'Let's get physical' Intrepid Potash announces health initiatives

Erin Green/Current-Argus

At Tuesday's Intrepid Potash HealthCounts press conference at Carlsbad Medical Center, Dr. Jeffrey Boone, a doctor for Ute Denver Broncos Alumni, Jamie Whyte, vice president of Intrepid Potash, and former Dallas Cowboy and Denver Broncos football player Wade Manning try out some treadmills.

Carlsbad Current-Argus
October 12th, 2005

Intrepid Potash announces health initiatives
 - by Erin Green, Staff Writer

CARLSBAD - HEALTHCOUNTS, that’s the name of a new program started by Intrepid Potash to help its employees stay healthy.

On Tuesday, the program was kicked off with the help of former Dallas Cowboy and Denver Bronco player Wade Manning as well as Carlsbad Mayor Bob Forrest.

Health Counts is a program designed to help the company’s 600 employees and their spouses focus on cardiovascular health as well as smoking cessation, diabetes prevention and management, weight loss and nutrition and arterial blockage programs.

Intrepid vice-president Jamie Whyte said the company’s Carlsbad employees will receive the benefits of the program first.

“We think healthy employees are important to our company and to our communities,” he said. “Our hope and plan is to give our employees the tools they need to recognize these conditions and treat them.”

The program is modeled after the Denver Broncos alumni program, “Tackling Heart Disease and Stroke,” and according to the doctor for that program, Dr. Jeffrey Boone, it’s all about the health of the company’s employees and helping them stay healthy by finding and working to eliminate the early signs of disease.

“We think even heart attacks and strokes can be eliminated with an aggressive early detection system,” he said.

And that’s why in this program, Intrepid employees can voluntarily undergo a health screening, giving each participating employee, spouse and family member a snapshot of his or her health.

These screenings will be done in early December; after the new year, a series of programs will be initiated to help people improve or maintain their health profiles.
Manning, 50, retired from professional football in 1985 and has worked to stay in shape since that time. But he said the program has helped him follow a healthier lifestyle.

“Even the most physically fit, active lifestyle does not guarantee immunity from heart disease,” Manning said. “This program, literally, saves lives.”

Forrest, himself a cancer survivor, said he fully supports the program and what Intrepid wants to do.

“I can tell you the number one issues we face are health issues,” he said. “If we can educate the public and help them, I’m all for it. I support what they’re trying to do.”