The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Health Sentinel column

June 29--Marsha Worthington was a newly graduated nurse, taking care of patients at the bedside, when she realized her passion was helping people reduce their risk of disease and disability rather than caring for them after the fact. This was especially true when she saw a growing number of hospital patients with conditions that were avoidable or that could be minimized with lifestyle changes.

When Worthington was just 21, her then-51-year-old mother had a heart attack and had a second one three years later.

"I wondered, 'Why aren't we working on prevention rather than on treating people after the fact?' " Worthington said. It was a career turning point that later led her to become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Prevention was not an overt focus in health care, and the word wellness was a little-used term.

Worthington walks the talk, a pedometer always in use, and is intentional about eating right. But at 66, she is ready to spend more time with her family, including six grandchildren, and to travel with her husband. She will retire in July from her long-held position as coordinator of health promotion and marketing with Parkview Physicians Group Cardiology, formerly Fort Wayne Cardiology.

Her health improvement efforts in the community are far-reaching. She helped spearhead programs such as America on the Move Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Walks One Million Miles, Fueling Your Family and Fort4Fitness. The latter has become a signature event for serious runners from around the country.

Now in its seventh year, Fort4Fitness is more than a race for marathoners. It includes running and walking races for adults, kids and seniors and features a pre-race day health expo, plus a spring bicycle race and other related activities in the community outside the annual September race day.

In 2014, Fort4Fitness drew 9,838 participants, more than triple the first year's participants. America on the Move, a national initiative, was the forerunner locally of Fort4Fitness, and Worthington credits that program for jump starting community health-improvement efforts.

"I've had the distinct privilege of working with Marsha on a number of different projects in Fort Wayne over the past number of years," said Brad Kimmel, executive director of Fort4Fitness. "Her leadership in the area of community health and wellness is unsurpassed by anybody. Marsha was a key part in getting Fort4Fitness and the emphasis on healthy living off to a great start."

Kimmel added, "She certainly has played an integral role in not just Fort4Fitness but with a number of things in the community."

Worthington also credits the cardiologists she works for, particularly Dr. Mark O'Shaughnessy, with the vision for improving the health of the community, one person at a time and with engaging community partners in health improvement efforts.

Before joining the cardiology group, Worthington worked at Lutheran Hospital and then at several area industries, teaching a spectrum of wellness and occupational health and safety classes.

At Parkview Physicians Group Cardiology, she initially taught classes on exercise, nutrition and weight and stress management to cardiac patients, but said, "I taught classes to the nurses too. It's important for the staff to be good role models."

When she joined the cardiology group, pedometers were just gaining popularity, and Worthington remembers handing them out to patients and explaining what they were and how to use them. The health gold standard is to get at least 10,000 steps a day. After wearing her pedometer for a few days, one cardiology patient called Worthington in concern. The patient had looked at the steps she was doing and thought perhaps she had misunderstood her particular daily step goal. The woman told Worthington, "At this rate, I'm almost dead," then quickly added, "But I can do better." It's an attitude Worthington wishes everyone had.

Looking back at her involvement in helping people live healthier lives, Worthington acknowledged a sense of personal accomplishment but gave credit to collaborative partners such as the YMCA, Fort Wayne Sports Corp., the city of Fort Wayne and many individuals and businesses.

"At one point, we had 47 companies working together," she said.

In 2006, Worthington and other organizing team members of Fort Wayne Walks One Million Miles were honored with the Governor's Trailblazer Award. In 2012, Worthington was given the Vitality Award for Wellness by the McMillen Center for Health Education.

The momentum has begun, but Worthington said efforts must continue to lower obesity rates, decrease smoking and substance abuse rates, increase physical activity, address mental health needs and aid people to make healthier food choices. Recent data show people born between 1966 and 1985 became obese at a much faster rate than those born in previous generations -- and today's children, overall, have still higher rates of obesity.

Though she's retiring in a professional capacity, Worthington said she is open to volunteer opportunities to stay involved in community wellness.

"What continues to keep me motivated is when I think how my grandchildren, statistically, are not going to live as long as my children," she said.

Jennifer L. Boen is a freelance writer in Fort Wayne who writes frequently about health and medicine. This column is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinion of The News-Sentinel.

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