Ermine Bell works security at Doctors Hospital.  She is one of 40 employees selected for a new intense wellness program called "My Unlimited Potential."

“I’ve lost 9-and-a-half pounds in five weeks” said Bell. “Eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, something I never did in the past, and I notice my blood pressure is down a whole lot. “

Why was she chosen?  All Baptist Health employees have a yearly health screening.

“Check to see sugar levels, blood pressure cholesterol and reach out to those where those numbers are elevated,” said program coordinator Henry Guzman.

For nine weeks, participants work out at the hospital gym with an exercise physiologist.

They meet weekly with a nurse practitioner who monitors weight and blood pressure.  They get free medications, plus they get a nutrition prescription and free produce from dietician Terry Ochoa.

“I provide them with two fruits and three vegetables a day for a total of 14 servings  of fruits and 21 servings of vegetables for a week. And every week they come and pick up a new bag,” said Ochoa.

Terry Velasquez is an operating room assistant who joined the program five weeks ago. She says she was hesitant at first, but “my cholesterol has come down and my glucose is mostly stabilized.”

Doctors Hospital is the third hospital in the Baptist Health system to use the My Unlimited Potential program.  Investing in healthier employees can eventually result in money saved.

Participation is voluntary and Baptist Health says results won’t affect what employees pay for insurance coverage.

Cleveland Clinic Florida has a twelve-week Shape Up and Go program, which can result in a premium discount