Anne Webster: Welcome to our Employee Podcasts, where you can hear and learn from other Costco employees who have overcome or managed their own well-being challenges with the help of Costco benefits. Today we’re talking with Costco Assistant Vice President of Employee Benefits, Mark Siegel. Hi Mark, and thanks for joining us.

Mark Siegel: Hi, Anne. Great to be here.

Anne Webster: So how long have you been with Costco?

Mark Siegel: Like a lot of other people at Costco, I’ve been here for a very long time. For me, it’s been 38 years.

Anne Webster: Wow, congratulations. Can you tell us a little bit about your job?

Mark Siegel: Yeah, I have a responsibility for the employee benefits plan, the retirement plan, the leave plans and a variety of other things.

Anne Webster: How about when you’re not at work? What do you like to do in your spare time?

Mark Siegel: I like to golf a bit and get out and hike and I run pretty consistently.

Anne Webster: Oh, that’s really great. So Mark, let’s get into your story. What health challenge led you to engage with your benefits, specifically Omada for Joint and Muscle Health?

Mark Siegel: Well, luckily my situation doesn’t have anything to do with a major medical event, but like I mentioned, I try to get out for a run pretty close to every day. And about a year ago, I went out for a run in the morning and about halfway into the run, I felt a muscle pull in my leg. I stopped and stretched and tried to finish but wound up having to walk home quite a ways. And normally if I get hurt, I’ll take a few days, maybe a week off. I went out after a week of icing and stretching, but it really hadn’t gotten any better. So, I took another week off and tried the same things and then went out again. And really after a couple of weeks I thought I could push things and thought I would be better, but that wasn’t the case. And I basically re-injured myself.

Anne Webster: Oh boy, so what did you do?

Mark Siegel: I probably should have realized it earlier, but at that point, I really knew that I needed some professional help. And being very familiar with our benefit offerings, I hopped on my phone, and I downloaded the Omada app. And once I was on the app, I was able to provide a lot of information to prepare the physical therapist for the virtual visit so they could have a good idea of what was going on with me and what my goals were for what I was hoping to get out of the sessions. I was able to schedule my first visit for the very next day and for after dinner, which was really convenient for me, since I didn’t have to cancel anything at work or drive anywhere.

The appointment is on the app. It lasted for about half an hour and during the appointment she was able to get more information and able to guide me through some stretches. After the appointment was over, she created a plan for me to follow and updated my app with the series of stretches that I was to get started on. After doing that for a week, I was feeling a little bit better and had another appointment with a physical therapist. She added a couple of different stretches to my plan and told me to try to go out and run a little bit, starting at a minute at a time and then walking for a minute and doing that for about 15 minutes. And having that guidance really helped me pace myself. If I’d done it myself, I would’ve pushed it to the point that bad things would probably happen again. So it really helps to be told when not to do too much.

Anne Webster: Yes, indeed. Sometimes we’re not so great at healing ourselves. So, what happened next?

Mark Siegel: I had another appointment the next week and I was told to run a little bit longer each day and to do a slow buildup. And by the time that I had my next appointment in a couple of weeks after that, I was back up to running 20 minutes at a time. And that’s way better progress than if I hadn’t gotten ahold of them. I was able to get back into doing my normal routine in about six weeks.

Anne Webster: That’s great that you’re back to doing what you love. And of course, you got to do all the therapy from the comfort of your home, which is fantastic. What would you say stood out about your experience with Omada?

Mark Siegel: Well, a few things. I had the same physical therapist each time and I was able to schedule appointments after work. It was great to confirm for my case that doing the therapy virtually could actually work. The instructions I received were great and getting all the plans through the app was fantastic. And even now, there’s times I can fit in some of the standing exercises into my workday at my desk. And the really great thing is that the stretches I was given are really very simple and anyone can do them.

Anne Webster: That’s nice to know that it’s something that you can fit in so easily to your day. What advice can you give other employees about working with Omada virtual physical therapy?

Mark Siegel: Well, employees at Costco are on their feet a lot. The jobs are really physical. I’d say if anything is bothering them, virtual physical therapy is worth a try. And it’s something that can help them build strength in other areas and make their workday easier, and you don’t really have to be a runner or athlete to use it.

Anne Webster: I also hear that Omada offers virtual physical therapy for all different parts of the body, like the back, the neck, knee, even programs to support women pre- and post-delivery and to strengthen the pelvic floor.

Mark Siegel: Yeah. That’s right. They really help with a lot of different conditions and our employees and their family members on the plan can try it out for no cost.

Anne Webster: That’s really nice. Any final thoughts about what you learned through this experience?

Mark Siegel: Yeah, I learned a lot. I learned that if you love to do one thing, you have to continue to figure out what it’s going to take to make sure that your body can be ready to do it for the long term.

Anne Webster: Wise words. Mark, thank you for sharing your story and spending time with us. Until next time, stay well. Be safe. And remember, we’re in this together.