What is CHIP?
The Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) is an affordable lifestyle enrichment program designed to reduce disease risk factors through lifestyle modification.
The goal of CHIP to lower participants’ blood cholesterol, hypertension, and blood sugar levels and reduce their excess weight. To do this, the program encourages participants to improve their dietary choices, increase their daily exercise, enhance their support systems and decrease stress. These and other lifestyle improvements can help prevent and reduce disease.
CHIP is endorsed by the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and the International Nutrition Research Foundation.
For more basic information on CHIP,
click here to download the "What Is CHIP?" flyer.
How does CHIP work?
CHIP courses are offered in 18, one-hour sessions over three months. In these courses, participants learn about positive lifestyle changes through entertaining, educational video sessions and discussions. Participants are also given a supporting text, Learn More; an accompanying workbook and a cookbook to guide them on their health journey.
Enrollment in the program includes:
- Baseline, midpoint and endpoint lab work (lipid profile, blood sugar) and biometrics to include blood pressure, pulse, waist circumference and weight
- CHIP kit, which includes workbook, textbook and cookbook
- All 18 educational sessions, food samples and videos
- Online Health Risk Assessment
- CHIP Moral Contract
Columbus Community Hospital has 12 CHIP instructors who lead the class sessions which are offered in a group setting. For a more complete breakdown of CHIP courses, please visit the
CHIP Sessions page.
Before participating in CHIP, people are given a comprehensive health screening to determine their risk factors. These health screening results are provided to each participant early in the program. Participants are encouraged to share these results with their personal physicians so they can discuss their need for medication as they modify their lifestyle.
From there, the CHIP program is presented in several different formats:
- CHIP in Corporations – eighteen 25-min video lectures, 25-min class discussion
- Medical CHIP -- customized program for specific disease groups
- CHIP in the Community -- eighteen 45-min video lectures, 45-min class discussion
Throughout the program, participants are guided through the various stages of lifestyle change and are given the tools to maintain these positive habits.
At various points throughout the program, participants take part in blood draws and health risk assessments which help track their progress and guide them on their unique journeys.
Following their participation in the program, participants are given another health screening and a detailed report which compares their health risk factors before and after the program.
At this point, participants can also join Club CHIP, a support group for people who have successfully completed the CHIP program. Club CHIP meetings are held once a month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Columbus Wellness Center’s multipurpose room.
Click here for the 2020 Club CHIP Schedule.
CHIP Results
CHIP results have been published in more than 31 scientific articles in peer-reviewed medical journals, including the American Journal of Cardiology, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association and Preventive Medicine.
Participants in Columbus Community Hospital’s CHIP program have also seen significant results.
See their average results in this chart and see a full breakdown of their results from June 2016 to December 2018
here.
CHIP Testimonials
Local residents have already benefited from their experience with CCH’s CHIP. Read about their experiences below and check out the Spring 2018 CCH Housecall Newsletter article: “Lifestyle Medicine: ‘Saved My Life” to read about Susan Stortzum’s experience with the program.
“CHIP is a great program because it isn't about counting calories. It teaches you how to be healthy…I feel it gave me the knowledge to become a healthier person for the long haul…It was so great that I was excited to tell friends and family about it and I would try to get them to join me in CHIP healthy ways.”
– Stacie Johnson, CCH Employee
“I’m so grateful to CCH for taking a personal interest and investment in the health of their employees. I thought I was fairly healthy before, but I have learned so much more than expected through the CHIP program. Since graduating from CHIP, I’ve been actively taking steps to improve my health…I’m loving the changes so far and looking forward to what’s to come.”
– Kari Brock, CCH Employee
Enroll and Contact Us
To enroll in CHIP, contact:
Ileana Jarecki, Wellness Coordinator
Occupational Health Services
imjarecki@columbushosp.org
Phone: 402-562-4490
Danielle Frewing, BSN, RN, Director
Occupational Health Services
dafrewing@columbushosp.org
Phone: 402-562-4483
Health care providers interested in the program, should visit the CHIP for Health Care Providers page, or to schedule an informational session for your clinic, contact:
Kelli K. Thomazin, PA-C
kkthomazin@columbushosp.org
Phone: 402-276-2886
Employers interested in the program for their employees, should visit the CHIP for Employers page of our website.