Last month, Dr. Borders kicked off Olympia’s own Walk With a Doc Program. The idea behind the program is to get community members of all ages moving outside. Due to the pandemic, Dr. Borders’ inaugural walk was a little different than the usual format. Undaunted by the challenge of kicking off this program during the COVID-19 pandemic, she got creative and used a selfie stick to record an informative chat as she walked around her own neighborhood. Dr. Borders’ used the opportunity to talk about osteoporosis, including recommendations for screening and treatments. You can see the chat here:
For July’s event, Dr. Borders hopes to engage even more people through a live Facebook Chat version of the Walk With a Doc program. It will take place on July 25th, at 10am. She encourages community members to hop on the discussion and ask questions.
The purpose of the Walk With a Doc program is to create awareness around preventative healthcare. Dr. Borders and other community physicians will be covering different healthcare topics during these walks. The event happens on the fourth Saturday of every month and kicks off with a brief, informative talk about a healthcare topic, followed by a relaxing casual community walk.
“I want to focus on topics that are applicable to many people and can help them live a healthy and happy life,” says Dr. Borders.
By July, Dr. Borders hopes that the community walk may be able to take place in-person while still respecting socially distance guidelines. Once in-person walks can begin, they will take place on even surfaces to allow for community members with assistive devices to join, whether they use a walker, a cane, or a wheelchair. Families are encouraged to bring their kids but are asked to leave pets at home to prevent tripping hazards. In-person walks will likely initially require wearing a mask and a sign-up process, although the exact details for the July 2020 walk are still being worked out.
“An important part of these walks is people being able to join and interact with each other,” says Dr. Borders. “We’re trying to find a way to respect the government regulations while still letting the community benefit from social interaction.”
The Walk With A Doc program is a very popular program across the United States, as well as internationally. Many doctors have been adapting their program throughout the pandemic to stay in touch with their community and encourage exercise and self-care amidst current restrictions. Some doctors have done virtual walks while others have made pre-recorded videos. In a recent video, the program founder, Dr. David Sabgir and well-known neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta recorded their own video. It can be seen here:
“The great thing about this program is that it lets patients meet the physicians caring for them,” says Dr. Borders. “And right now, with a lot of us feeling stuck at home, the program provides a little bit of structure and social interaction. I think that has a lot of benefits.”
Will we see you online for our next Walk With a Doc on Facebook Live July 25th @ 10am? We’d love to see you there and hear your questions.