Incentive

By DAVE McMILLION Staff Writer, Martinsburg MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Some companies starting wellness programs have come up with novel ways to encourage employees to live healthy lifestyles, such as bonuses to those who quit smoking. But an expert in the field warns that the material rewards may only be effective for a short time. Workers should find an "internal reward" for following a healthy lifestyle, said Michael Todt, director of Sharpe Hospital, a mental hospital in Weston, W.Va.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com MONT ALTO - When nurses talk about the shortage of people in their profession, they refer to it as their "Bermuda Triangle. " "There are more patients because the baby boomer generation is aging, more nurses are reaching retirement age and fewer people are entering the nursing profession," said Marilyn M. Teeter, interim coordinator of the nursing program at Penn State Mont Alto. Nationwide, the situation is extremely critical, said Christine K. Miller, director of Human Resources at Waynesboro Hospital in Waynesboro, Pa. "Research shows that it will become more critical," she said.

HAGERSTOWN State and local governments are providing incentives to Good Humor-Breyers to expand its ice cream plant, the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission said this week. The Morning Herald reported in May that Unilever North American Ice Cream, Good Humor-Breyers' parent company, was investing $7 million in the Frederick Street plant. At the time, Plant Manager Ken Wells said the company would hire about 50 more employees, increasing its total to about 525 employees.

In an effort to save the City of Hagerstown money when hiring new officers, the Hagerstown Police Department will use a financial incentive to entice applicants who have completed a police academy. The Hagerstown City Council in December approved letting the police department use two hiring incentives to attract applicants: one for $5,000 paid to the person hired and one for $500 paid to an existing officer who refers an applicant to the city who is then hired. The council supported the measure by a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Forrest W. Easton dissenting, City Clerk Donna Spickler said.

Four veteran Hagerstown Police Department officers, each with about 30 years experience, have retired after agreeing to take a city-offered incentive. One of the officers, Mike King, said he believes the city offered the incentive because it faces tough challenges in the current economy when property tax revenues are down and income to the city has decreased. The head of the City of Hagerstown’s human resources department agreed with King’s assessment and said that in all, eight city employees took advantage of the retirement incentive.

HAGERSTOWN -- A limited number of employees of the City of Hagerstown would receive a $12,500 incentive if they retire by Jan. 1, 2011, under an ordinance introduced Tuesday by the Hagerstown City Council. The Retirement Incentive Plan would allow as many as 35 employees who are eligible for full retirement to receive the financial incentive, according to city documents. Employees who previously announced retirement would not be eligible for the incentive. A brief description of the program provided to the council described the incentive as a way for the city to "hire at entry level rate, eliminate the vacant position entirely" or to fill it with "an employee impacted due to a reduction in force.

Move over, Los Angeles. Production companies are looking to Baltimore as a backdrop for filming locations, thanks in part to state funding used to lure them to Maryland. And film industry people say Maryland's economy is reaping the rewards. “For 'Veep,' we re-created the entire second floor of the Eisenhower Building,” said John Latenser, stage manager of “Veep,” an HBO political comedy starringJulia Louis-Dreyfus. “It takes a lot of lumber, and a lot of supplies ... and it was all bought locally.” Latenser is one of many film industry crew members who live permanently in Maryland.

There are plenty of reasons why Nancy Rotz has been on a weight-loss mission. A breast cancer survivor, she has become dedicated to leading a healthier lifestyle. She wants to have more energy. And she wants to wear her skinny clothes and stilettos. But the biggest motivational tool is cold, hard cash. Financial incentives are the latest wellness craze, inspiring some two-thirds of Americans who are overweight to shed those extra pounds. In an effort to reduce health care costs, many companies have started tempting employees with vacations, gift cards and monetary rewards for getting in shape.

City officials said Wednesday that they will look into providing a package of incentives for a potential pitch to the Washington County Board of Education to entice the relocation of the schools' administrative offices to downtown Hagerstown. As outlined in a study compiled by a Greater Hagerstown Committee task force on potential downtown sites, city incentives could include any absorption of costs associated with land acquisition or demolition as well as concessions to provide employee parking, possibly to include an additional parking deck built nearby.

Students at Williamsport Elementary Magnet School for Mathematics, Science and Technology held a reading and math initiative this past school year, according to Lori A. Ridgely, student achievement specialist. Teachers met with students on a monthly basis to set individual goals for reading and math. Students could work on their goals during school with teachers, as well as at home with parents/guardians. When students reached their goal, they earned an incentive. Each month the incentive changed (for example, free recess, board games and electronic day)