ATLANTIC GENERAL HOSPITAL TO RELAUNCH WALK WITH A DOC PROGRAM

For Immediate Release…

ATLANTIC GENERAL HOSPITAL TO RELAUNCH WALK WITH A DOC PROGRAM

Berlin, Md. – Atlantic General Hospital invites the community to come out to its first Walk with a Doc event at the new location in downtown Berlin on the Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. This walk will kick off the hospital’s 3^rd year of the Walk with a Doc program.

According to the American Heart Association, walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity. Walking is low impact; easier on the joints than running. It is safe – with a doctor’s okay – for people with orthopedic ailments, heart conditions, and those who are more than twenty percent overweight. In addition, research has shown that you could gain two hours of life for each hour of regular exercise.

Walk with a Doc is a walking program for everyone interested in taking steps for a healthier lifestyle.

“We are thrilled to bring this program to the town of Berlin. Walking gives members of the community a healthy outlet to make strides towards their health goals. This program will also give the community the opportunity to have questions answered by healthcare providers from Atlantic General Hospital and Health System, and is a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle," said Michelle McGowan, BSN, RN, community education clinical coordinator at Atlantic General Hospital.

The Walk with a Doc program will be held on the third Saturday of each month. In the case of inclement weather, please visit the Atlantic General Hospital Facebook page for updates and cancellations.

The details:
Walk with a Doc
Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 9:00 a.m.
Meet at Town Hall, 10 William Street, Berlin, Md.

For more information, please visit www.atlanticgeneral.org/walkwithadoc or contact Michelle McGowan, BSN, RN (410) 641-9268.

About Atlantic General Hospital

Atlantic General Hospital has been providing quality health care to the residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset (Md.) and Sussex (Del.) counties since May 1993. Built by the commitment and generosity of a dedicated community, the hospital’s state-of-the-art facility in Berlin, Md., combines old-fashioned personal attention with the latest in technology and services. It provides quality specialty care such as weight loss surgery, orthopedics, outpatient infusion and chemotherapy for individuals with cancer or blood/autoimmune disorders, and a comprehensive women’s diagnostic center. Atlantic General Health System, its network of more than 40 primary care providers and specialists, care for residents and visitors throughout the region. For more information about Atlantic General Hospital, visit www.atlanticgeneral.org.

About Walk with a Doc
Walk with a Doc was started in 2005 by Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio. Frustrated with his inability to effect 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. Healthy snacks, coffee and blood pressure checks are also a standard part of a Walk with a Doc event.] The Walk added an Executive Director in 2009 and focused 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 from California to New York with over 277 chapters in between.