Supply Chain Department

Supply Chain Department – June 2021 Wellness University Success Story

When many gyms were closed and exercise options limited, Joseph Uribe, Cynthia Rodriguez, Chris Rodriguez, Andy Hyunh, and Darrin Gong from KP South Sacramento’s Supply Chain Department started a running club to increase their physical fitness, improve their emotional well-being, and to support each other.

Since March 2021, the Supply Chain department has been meeting every Tuesday morning to walk, jog, or run around the perimeter of the South Sacramento Medical Center. Following the Thrive walking path, they start at the Dan B. Moore entrance and loop around the campus at least once, which is approximately 1.4 miles. Initially, some of them were reluctant to participate; however, things started change when the group committed to weekly meet-ups. Darrin Gong, supply chain assistant manager, said “I noticed I was thriving,” and each week his overall wellness was improving.

Andy Hyunh, supply chain storekeeper, realized earlier this year that he would like to be more active and healthier, but didn’t feel he could fit regular exercise into his busy schedule. He then shared his story with manager, Joe Uribe, expressing how he wanted to add regular exercise into his life. Joe suggested that they start meeting up once a week and run around campus. “It was something I used to do when I worked at Oakland KP. I would go on a quick run, and it would help break up a stressful day,” Joe said. He believes that incorporating exercise into the workday supports his emotional wellness.

Andy has three children at home and wanted to be healthier but running is something he had never done. The first day they went out and jogged together and Andy immediately regretted it. He said it was painful and didn’t know if he wanted to run again. With the encouragement of his colleagues, he was back out there the following week and hasn’t stopped since. Now, Andy looks forward to Tuesdays because running is something he enjoys. It has also helped him to have more energy for his family and is able to spend more time playing with his children. He was happy to report he can now jog at least two laps around campus without stopping which is almost 3 miles.

Darrin Gong, who exercises regularly, was reluctant at first about joining the running group but noticed some very positive changes. He became more in tune with his body cues; noticing hydration levels and how it effects his body and started pushing himself to go beyond his distance limits. He started setting personal distance goals, seeing how far he can go. Within a short period of time his pace became faster and now he is up to 4 laps around campus, averaging 10 minutes per mile.

Cynthia Rodriguez, supply chain supervisor, joined the running group because her personal goal this year is wellness. She wanted to improve herself by exercising, eating right, and enjoying time with her family. “When I first started running, I could hardly run a mile without stopping, and now, I can run two miles without needing a break to catch my breath,” she proudly stated. Outside of this group, she started using a spin bike at home, racking up the miles and feeling great.

The Supply Chain department is excited to make the running group an ongoing wellness activity and plan to add another meet-up day to the week. Joe said, “It is great to motivate each other, have fun together, and see how much we improve each week.” They want to invite everyone in South Sacramento to join them in a wellness activity that has not only improved their physical and emotional well-being, it has also brought them together.