by Rachel Hunter
Walk with a Doc in Gouverneur returned to the Gouverneur Middle School on Saturday, January 7 after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. While events in Gouverneur had been held at the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds, this was the first time local residents had the opportunity to discover and rediscover a new place to walk – inside the buildings of the Gouverneur Central School District.
Walk with a Doc in Gouverneur was sponsored by the Community Health Center of the North Country in partnership with the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department, St. Lawrence Health Initiative, Inc., STLC Bridge2Wellness, and the Gouverneur Central School District. Walk With a Doc is a local chapter of an international 501(c)3.
There were more than 20 local residents in attendance at the Walk With A Doc in Gouverneur. This was the largest showing of local residents at a Walk With A Doc event in Gouverneur since 2019. All were welcome to the event by Community Health Center of the North Country Spokesperson Raymond Babowicz.
The theme of the first Walk With A Doc in Gouverneur event in 2023 was: “The Importance of Physical Activity in the New Year,” and the inspirational talk was given by Star Lake native Olivia Eibert, Physician’s Assistant at the CHCNC location in Canton.
At 10 a.m., all those in attendance registered and a short meet-and-greet was held before the event’s start. The Community Health Center of the North Country had information about resources available to all those in attendance. Free hand sanitizer and other goodies were made available as well.
The official welcome was given by CHCNC Spokesperson Raymond Babowicz. “We’ve been holding these events for five years now. It’s a great way to meet healthcare providers, and understand that Brittany Terpstra, Dr. Schuessler, and Olivia Eibert are just like the rest of us, which hopefully will lend you to have a more open relationship with them when you actually go to see them for your healthcare appointments… which I know you make religiously. Three years ago, I think to the day, we stood right in this spot and had probably our most successful Walk to date, before COVID shut us down. To be back here three years later, I think literally to the day, to do this again in the Gouverneur Middle School, is just a wonderful opportunity. I know everyone at the health centers is very appreciative of Supt. Kelly and her team at the Gouverneur Central School District. Usually in Gouverneur, Brittany Terpstra (Physician Assistant in the CHCNC location in Gouverneur) hosts the events. But we are fortunate to have another member of our healthcare team, Olivia Eibert, who is very much into these events in the community as well and understands that your health not only occurs in the exam room, but outside the exam room as well.” Mr. Babowicz then gave the floor to Olivia Eibert, and extended gratitude to her for hosting the event.
Mrs. Eibert extended gratitude for the opportunity to address the crowd. “I would say my goal is just to talk with you guys and make sure that you are getting enough exercise and activity in coming into the new year,” she said. “I’m a big steps person. I’m all about getting my steps in… My goal is for everyone to get about 6,000 steps per day, 10,000 if you feel like you can manage it. I know it is a little tough in the winter time when it gets dark at 4:30 p.m. Ways that you can get the steps in is to join a local gym or get a treadmill and use that. More physical activity, studies are showing that reduces your risk of many things… heart disease, diabetes, and obesity – the obvious ones – but also reduces your risk of cancer, gallstones, anxiety and depression. Overall, I think it is important for everybody to get a little activity in. A 10-pound weight loss can drop your blood pressure up to 20 points. If you are on medication, then you can work on getting off of them. So that’s our goal is to keep you as healthy as possible.” She then opened the floor for questions about exercise.
Gouverneur’s own Kay Church then said the following: “I was walking three miles per day, and riding my bike two and a half hours per day three years ago. Last year I went down to one mile per day, and an hour on the bike. And that’s what I have been doing until recently. I can tell you that I’ve gained a bit of weight because I wasn’t able to get on the bike. I wasn’t able to get my walk in. I was starting to get a little depressed because of what has been going on with me. And I feel so fortunate to be able to start back in.”
“Exercise is so good for your mental and physical health,” Eibert said. “It is the best medicine, in my opinion. That’s good, and I am glad you are getting back into it.”
The walk then commenced, and all those in attendance were led through the Gouverneur Middle School by Gouverneur Central School District Superintendent of Schools Jacquelyn Kelly. Mr. Babowicz invited the local residents to take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions while they were walking to the local healthcare professionals. Much gratitude was extended to all those in attendance.
Did you know? Walk with a Doc was started in 2005 by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio. Frustrated with his inability to affect behavior change in the clinical setting, Dr. Sabgir invited his patients to go for a walk with him in a local park on a spring Saturday morning. To his surprise, over 100 people showed up, energized and ready to move. Since that first event in 2005, Walk with a Doc has grown as a grassroots effort with a model based on sustainability and simplicity. A doctor gives a brief presentation on a health topic and then leads participants on a walk at their own pace. In 2009, Walk With A Doc became an official 501(c)3 and added an Executive Director with a focus on building a program that could easily be implemented by interested doctors in other cities around the country. As a result of these efforts, the reach of Walk with a Doc now extends all around the globe with over 500 chapters worldwide, including Walk with a FUTURE Doc chapters led by medical students. Walking was recognized by the Surgeon General of the United States of America as one of the single most important things we can do for our health.
All North Country residents are encouraged to join future Walk With A Doc events in St. Lawrence County. Details on upcoming events will be reported as information is made available to the Gouverneur Tribune Press. Organizers told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that there is a Walk With A Doc in Gouverneur planned for September 2023 at the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fairgrounds. More information will be reported in an upcoming edition.
Gouverneur Central School District Superintendent of Schools Jacquelyn Kelly gave an update about Walk With A Doc at the Gouverneur Central School District Board of Education meeting on Jan. 9. “This weekend on Saturday, January 7, the Community Health Center of the North County in collaboration with the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department, St. Lawrence County Health Initiative, and STLC Bridge2Wellness, and the Gouverneur Central School District hosted Walk With A Doc at the Gouverneur Middle School. At the event, a variety of St. Lawrence County healthcare providers discussed the importance of maintaining good health and the benefits of regular exercise. District families joined healthcare providers and community members for a fun and healthy walk around the building. One topic that was discussed on Saturday was the lack of locations for people to get out and walk during the winter months in the North Country. I’d like to take the opportunity tonight to announce that the Gouverneur Central School District will be opening our elementary and middle school buildings for hall walking soon. Beginning on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 hall walking will take place at Gouverneur Elementary School on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4 to 8 p.m. Beginning on Monday, January 23, 2023 hall walking will be held at the Gouverneur Middle School on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 4 to 8 p.m. Community members can also walk at the high school in the evening while events are going on. Now, the community will have an option to stay healthy throughout the winter by walking the halls of our elementary, middle, and high schools.” After a question from a school board member, Supt. Kelly confirmed that a sign-in and sign-out sheets will be available. “We do ask at the elementary and middle school that the people who do walk fill out an application, just so that we have an emergency contact in case in it is needed.” Much gratitude was extended to Supt. Kelly for the update.
For more information about Walk With A Doc, visit the website www.walkwithadoc.org or call Raymond Babowicz at 315-713-9369.