Athletic trainer, physiotherapists or chiropractor. They can assess your present condition and design a customized program for you.

Whatever goal you chose, remember, don’t give up and try to follow these tips to achieve a much healthier lifestyle.

By Dr. Monica Pearl, MD CCFP FCFP

Medical Director, Wellpoint Health Services

Dr. Pearl has over 19 years of clinical practice and is currently active staff at Women’s College Hospital and courtesy staff at Sunnybrook Hospital.



January 31

CBI and Wellpoint Collaboration

Posted by Wellpoint Health Services | Announcements

CBI Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation Centre and Wellpoint Health are pleased to enter into an agreement to start providing services within each others facilities starting in 2010.

Beginning January 14, 2010, CBI began offering WCB physical therapy treatment, Functional Capacity Evaluation, Post Offer Employment Testing, Physical Demands Analysis, Ergonomic Assessment and Return to Work Coordination at Wellpoint Health’s Calgary S.E. location in Foothills Industrial Park.

Wellpoint Health will also be moving into the CBI Sunridge location in February 2010 to provide OIS physician services, pre-employment medicals, nurse medicals, vaccinations and various other occupational medicine services.

Having physiotherapy services on-site at an OIS clinic and vice versa provides value to an employer through rapid access to required services.  Collaboration between assessment and treatment teams has been shown to improve outcomes, decrease length of disability and significantly reduce costs and time away from work (for health care services).

For more information about this new venture, please contact Mark Powell at mpowell@cbi.ca or (403) 831-8004. Please visit CBI’s website at www.cbi.ca

CBI Health Group is one of the largest, most diverse and respected healthcare management companies in healthcare today. In addition to their network of over 135 community and hospital based rehabilitation clinics, CBI also employs professionals in Eldercare, Home Health, Independent Assessment, and Medical services. As the industry leader, through their coordinated network of services, their commitment is to deliver the highest quality and individualized care to our communities.

Wellpoint Health Services Corp.  is a leading national provider of occupational and medical services. Wellpoint currently has locations in Downtown Toronto, S.E. Calgary in the Foothills Industrial Park and a new location within the Calgary International Airport. Wellpoint offers a diverse range of physician and nursing services to manage all Executive and Corporate Health Services for industry.

For more information about Wellpoint Health, please contact Shameer Dada at sdada@wellpointhealth.ca or (403) 880-2040. Please visit our website at www.wellpointhealth.ca.



January 7

Starlight Foundation

Posted by Wellpoint Health Services | Announcements

Wellpoint Health places a great importance on supporting charities such as the Starlight Foundation. Starting in 2010, for every Health Blueprint or Wellcare package sold, a percentage will be donated to help the sick kids. For more information on the Starlight Foundation please visit http://www.starlightcanada.org/.



December 22

Wellpoint Health Corp. to Open Medical Clinic in Calgary International Airport

Posted by Wellpoint Health Services | Announcements

Wellpoint Health is opening a new medical clinic within the Calgary International Airport on January 14, 2010. The clinic is located on the Food Court level towards the Plus 15 entrance to the Hotel.

Wellpoint, in addition to seeing general walk-ins, will also be performing pre-employment medicals, nurse medicals, travel vaccinations, audiometric testing, drug testing and occupational injury treatment.

Hours of Operation will be Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm. Please call (403) 236-8400 to book an appointment. For a map of the clinic location in the airport, please click here.



November 26

Osteoarthritis

Posted by Wellpoint Health Services | Health
By Dr. Monica Pearl, MD CCFP FCFP
Medical Director, Wellpoint Health Services

As we age, many of us develop achiness in our joints. The achiness could be a sign of osteoarthritis, one of the most common forms of arthritis.

How do I know if my achy joints are caused by osteoarthritis? One clue may be the type of ache you are experiencing. Joint stiffness that is better in the morning and worsens as the day goes on could be osteoarthritis. Another clue is the location. Osteoarthritis commonly affects weight bearing joints, including the spine, hips, knees and feet. Another common area is the joints of the hands, which may look thickened and bumpy on the sides. There may be pain, stiffness and swelling that evolves over time. Your physician may choose to x-ray the joint or order blood tests to determine if you have osteoarthritis.

How can I prevent osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis can be attributed to a number of factors, including aging, heredity, injury, other types of arthritis, and obesity. Although most of those are unavoidable, body weight is one risk factor that is under our control. Keeping your body mass index (BMI) below 25 reduces the weight load on a joint and limits the damage to the joint from osteoarthritis.

If I do have osteoarthritis, what can I do to reduce the pain?

  • Weight loss is key. If your body mass index (BMI) is currently over 25, losing weight can lower the stress on the joints and lessen the damage to the joints over time.
  • Exercise can also help. Due to pain, you may be inclined to avoid using a joint. But underuse will cause muscles around the joint to atrophy and weaken. It is vital to exercise and strengthen the surrounding muscles. Exercise will also help you to sleep better and lose weight. A physiotherapist, chiropractor or athletic personal trainer can teach you the exercises to maximize the time you spend exercising for greatest results.
  • Use your body efficiently. Use your stronger joints to carry heavier loads. For example, carry your golf bag with a shoulder strap over your shoulder instead of by the handle. Pace yourself by alternating repetitive tasks with a rest break.
  • Medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are used in mild cases to relieve pain. Often, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are prescribed such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve). NSAID in a cream form is available for the knees. In certain cases, injections can be used to relieve painful joints.
  • In more severe cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to “clean out” or replace a joint.

Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, you can take action to manage your symptoms by maintaining a healthy weight and proper exercise program. As always, consult with your physician to discuss the best course of exercise, rest and medicine to treat your osteoarthritis.