Welcome to the Health Hub!
Living a healthy life. It’s what we all want. Providing our members with the tools and information to achieve better health is an important part of the RedShirt® Treatment – and our Health Hub. A variety of topics and resources are available, including:
From exercise and eating healthy to finding balance in your emotional and financial well-being, our Health Hub is here to help you succeed at achieving your personal health goals.
Upcoming Live Classes and Webinars
Check out our upcoming live classes and webinars available throughout April! For additional questions, please email Wellness@independenthealth.com
Medicare Members: Live classes are back at the Independent Health Medicare Information Center! Located at 620 Dick Road in Cheektowaga, these classes are available exclusively for our Medicare members (and other Independent Health plan members).

Mindfulness – presented by Lauren Dlugosz, Wellness Program Manager, Independent Health
Tuesday, May 20, 12:00pm - 12:30pm
In this short presentation, we will discuss on how we can bring peace of mind and balance to each day through mindfulness, a state of active and careful attention on the moment. This presentation provides participants with information and tips on how to practice and improve mindful living. It will conclude with a mindful eating exercise. Participants can bring a piece of fruit to participate along with the exercise if they are interested!
Presented by Lauren Dlugosz, MS
Health and Wellness Program Manager, Independent Health
Workout from Home: On Demand
Daily exercise is an important part of overall health, especially as we age. Our Corporate Wellness team produced a series of instructional videos that make it easy and fun for you and your family to engage from the comfort of your home.
Getting regular exercise not only helps you maintain a healthy weight, it improves muscular strength, bone and joint health, cardiorespiratory fitness, improves brain health, improves balance and coordination, and reduces your risk for illness. We encourage all our members to engage in daily physical activity.
Chair Stretch & Mindset Reset
Join in a 10 min session to loosen up your tight back & hips and uplift your spirit with some positive thinking & gratefulness.
Take your Workout to the Park!
Looking for a way to sneak some strength training in? While you're out for your next walk, find a park bench and try out these exercises!
Seated Intervals
Working with your body weight and a chair, you'll increase your flexibility, strength & heart rate with this seated routine.
Hula Hoop Fitness
Bored of the same old routine? Let’s get creative! Grab a hula hoop, and be sure to have a little space around you. Limber up your body with these simple movements using just a hula hoop!
Pyramid Weighted Workout
This workout can be done with 2 weights or weighted items. We will increase reps as we go, to tone and sculpt.
Workout for Balance
Challenge your balance & strengthen your core during this low impact workout. 1 weighted item needed.
Add on Some Cardio!
We'll be moving through several rounds of cardio based movements.. Each round adding on a new activity to increase the challenge - and fun. You will need a sturdy elevated surface like a chair, coffee table or fitness step.
Upper Body Mobility & Stretch
Incorporating a few simple movements into your daily routine can help to alleviate tightness in the upper back and neck. We'll be working from the floor, so a mat or towel is recommended for comfort.
Body Scan & Meditation
This session will guide you through a self-body scan and stretch using mindful techniques to notice where our bodies may be holding tension, then working to gently release it.
Seated Stretch & visualization
Stretch out your body using twists and folds, then end with a visualization exercise to relax your mind.
Progressive Body Weight Routine
Taking 5 different exercises from low to high intensity. Choose the level that works for you & get a full body workout in. No equipment needed.
1 Weight Advanced Strength Session
You'll need 1 medium to heavy weight to work through this full body session. Recommended for moderate to advanced level participants.
Webinars: On Demand
Independent Health strives to bring you evidenced based content on a variety of health-related topics to keep you informed. We use both internal and external experts to deliver both live and pre-recorded webinars.
We want to hear from you! Let us know what topics or health issues you’re interested in learning about.
Eat Fresh with Healthy Options & Fresh Catch
Learn to make a healthy bowl of miso soup, right at home!
Psychological Well-Being
This course aims to define the 6 factors of Psychological Well-being and why Psychological Well-being is important. It will help employees to recognize the need for self-care or stress management and ways they can manage stress and emotional health.
Sleep Well, Live Well
Learn about why sleep is so important and how to get enough of it!
Ergonomics and Back Health
Back pain affects nearly 80 percent of Americans and accounts for an enormous amount of lost productivity. This presentation will help employees understand how their back works and how to protect it from injury.
Staying Healthy During Your Busy Day
Between stressful days and extracurricular activities, staying energized and eating right can seem overwhelming. It can be a struggle to carve out time to nourish the body while struggling to meet deadlines. This presentation offers quick tips and shows how simple planning can make a huge difference in what we eat AND how we can stay on a budget.
Beat the Heat with Hydration
Learn why hydration is important and what to look for so you don’t become Dehydrated! We will present a few fun facts and a little trivia to keep you engaged and informed!
Health & Wellness Podcast: On Demand
We are pleased to present this series of On-Demand Podcasts featuring experts from Independent Health and hosted by local radio host Buddy Shula. Each of these podcasts are part of WBEN’s Healthy Buffalo series.
Reimbursement and Savings Accounts
In this segment, chief sales officer Richard Argentieri explains the different types of accounts individuals can have to help pay for out-of-pocket expenses.
The Independent Health Foundation celebrates 30 years.
Foundation chairperson Stuart Angert talks about the positive impact the Independent Health Foundation has had on the community.
Trust your Gut
In this episode, Lauren Christman discusses health eating and the benefits of probiotics.
Stay healthy while aging gracefully Part 1
While aging is inevitable, illness associated with aging isn’t inevitable. In part one of this two-part podcast, Dr. Kathleen Mylotte offers ways people can be as healthy as they can be when they age.
Aging gracefully and preparing for the future Part 2
In this segment, Dr. Kathleen Mylotte explains how individuals can make difficult conversations with family members easier when it comes to announcing their wishes of how they should plan for medical treatments as they approach the frail years of their lives.
Easy, no-excuse path to exercise.
Exercise comes easier to some of us than to others. But exercise is so important to getting and staying healthy. Michelle Carbery, Independent Health’s corporate wellness specialist, talks with Buddy on ways to get up and get moving, even for those of us who need a little encouragement.
Holidays and mental health.
For most of us, the holiday season is a joyous time, but it does have its stressors. Sadly, it can be a dark time for others who are dealing with loneliness, stress and anxiety. Independent Health’s medical director for behavioral health, Dr. George Burnett, offers suggestions on ways to handle the holidays, and when it may be time to seek professional help.
What is metabolic health?
We hear all the time that our health is related to what we eat. But what foods should we eat? What foods should we avoid? Dr. Jennifer Walsh from Independent Health explains what metabolic health is and what foods can improve the course of our health.
Fall Prevention as we age.
As we get older, falling can be life-changing. Yet, while falls are common, they are not a normal sign of aging. Listen as Corporate Wellness Specialist Lauren Dlugosz from Independent Health provides ways to prevent falls by addressing hazards in the home and incorporating light exercise to help balance.
What is “pre-diabetes” and does it always lead to diabetes
Prediabetes is a condition that most people do not know they have. Taking steps now can prevent it from becoming diabetes in the future. Dr. Deirdre Wheat, medical director at Independent Health, will talk about the signs and risk factors for prediabetes, along with ways to address it and stay healthy.
Do I really need this pill?
Medications work only if people take them properly. And sometimes, people forget to take their medications or they don’t take them as the doctor ordered. Pharmacist Cindy Will from Independent Health discusses how people can make the most out of the medications they take, and offers helpful ways how to remember when to take them.
Keep that back healthy.
At some point in our lives, many of us experience back pain. Jennifer Picone, Independent Health’s manager of Corporate Wellness, explains what individuals can do to maintain back health and avoid long-term problems.
The doctor will see you now.
Associate Medical Director Jennifer Walsh, M.D., talks about the importance of preventive care and what people can do to stay healthy.
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Last Updated 1/3/2023