Pressure On Smuts Revealed

Despite extensive public scrutiny and analysis, no one has been able to explain, given the major tensions afloat in the Elm City, how city Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts remains so remarkably calm and easygoing. Now, thanks to the city’s Employee Wellness Program, the proof, the reason, is finally in, and it’s incontrovertible: He’s got great blood pressure!

Smuts was among 30 City Hall-ers who availed themselves of a blood pressure screening Thursday afternoon in one of the conference rooms where tempers have been known to flare. The screening was one of dozens of offerings — lectures, workshops, personalized risk assessments, and fitness initiatives such as walking programs — that the city makes available to all its employees, retirees, and their families.

That amounts to approximately 19,000 people, Smuts tranquilly explained. ​“The mayor and the financial people,” he murmured, ​“felt that, first, this kind of prevention program is the right thing to do for city employees; and, second, it’s good for the city because in the long run wellness and prevention will reduce municipal medical expenses.”

The wellness program is implemented by Saint Raphael’s hospital, which won the city contract last spring and launched the effort in January of this year. ​“It’s completely voluntary,” explained coordinator Joanne Cavadini. All information is kept confidential unless, as in the case of Smuts, someone gives permission for his blood pressure info to be revealed to the public … and if you want that, you must read to the end of this article.

Thus far, said Cavadini, workers from City Hall/200 Orange, parks and rec, and the library have participated. Among the most popular are walking programs, where participants get pedometers and are urged, over four weeks, to increase their number of steps per day to 10,000— a considerable number of miles. ​“It’s all about incentive, reaching a higher goal, and then continuing, incorporating exercise, better eating, preventive screenings and so forth into your life style.”

Recently at public works, Cavadini said, there was a small workshop about prostate cancer — a majority of the employees there have prostates. ​“We’re just beginning to roll out the offerings to the Board of Education. I’m in touch with the principals and the wellness committees for the kids,” she said. ​“The program is for teachers, cafeteria workers, and so forth.”

She said nutrition programs also draw people as well as seminars on ergonomics and back pain management — including how to lift — and children’s health issues. Upcoming programs include a nutrition program on September 27th at the Gateway Building on Meadow Street; one on children’s health — specifically obesity, injury prevention, and asthma — which will be at 200 Orange St.; and a walking program with parks and rec staff maintenance staff. Every program is open to all city employees. She said the program works best when a particular offering, and appropriate nurse or doctor or technician, comes directly to a place of work in the city.

Smuts rose, quietly and with a smooth effortlessness, from the chair in which Nancy Goldstein (for 22 years a coordinator with Saint Raphael’s outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program) had taken his pressure.

“Mr. Smuts you handle the tension of your job very well,” she reported. ​“Your blood pressure is excellent, 116 over 76.” When asked by a hypochondriacal middle-aged reporter to explain, yet again, what those numbers mean, as Goldstein went on, the reporter grew a film of sweat on his brow. The CAO, however, remained imperturbable. ​“The fist number is the systolic pressure, of the heart as it contracts; the lower number is when the contraction is done, when the heart is at rest, the diastolic pressure. Below 120/80 is good; anything above 140/90 is considered high blood pressure, and we recommend you see your doctor. Anything in between is considered pre-hypertension.”

“And what is the health of our employees?” Smuts asked in his relaxed voice, ​“based on what you’ve seen this afternoon?”.

Of the some 30 employees — from the mailroom to corporate counsel’s office, and including the tax people — Goldstein said they were in pretty good blood pressure shape. A handful had higher pressure than desirable. ​“But in most of those cases, the people said they had had four cups of coffee already, or had just had a big cup before coming in here, which always heightens it. ​“Mr. Smuts,” she said, ​“the only recommendation I would make based on this sample is that the city stock up on more decaf.”

Has the program shown any results yet? It’s too early to tell, Smuts replied in measured tones. ​“We’ve had, however, a pretty good recent period in terms of health costs. It’s not clear yet how much of that result is ascribable to these preventative programs.”

And how did Smuts account for his personal, excellent systolic/diastolic health? ​“I always try to keep everything in perspective,” he said softly. Then he returned serenely to work.

In Cavadini’s experience, New Haven’s program is unique. While insurers and Fortune 500 companies and some municipalities offer a wellness program to some employees or departments, at least in Connecticut, New Haven appears to be unique in the comprehensiveness of the offerings and its availability to all city employees.Information as to the cost of the program was not available at press time.

For information on upcoming screenings, workshops, and other wellness events, the contact is Joanne Cavadini: 507‑3053 or this email address.