Dive Brief:

• It's no secret within the healthcare industry that hospital workers often have a tough time staying healthy and fit. High stress levels, often part of being a healthcare employee, work against those workers when it comes to taking care of themselves.
• An article at Huffington Post outlines how one healthcare system is trying to change that situation, mainly by launching a program that focuses on the simple act of taking the stairs rather than an elevator or escalator. 
• The article features the Huntsville (Ala.) Hospital System, which in 2015 signed on with StepJockey, a British stair-tracking app, to encourage employees to choose "old-fashioned" stair climbing over modern modes of transport. 

Dive Insight:

While there are no metrics indicating what impact the program has had so far, the article reports that Huntsville looked to offer a simple, cost-efficient program while also raising awareness about the value of physical activity in a state where the obesity level is very high. The program uses a "calories burned" sign posted next to stairwells and an app as a way to convince workers that taking the stairs is in their best interest.

While Huntsville is the first U.S. hospital to partner with StepJockey, the company's corporate clients include American employers such as Deloitte, Procter and Gamble, KPMG and ESPN.

Huntsville challenged employees to climb enough steps to burn the calorie equivalent of climbing Mount Everest. It only took three weeks to hit the "summit", so enthusiasm was high.

By using the stairs, the article notes that employees are also being "green." StepJockey's analysis of research uncovered the fact that hospitals in England using the program can save more than $145 million annually in combined energy costs.