Making Health Equality a Reality

Schoolchildren Making a Difference in Access to Healthier Food in the South Bronx

2012-01-12T13:14:00.000-05:00

Lack of access to healthy food is an unfortunate reality for the residents of many South Bronx communities. Fast food restaurants and bodegas make up much of the food landscape and healthy options are few and far between. To address this issue, Bronx Health REACH partnered with Citizen Schools, an after school program for low income communities across the country, to teach an 11 week apprenticeship program on food access at MS 331. 14 students from the middle school and Bronx Health REACH staff worked with West Tremont Deli Grocery Corp, a neighborhood bodega frequented by many students and teachers, to provide healthier food options. Prior to working with Bronx Health REACH and Citizen Schools, the bodega had been a participating store in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Healthy Bodegas Initiative, a program focusing on increasing the availability and promotion of healthier foods in local corner stores.

The 11 week apprenticeship, called Adopt-A-Bodega, incorporated education on nutrition, healthy eating, food access, and marketing techniques with direct action. After learning about health issues, the students brainstormed about what they would like to do to change the bodega right in front of their school that serves many of them on a daily basis. As a class, they came up with four student/ teacher lunch specials that included a healthy deli sandwich (or salad) on whole wheat bread, a bottle of water, and a piece of fruit for a discounted price. Though the bodega owner was initially skeptical about the promotion, it ended up being very popular and the increase in his business made him more open to working with the students on other initiatives.

In addition to the lunch special, the students worked with the bodega owner to sell healthier snack options, such as granola bars and Baked Lays, which the students had taste tested during one of their lessons. The students also requested that the bodega stock more fruits and vegetables, but the owner initially refused as there wasn’t any room to put them. The NYC DOHMH donated a beautiful wooden produce display that was placed in the very front of the store, next to the cash register, so that customers had easy access to it. This display allowed the bodega to stock nearly double the amount of fresh fruit and also increased business because it presented the food in an appealing way. As the students learned, many successful business ventures hinge on presentation.

Throughout this apprenticeship, the students learned that supply is heavily influenced by demand. If you demand healthier food, and business owners see that they can increase sales, they will be more likely to provide the healthier food. Using this model of social change, Bronx Health REACH hopes to continue improving access to healthy foods in bodegas across the Bronx.

Efforts to increase healthy food options as a way to address the childhood obesity epidemic are receiving national attention and support. First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign includes the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which provides financing for developing and equipping grocery stores, small retailers, corner stores, and farmers markets selling healthy food in underserved areas. Throughout the country, cities and states are working within their communities to identify food deserts and find solutions to increase healthy food options in those areas. (Read a prior blog post about food deserts here.)

In the South Bronx, West Tremont Deli Grocery Corp has made an important contribution in making the neighborhood a healthier place to live. Bronx Health REACH and New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera hosted an event on December 21^st to honor the bodega owner on his dedication. Read more about the event and Senator Rivera’s comments here.

NYC public schoolchildren are less obese than 5 years ago, but is everyone benefitting equally?

2011-12-21T17:21:00.000-05:00

After years of relentless increase, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced last week that obesity rates for public schoolchildren in NYC have decreased over the past five years. The 5.5 percent decrease in obesity rates was the biggest decline in any large city in the country, where most rates are stagnant or rising. As NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley put it, “What’s impressive is that it’s dropping at all.”

This announcement came after intensive city, state, and nationwide efforts to put childhood obesity on the public’s radar as a serious and urgent health issue. In NYC, the Department of Health, the public school system, and many community organizations have been implementing programs to reduce childhood obesity by increasing access to healthy food, teaching nutrition to schoolchildren, and increasing opportunities for physical activity. While this decline is certainly a step in the right direction, over 20% of public schoolchildren in NYC are still considered obese and further drops in obesity rates will depend on the continuation and expansion of these efforts.

In addition, though drops were felt across all racial and ethnic groups and economic levels, it was not an equitable distribution. The results, published in a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that declines in obesity were sharply higher among middle-class children than low-income children. In terms of race and ethnicity, the greatest decreases were observed among white children and Asian/Pacific Islanders. Though black and Hispanic children also showed some decrease, it was to a much lesser degree. As this data indicates, there is a real need for concentrated and targeted efforts to reduce childhood obesity and improve health among low-income communities of color.

Bronx Health REACH has been working within schools and communities to reduce childhood obesity through classroom-based nutrition education, the creation of school wellness councils, and partnerships with local businesses to increase the availability and affordability of healthy food. (To read more about Bronx Health REACH’s efforts in this area, click here.) The communities in which we work are largely low-income and have majority black and Hispanic populations, which as the recent report shows, have the highest prevalence of childhood obesity in New York City. These are the areas that require the greatest intervention and increased resources. This recent report proves that lowering childhood obesity rates over a relatively short timeframe is possible, now we need to make sure that efforts to do so are equitable.

America’s Health at a Glance: Findings from the OECD report

2011-12-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

Last week, we posted a blog entry about the observations of a group of visitors from the United Kingdom on the state of health care in the United States. Our country’s fragmented and inequitable health care system shocked our visitors and they expressed great concern that the UK’s conservative led government was leaning toward a U.S. style health care system. The recent release of Health at a Glance 2011, a report published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the health systems of its 34 member countries, affords another opportunity to see how the U.S. stacks up to other countries throughout Europe, North and South America, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The report looks at a variety of indicators in health status and the health workforce and breaks down key findings by country. Overall, medical care has improved in OECD countries and life expectancy has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. However, the United States suffers in comparison to other OECD countries in a number of ways. While the U.S. stands out in the area of cancer care, its rate of avoidable hospital admissions for chronic conditions, such as asthma or pulmonary disease, is much greater than the OECD average. For diabetes prevalence, only the U.S. and Mexico have more than 10% of the adult population living with the disease. The U.S. is also the most obese country in the group, with 34% of its adult population classified as obese in 2008, an increase from 15% in 1980. In childhood obesity, the U.S. ranks second only to Greece.

In health care expenditures, the U.S. ranks first by far, spending 17.4% of its GDP on health care in 2009. The next closest country is the Netherlands, which allocates 12% of its GDP to health care, but has much better health outcomes. Almost all the countries in the OECD rely on the public sector as the main source of health funding, but in the U.S. more than half of health spending in 2009 was through the private sector. In other words, the U.S. spends a larger portion of its GDP on health care than any other OECD country, but it also spends proportionately less from the public coffers than the other countries in the group. Despite these huge expenditures, health outcomes in the U.S. are mediocre at best and dismal at worst when compared to other developed nations.

These reports should serve as a wakeup call that our health care system is failing the American people. Health spending per capita is much higher in the U.S. than any other OECD country, but yet our obesity and diabetes rates are skyrocketing. The already high hospital admission rate for chronic disease will only increase as diabetes and obesity related complications require medical intervention. And the troubling childhood obesity statistics are a dangerous omen for future generations and their impact on the system. The Affordable Care Act offers some remedies for these pressing issues, such as promoting a more integrated and coordinated model of care and providing more support and incentives for primary care doctors, but to get the U.S. to where it should be there need to be major changes in how health care is delivered. Being the richest country in the world doesn’t mean as much when its people can’t live a healthy life.

Learning Exchange with UK Communities for Health

2011-11-28T16:25:00.000-05:00

Bronx Health REACH was selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to participate in an exchange with representatives from the United Kingdom’s Communities for Health program. The Communities for Health program intends to increase the role of local government in supporting health improvement and reducing health inequalities. Bronx Health REACH hosted visitors from the city of Nottingham, including the director of the health and well being partnership of the Nottingham City Council and a Nottingham city councilwoman, on November 16^th and 17^th.

As a community coalition dedicated to the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities, Bronx Health REACH targets individuals through programs to promote healthy lifestyle change, as well as works with policymakers and stakeholders to effect policy change. Bronx Health REACH staff put together presentations to highlight programs that work with faith-based organizations, community groups, health care providers, elected officials, and others to improve health outcomes in the Bronx. We also invited our partners to speak about their work with the coalition and how they believe that Bronx Health REACH has impacted the health of the community. On the second day of the visit, we brought our visitors to the south Bronx and had them participate in a number of events. These included a “Can I Still Be Puerto Rican and Eat Healthy?” event at the MARC Academy and Family Center and the annual Thanksgiving dinner put on by the culinary committee at Walker Memorial Baptist Church for Bronx Health REACH’s Faith-Based Outreach Initiative. This annual event showcases the healthy dishes that have come about because of the nutrition training provided by Bronx Health REACH.

Throughout the learning exchange, we had a number of interesting conversations about the state of health care in the U.S. in comparison to the system in England. Because most citizens in the UK have public health insurance through the National Health Service, the UK visitors were struck by the differences in quality of care between publicly and privately insured patients in the U.S. They also repeatedly mentioned how shocked they were by the level of poverty in the south Bronx and, after hearing about the segregated system of care in New York, said they would go back to the UK with a renewed commitment to avert any efforts by the conservative leaning coalition government to introduce any aspect of a U.S. type health care system.

Time and time again the visitors voiced their awe at how much communities, through the efforts of Bronx Health REACH and others, have undertaken to meet their health challenges from the ground up. At the same time, they also voiced their consternation at the lack of a systemic effort to address health inequities, be it at the city, state, or the national levels. However impressed our visitors were with the work that Bronx Health REACH is doing to improve health in the south Bronx area, their lasting impressions of the broken health care system in the U.S. and the pervasive inequity in our country are profound. It shocked them that the richest country in the world could have such glaring poverty and inequity.

For those of us that work in this field, these realizations are nothing new, but it’s an eye-opener when outsiders so easily see the problems in our system. The learning exchange allowed Bronx Health REACH to showcase our efforts around nutrition, fitness, and health inequity in the community, but it also provided an opportunity to think critically about how health in our country stacks up against others. Unfortunately, we learned that we don’t stack up too well. In order for health to improve in underserved communities in a lasting way, policy and systems change must be at the forefront of our efforts. We all have a part to play to improve health outcomes and the Bronx Health REACH coalition will continue to drive change in its community to achieve health equity.

Addressing the Social Determinants of Health Disparities

2011-11-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

As those of us who work in public health know, improving health outcomes has a lot to do with improving the environment in which people live, work, and learn. Addressing the social determinants of health, such as education and income, is critical in order to create healthier communities.

At the New York REACH US Health Disparities Summit a few weeks ago, Dr. Robert Fullilove gave a keynote address on the social determinants of health disparities, exhorting the audience to look at a variety of factors when working within communities to improve health. Dr. Fullilove, the Associate Dean for Community and Minority Affairs and a Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, has an extensive background working on minority health issues, especially in urban environments. He spoke about rebuilding communities as a way to improve health and referenced the breakdown of family cohesion in crime-blighted neighborhoods as an impediment to public health.

Though Dr. Fullilove touched upon many social determinants of health, one of his major points was the need to engage formerly incarcerated people, especially men, in the public health field. He examined the health needs of the so-called “million dollar blocks”, single city blocks with residents whom the state spends over a million dollars per year to incarcerate. Dr. Fullilove spoke about efforts to engage these men as partners in improving the health of their community upon their reentry into society. He also addressed the plight of at-risk populations, positing that risky behavior is not always a personal decision, but a factor of the environment. He called on the audience to realize that it was necessary to rebuild communities and the social fabric in order to improve health outcomes. As Dr. Fullilove said, “We don’t need a mass movement, we’re looking for people and for communities.”

The push for a community-based solution to eliminate health disparities remains a central component of Bronx Health REACH’s mission. As a number of Bronx Health REACH’s projects have shown, building support within a community to improve health outcomes does lead to positive results. Our work in churches and schools to promote healthy eating and increased physical activity has led to behavior change, as well as changes in the environment. To take one example, Bronx Health REACH’s Culinary Initiative, which aims to introduce healthy options in church meals, has led to less fat and salt being used by church culinary committees in preparing meals. Our efforts to engage all facets of the community also resonate with Dr. Fullilove’s call to action. In the fight to achieve health equity, it’s necessary to reach out to new partners and work with them to improve health outcomes.

First Annual Food Day: A Success in NYC!

2011-10-28T11:12:00.025-04:00

On October 24, thousands of Americans across the country came together and planned events in celebration of Food Day, recognizing that food in its most natural, unprocessed state is healthiest for us. There were 300 Food Day events in New York State alone, some of which were hosted by organizations in the Bronx. Notable among these were Lehman College / CUNY Institute for Health Equity; NY State Senator Gustavo Rivera in partnership with the Committee of Interns and Residents and the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center; Morrisania WIC; and PS 218.

At Lehman College, students stopped by tables in between their classes to learn about healthy eating, sample healthy snacks, and take a survey asking about healthier options they would like to see in the school’s vending machines. In keeping with the theme of Department of Health’s new ‘sugary free’ drink campaign, Bronx Health REACH promoted awareness of the high amounts of sugar in commonly consumed beverages. Water was promoted as the healthy alternative. Several students expressed great surprise as to the amount of sugar in such beverages as Mountain Dew, with its 77 grams of sugar in a 20-oz bottle. The event was hosted by Lehman College’s Department of Health Sciences, The Office of the Dean of Natural & Social Sciences and the CUNY Institute for Health Equity.

At Mount St. Ursula School in Bedford Park, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and State Senator Gustavo Rivera celebrated Food Day by kicking off a Family Health Challenge. This health initiative, developed alongside the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center and the Committee of Interns and Residents, asks students and their families to set small weekly goals for themselves, such as drinking only water and low-fat milk (no soda or juice), eating one piece of fresh fruit a day, and eating whole grains. The Challenge is the last component of Senator Rivera's Bronx CAN Health Initiative. Students at Mount St. Ursula, as well as 50 sites participating in Montefiore’s School Health program and a number of additional public schools such as PS 218, will be taking the Challenge. At the kickoff, Dr. Jane Bedell of the Bronx District Public Health Office spoke about the national obesity epidemic and how it will grow if we do not do something now. Heidi Hynes, Executive Director of the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center spoke on the right of every person to have access to fresh, healthy, affordable food. Dr. Appel of Montefiore Medical Center's School Based Clinics spoke about food accessibility, and a Montefiore nutritionist took the auditorium full of students through a presentation on eating colorful foods. Both the Senator and Borough President stressed the importance of taking small steps and making small changes over time to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

At the Morrisania WIC clinic on Gerard Avenue, participants were invited to: prepare and sample a soup made with locally grown winter squash, learn about community supported agriculture (CSA), locate a community garden in their neighborhood, learn about foods that grow in New York, view trailers of local food movement films, and more. Across the street at PS 218, third grade students participating in Bronx Health REACH’s obesity prevention program were given samples of a vegetable and pasta dish, one of the Office of School Food’s plant-based menu options.

In the evening, Veggiecation and the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School hosted “EatNYC,” an event offering tastings of food from some of NYC’s finest restaurants committed to serving healthy food from local growers. There were also talks by several distinguished keynote speakers, and streaming of LUNCH NYC episodes, a television series exposing health conscious individuals, organizations, and events in NYC. The event was a fundraiser for organizations in NYC promoting school wellness. This is a fundraising initiative of the Bird’s Nest Foundation, which recently donated 100 garden boxes to NYC elementary schools through its Ground Up Campaign in collaboration with the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health.

For Food Day, the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene launched a new webpage, www.nyc.gov/nycfood, with all of the city resources New Yorkers need to know about food.
Several other useful websites were also launched, such as a tumblr page with recipes contributed by New Yorkers, and a Vimeo channel compiling videos about accessing and eating healthy food in NYC.

On Sunday, October 23, people of faith from across NYC came together at Riverside Church for a Faith, Food Justice and the Farm Bill event. The focus was on the lack of access to fresh, healthy, affordable food faced by low-income neighborhoods such as South Bronx, Central Brooklyn and East and Central Harlem. Rev. Derrick Boykin from Bread for the World and Walker Memorial Baptist Church spoke about the Farm Bill as a “stewardship bill of our nation’s bounty, with both domestic and international ramifications.” He highlighted the need to reform the food system while also protecting safety nets. Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch, spoke about the problems with the current food system: namely, that corporate lobbyists’ tremendous influence on Congress enables big agribusiness and food corporations to dominate the market. She also stressed that while corporations spend billions of dollars advertising processed foods, many farmers are not even paid fair wages for their work.

There were two panel discussions. The first set of panelists spoke about the impact of the food system on those who must rely on food aid and those who live in areas that lack direct access to fresh, healthy, affordable food. The second panel presented Solutions for Change, with information about programs offered by local and international organizations, and how funding for these programs could best be leveraged through allocations in the Farm Bill. Organizations represented included Just Food, the NYC Community Gardening Coalition, Corbin Hill Rd Farm, East New York Farms, Rural Migrant Ministry, WHY Hunger, American Jewish World Service, Sojourners, New York Faith and Justice, and the NYC Food and Farm Bill Coalition. More information about the Farm Bill and how to take action can be found at http://foodbillnyc.wikispaces.com/.

Food Day – October 24, 2011

2011-10-21T16:28:00.000-04:00

It’s time for America to eat real, healthy, sustainably grown food again. October 24, 2011 will be the first annual Food Day. Food Day will be a celebration of real food: food that’s grown from the Earth with minimal, if any, processing. It will bring together all Americans—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and everyone else who cares about food—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. People are encouraged to attend events at their schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, and state capitals, or host an event at their home. The initiative is being launched by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit advocacy group started in 1971 that supports policies which make our food healthier and safer.

The Food Day website has many resources, such as a school curriculum, a newspaper, recipes, videos, petitions, and a map of Food Day events happening all over the country. These events aim to educate Americans about the food system and what we can do to change it. Actions we can take range from making healthier choices when buying food for ourselves and our families to asking Congress to support the Food Day goals.

Food Day’s stated goals are:

1) To reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods.

2) To support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness.

3) To expand access to food and alleviate hunger.

4) To protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms.

5) To promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids.

6) To support fair conditions for food and farm workers.

New York City will be home to dozens of Food Day events. On Sunday, October 23, there will be a Faith, Food Justice, and the Farm Bill event to highlight the crucial role of the faith community in the food justice movement and the potential to reform local and national food policy. The event is being organized by the Farm Bill Working Group of NY Faith & Justice, one of Bronx Health REACH’s Legacy grantees. There will be particular emphasis on the Farm Bill and how it affects the choices we make about the food we consume. The event will be held at The Riverside Church (490 Riverside Drive) in the Assembly Hall from 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm.

New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera is launching the Bronx CAN Family Health Challenge on Food Day. Senator Rivera has been partnering with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and other community partners as part of the Bronx CAN (Change Attitudes Now) Health Initiative. The Bronx CAN Family Health Challenge was designed by the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center and Committee of Interns and Residents. One of the first challenges is to limit consumption of sugary drinks, which coincides with the launch of the NYC Department of Health’s new sugary drink campaign. The Family Health Challenge guidebooks will be distributed to students and their families throughout the neighborhoods of Kingsbridge Heights, East Tremont, Crotona Park, Fordham, and Bedford Park in the Bronx. The guidebooks will be distributed through Montefiore Medical Center's school-based health clinics, as well as other participating schools.

Find an event to attend or learn more about Food Day at www.foodday.org.

Introducing Bronx Health REACH's 2011-2012 Legacy Grantees!

2011-10-11T16:41:00.000-04:00

As a Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (CEED), Bronx Health REACH provides seed grants to fund new projects which aim to eliminate health disparities related to diabetes prevention, management, and treatment. Grants are made to non-profit organizations on behalf of community coalitions serving primarily African American and/or Latino populations. Funding ranges from $25,000-$30,000 with 3-5 grants made per year. In addition to funding, grantees receive technical assistance from Bronx Health REACH to implement year long projects.

Bronx Health REACH awarded three grants for 2011-2012. Please read about these great organizations - we look forward to seeing their projects move forward!

THE POINT Community Development Corporation, Bronx, NY

THE POINT is a non-profit organization dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. THE POINT’s Legacy Project aims to reduce the high prevalence of diabetes in Hunts Point by educating youth and community members about health and nutrition and improving community access to affordable and nutritious foods. Teens participating in THE POINT’s community leadership group, A.C.T.I.O.N. (Activists Coming To Inform Our Neighborhood), will take part in education sessions on diabetes prevention and be trained as peer educators. Sessions will include hands-on workshops to construct new bed gardens and will distribute produce to the Hunts Point community through the Corbin Hill Farm Share. To share knowledge throughout the community, A.C.T.I.O.N. will lead education sessions at MS 424’s after-school program to increase awareness of healthy eating for diabetes prevention. THE POINT also plans to produce a Hunts Point gardening manual, do community outreach on healthy eating, and promote the Corbin Hill farm shares to families in the Hunts Point area.

Seeds in the Middle, Brooklyn, NY

Seeds in the Middle fights childhood obesity by taking an integrated approach to health and creating a sustainable infrastructure that engages the entire community: children, parents, and educators. Seeds in the Middle’s Legacy Project will further establish its Hip2B Healthy program in PS 221 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and develop a model for replication to expand to neighboring schools. The Hip2B Healthy program incorporates a school garden, a school-run healthy market, chef’s nights, in-school cooking classes, and fitness opportunities including Zumba, soccer, and track, to create a healthy and nourishing environment for the school community. Seeds in the Middle also works with teachers to develop an integrated curriculum on health and gardening.

Manhattan Middle School for Scientific Inquiry (MS 328), New York, NY

MS 328 is a public school in Washington Heights, a neighborhood with high rates of obesity and diabetes. The middle school’s Legacy Project adds a focus on diabetes and food access to a school wide sustainability curriculum. MS 328 will expand an organic school garden and greenhouse and create a garden curriculum to make connections between growing and eating healthy food. The school will also develop three units of study focused on diabetes for use in biweekly student advisory classes and will work to change the school food system at MS 328 by increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables and decreasing the processed foods served in the cafeteria.

Racial Justice: Why we need to be talking about race

2011-09-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

Are we living in a post-racial society? That question has been bandied about frequently since the election of President Barack Obama, the assumption being that electing an African-American to our highest office was proof enough that America’s complicated, and often ugly, past was long behind it. But for people of color and the activists and community groups that work to achieve racial equity in health, education, employment, housing, and everything else the answer is simple: no.

Confronting race to achieve health equity was the theme of a racial justice training that Bronx Health REACH and staff from REACH communities around the country received earlier this week in Washington, DC. Presented by the Applied Research Center, a racial justice think tank, the group learned how to frame issues with a racial equity lens and to recognize the different ways that racism can appear (internal, interpersonal, institutional, structural). The major takeaway was that we need to be explicit in addressing race as a key component in our work. If we shy away because we are afraid of being accused of playing the “race card”, we may unintentionally derail the policies necessary to address structural and systemic racism.

In an earlier blog post, we wrote about a recent study that found that race and ethnicity was the primary barrier to proper follow-up after an abnormal breast cancer screening. Another study, published in May in the Journal for the Poor and Underserved, looked at Emergency Room wait times based on race. The researchers found that African-Americans coming to the ER with chest pains were 1.42 times more likely to wait longer than 60 minutes than whites. Similar trends occurred with Hispanic patients. Race, whether intentionally or not, is a factor in this decision-making and it needs to be addressed head-on.

Taylor Branch, Dr. Martin Luther King’s biographer, said that King saw race as part of everything, but not all of anything. In Bronx Health REACH’s work to achieve health equity in communities of color, we know this is true. Race is a major factor in our work, but it’s not all of it. Like everything else, health equity requires a multi-faceted approach and, as the ARC trainers taught, we should be race explicit, but not race exclusive. Though bringing up race can be uncomfortable and often unwelcome, these are necessary conversations. If we don’t keep having them, study after study will continue to show the blatant disparity in access to health care between whites and people of color and the people we work with will continue to experience unfair treatment. Advancing the premise of America being a colorblind society benefits no one and doesn’t move our country any further along in realizing the equity for all that we so need.

Race/ethnicity, not health insurance, as primary barrier to quality care

2011-09-13T15:28:00.001-04:00

As a community-based organization committed to the elimination of health disparities, Bronx Health REACH works closely on access to health care issues in underserved communities. One of our signature issues is advocating against the segregated health care system in New York City, which separates patients into two systems based on their health insurance status. This two-tiered system discriminates on the basis of health insurance, steering patients on Medicaid or with no insurance toward the clinic system while those with private insurance are seen in faculty practices. We have found that public insurance or no insurance can be a barrier to accessing quality care due to the poor follow-up, lack of continuity of care, and long wait times that plague the clinic system. However, a recent study published in the journal Cancer, found that lack of health insurance may not be the primary barrier to proper diagnostic care for minority women.

The objective of the study was to determine the impact of race, ethnicity, and health insurance on follow-ups from breast cancer screenings in Washington, D.C., an area that has high mortality rates from breast cancer compared with national rates. The researchers’ hypothesis when they began the study was that patients with health insurance would have a shorter diagnostic time (defined as the number of days from a suspicious finding from a breast cancer screening to a definitive diagnosis for the patient) than patients without health insurance. However, after analyzing the diagnostic times of over 1500 women, the researchers found that health insurance was not the main determinant in longer wait times. On average, the diagnostic wait times for white, black, and Hispanic women were half a month, 1 month, and 2 months respectively. For white women on government insurance the average diagnostic time was 12 days; however for black women with the same insurance it was 39 days and for Hispanic women it was 70 days. Similar trends occurred when comparing women with private insurance from the three different racial/ethnic groups (16 days for whites; 27 days for black; and 51 days for Hispanics). The huge difference in diagnostic time between the different racial/ethnic groups suggests that health insurance status may not be the primary barrier to care.

This research highlights the alarming disparity in quality health care between minority groups and whites. While having health insurance does mediate this issue somewhat, the fact that women on the same insurance but of a different racial/ethnic background would have such varied waiting times shows that the system does discriminate against minority groups. In this particular case, the women were waiting to hear whether a breast abnormality identified by a clinician was benign or malignant. Depending on the stage of the cancer, a difference in diagnostic time between 12 and 70 days could be a serious impediment to proper treatment and halting the spread of the cancer. Other studies have shown similar disparity in treatment between white and minority patients. One well-known study by Dr. Kevin Schulman looked at the effect that race and gender had on physicians’ recommendations for cardiac catheterization and concluded that African-Americans and women were less likely to receive a referral than whites and men, with black women being the least likely group to get a referral. Another study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs found disparities in health care between black and white veterans across all clinical areas. The study also suggested that disparities in health care delivery between the two groups are contributing to disparities in health outcomes.

This research all points to the conclusion that racial and ethnic disparities in health care access and delivery are a critical problem in our health care system. Through community outreach and education efforts, such as the health disparities education conducted by Bronx Health REACH, community members are becoming more aware of their patient rights and learning how to advocate for proper care. However, policy and system change must take place both in the training of physicians and in how care is delivered in order to affect lasting change.

Take Action and Protect Healthier School Lunches!

2011-09-01T12:05:00.000-04:00

Over 31 million children receive lunch through the National School Lunch Program. In New York City alone, public school kitchens serve 860,000 meals each day and service 1.1 million kids. School food is a critical piece in keeping children fed and alert throughout the school day, but it also provides a key opportunity to get children eating healthy. The federal government’s Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 authorizes funding and sets policy for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s core child nutrition program. Under this legislation, the USDA has proposed nutrition guidelines to improve school lunches and breakfasts by including more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk, as well as cooking with less salt and fat. Despite support from tens of thousands of parents and organizations, some members of Congress are trying to stop these guidelines from being finalized.

According to the most recent estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau, over 20 percent of America’s children live in poverty. In New York City, the number of children living in poverty ranges from 25 to 33 percent depending on age group. Overall, 76% of elementary and middle school children in NYC receive free lunch and in some neighborhoods that number is much higher. (In the South Bronx, almost 95% of elementary and middle school children receive free lunch). For many of these children, school meals provide one of the few available opportunities for a nutritious meal. The food deserts in which many of these children live only compound the problem by providing few options to access healthy, affordable food. By insuring that school food follows common-sense nutrition guidelines, these children can eat healthy twice a day, which will lower risk factors associated with childhood obesity. Other national efforts to fight childhood obesity, including the Partnership for a Healthier America’s recent initiative to bring healthy, affordable food to 10 million people over the next five years, are crucial. However, the USDA guidelines are a critical weapon in the fight to combat childhood obesity in high need, vulnerable communities and they must be protected.

The House of Representatives has already included a rider on its agriculture spending bill to urge USDA to start over and propose a new set of school meal standards. The Senate will vote on its own agriculture appropriations bill on September 7^th. To keep healthy school lunches, please send an email to both of your Senators asking them to support USDA’s efforts to improve school meals. Go to https://secure2.convio.net/cspi/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1251 and take action!

Preaching Healthy Living from the Pulpit

2011-08-24T09:59:00.001-04:00

This week The New York Times published a story highlighting the efforts of pastors in the Mississippi Delta to get their congregations to eat healthier. In a state with the second highest adult obesity rate and ranking dead last in life expectancy, the Delta is especially hard hit. Fried and heavily-salted foods dominate the culinary scene and, if there are greens, they are often boiled with ham hocks. Pastors, alarmed by the health of their congregants, began to promote healthier food options at church events and encourage physical activity. Like many attempts to change long-standing traditions, these efforts were initially met with skepticism, if not outright resistance, but over the years more Delta churches and their congregations have begun to change the way they think about food.

Preaching healthy living from the pulpit is not unique to the Mississippi Delta. For the past decade, Bronx Health REACH’s Faith-Based Outreach Initiative has been working with faith-based leaders to incorporate health messages into church activities and provide programming around nutrition and fitness, diabetes prevention and management, and health disparities. Currently, Bronx Health REACH works with 47 churches throughout the Bronx and upper Manhattan. These programs include a Culinary Initiative, which works with church culinary committee members to serve healthier meals at church events, and Fine, Fit, and Fabulous, which teaches nutrition and fitness within a spiritual context. These programs and others have contributed to both behavior change and weight loss in participating congregants.

Faith-based institutions are key partners in the effort to counteract obesity and prevent diabetes. Pastors, as leaders in their community, have a unique ability to speak to their congregations about the importance of eating healthy and exercising. Because churches engage in many community events, as well as provide meals to their congregants, they are able to influence what kind of food is served and encourage churchgoers to use healthy cooking methods at home. In a similar way, exercise and/or diabetes management programs conducted in a church setting or with spiritual elements provide a familiar background or context to people starting a new activity. The built-in support of the church community is a crucial part of encouraging congregants to continue to eat healthy and to follow exercise regimens.

Battling the obesity epidemic in our communities requires a multi-pronged approach and investment from all parts of the community. Faith-based institutions and their leaders are a critical piece in bringing the message of healthy living to community members. The example that the pastors in the Mississippi Delta and those in Bronx Health REACH’s Faith-Based Outreach Initiative have set is one that can and should be followed in faith communities throughout the country.

Farm to Table: Supporting CSAs in Our Community

2011-08-09T14:33:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago having access to farm fresh produce in urban areas meant driving upstate and picking apples or paying high prices at gourmet grocery stores. But the recent advent of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, which have been popping up throughout the Bronx and other underserved communities, are now bringing the farm to the city. CSAs give communities direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown by local farmers, who bring their wares to a designated drop-off site once a week for a reasonable cost. Participants buy a farm share, usually enough for a family of four, and can often use food stamps or pay on a sliding scale depending on income. At last count, there were approximately 12,000 CSAs in the U.S. and 350 in New York State alone.

The growing importance of CSAs in urban areas and food deserts (discussed in a recent blog post here) is underlined by the introduction of the Community Supported Agriculture Promotion Act by Senators Gillibrand, Leahy, Sanders, and Tester. This proposed legislation would create a competitive grant program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which would award federal funds to support new and current CSA farmers, develop innovative methods of delivery and distribution, and promote participation through outreach and education activities. The program would give preference to CSAs that expand their reach into food deserts or low-income communities.

This legislation is good news for fresh food advocates, who have been working to connect farmers with community members in underserved areas. Bronx Health REACH has been an active partner in supporting CSAs throughout the community and provided funding to the NYC Coalition Against Hunger to start a Bronx-based CSA that brings produce from Fresh Radish Farm in Goshen, NY to the Seventh Day Adventist Temple on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. Kelly Moltzen, Bronx Health REACH’s nutrition coordinator, is a member of the South Bronx CSA and recently visited Nolasco Farms in Sussex County, New Jersey where she learned about the 50 kinds of produce grown on the farm (see photo below). If you’re interested in joining a CSA or starting one in your neighborhood, the organization Just Food keeps a running list of CSAs in New York City and provides information to people interested in starting a program.

The Community Supported Agriculture Promotion Act will give crucial support to CSAs throughout the country as they connect underserved communities with local farms. Farm to table is not just a restaurant fad, but a true movement that is being recognized by our legislators. Let’s keep the momentum going!

More money, less preventable deaths

2011-08-05T09:41:00.000-04:00

Public health activities, which are designed to promote health and prevent disease and disability, are a crucial component in reducing health disparities and improving community health. However, despite the increased focus on community-based health interventions (discussed in an earlier Bronx Health REACH post available here), national health spending on public health activities accounts for less than 5 percent of the total. The Affordable Care Act authorized a major expansion of federal public health spending ($15 billion over the next 10 years), but critics of health reform still argue that evidence linking public health activities to positive health outcomes is lacking. Public health professionals and community health advocates can attest that community-based interventions have been successful in changing unhealthy behavior, but a new study provides even greater evidence of the link between public health activities and better health. The study found that increasing public health spending lowers mortality rates from preventable causes of death. Though many of us in the field aren’t surprised by this news, it gives strong support to public health efforts in communities across the country.

The study, published this month in the journal Health Affairs, analyzed changes in spending patterns and mortality rates within the service areas of nearly 3000 local public health agencies over a 13 year period (1993-2005). The authors found that the degree of change in per capita spending varied widely across communities and only 65 percent of agencies experienced positive growth in the study period. However, in areas where public health spending increased, there were statistically significant reductions in mortality in four of the six mortality rates examined. Infant mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality were particularly affected: infant mortality fell by 6.9 percent and cardiovascular disease mortality fell by 3.2 percent for each 10 percent increase in spending. Diabetes mortality and cancer mortality also fell. The study’s authors concluded that public health spending was one of the most consistent determinants of community-level preventable mortality, even after accounting for differences in demographic and socioeconomic conditions.

By finding a clear association between spending and mortality, this study suggests that additional spending, such as that under the Affordable Care Act, would generate improvements in population health over time. It also warns against severe cuts in the health budgets of state and local governments. While health spending continues to be a frequent target for those against “big government”, this study provides the necessary evidence that our nation’s public health is a wise investment. Lowering mortality rates from preventable causes should be a top priority for the legislators and policymakers that are deciding how the federal government spends its money.

Health Care Organizations Issue Call to Action to Eliminate Health Disparity

2011-07-27T10:26:00.000-04:00

For over a decade Bronx Health REACH has been working within underserved communities to eliminate health disparity. In that time, government agencies, hospitals, and health systems have become more willing to address health disparities and work toward solutions to achieve health equity. This partly stems from ethical obligation, but it also enhances performance and makes good financial sense. (Chronic diseases account for the largest health gap among ethnic and minority populations and are responsible for 75 cents of every dollar spent on health care in the U.S.) Even so, the Call to Action to Eliminate Health Care Disparities, issued by leading national health care organizations last week, is notable for its commitment in providing a foundation to accelerate efforts to achieve health equity.

Led by the American Hospital Association (AHA), the “Call to Action” brought together five major health care organizations, including the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, to focus their efforts on eliminating health disparity. “We’re in a new era of health care,” says Dr. Maulik Joshi, senior vice president of the AHA. “Collaboration is a key part of the process.” The group will focus on three building blocks: increasing the collection and use of race, ethnicity and language data; increasing cultural competency training for all staff; and increasing diversity in leadership and governance. The organizations will pool resources and tools and have created a website (www.equityofcare.org) as a portal for information on how to implement these initiatives within hospitals.

A main impetus for joining this effort, says Dr. Marc Nivet, chief diversity officer at the AAMC, was the recognition that medical schools and teaching hospitals need to do a better job in communicating the importance of health disparity. “We’re creating future physicians and we’ve known for a long time that we’re not providing a workforce that is culturally competent,” says Dr. Nivet. “We need to have the concept and understanding of health disparity woven into the curriculum.” Collecting and sharing data is also a key component so that people understand the issues and better policy can be made. The goal, says Dr. Joshi of the AHA, is not just systematic data collection, but a better understanding of the community and how the right data can be used achieve equity of care.

The importance of integrating the entire hospital structure with the community is also a key part of this effort. “Community organizations have been in the right place for decades in terms of trying to improve health by not just paying attention to health care, but paying attention to other social determinants of health,” says Dr. Nivet. “It’s important that all of that knowledge is transferred through shared learning between major medical institutions and community groups to figure out how we can all work together more closely going forward.” Dr. Joshi agrees, saying that hospitals are often role models in the community and collecting better data allows hospitals to know their communities in a more comprehensive way. “We need to move away from this mentality that we sit in the community to that we are part of this community,” concludes Dr. Nivet.

The chasm between public health and medicine is a frequent roadblock in collaboration between community groups and hospitals, but the “Call to Action” may be the crucial opportunity needed to bridge the gap. We applaud these health care organizations for taking a decisive step forward in outlining steps to achieve health equity and providing resources so that hospitals can implement better practices. As a community-based initiative, Bronx Health REACH looks forward to increased collaboration with hospitals and hopes that this effort galvanizes hospitals across the country to heed this Call to Action and become active in the national effort to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities.

Building an oasis in the desert

2011-07-21T16:55:00.000-04:00

According to the Partnership for a Healthier America, 23.5 million Americans live in areas where finding affordable, healthy food is difficult. These so-called food deserts make healthy eating a true challenge, even if the population is willing to make lifestyle changes. To combat this issue and the rising tide of childhood obesity (of the 23.5 million Americans living in food deserts, 6.5 million are children), the Partnership for a Healthier America has announced an initiative to bring healthy, affordable food to 10 million people over the next five years.

The Partnership for a Healthier America, a key partner in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Initiative, received commitments from six leading grocery retailers, including Walgreens and Walmart, to open or expand over 1,500 locations in low-income areas. Walgreens alone has committed to expand a minimum of 1000 stores by 2016 to serve 4.8 million people in low-access areas. The New York Times reported that Walgreens will turn these locations into “food oasis stores” that will sell fruits, vegetables, and other items they do not normally stock.

This effort comes at a crucial time. One in three children is overweight or obese and the White House has said that, according to some research, today’s youth may be the first generation to have shorter lives than their parents. The lack of access to healthy food is a key contributor to the ever increasing weight of America’s children, as is the concentration of fast food outlets in low-income areas. The Bronx, to take one example, has 43 McDonald’s alone – if you were to add the Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy, and KFCs that number would be significantly higher.

Some cities have taken their own steps to ban unhealthy foods. In 2008, South Los Angeles issued a moratorium on building new fast food outlets in the area. The ban, advocated for by Community Health Councils, a REACH grantee, allowed existing restaurants to stay, but no new outlets have opened since it was passed. A few years ago, New York City issued a ban on trans fats and Bronx Health REACH led a successful effort to eliminate whole milk in NYC public schools.

These are all important steps, but an overhaul of how food is distributed in this country is necessary. Though nutrition education is a big part of the effort, people cannot practice what they learn if there is not an affordable and convenient place to buy healthy food. Now is the time to turn our deserts into oases.

Does having health insurance make you happier and healthier?

2011-07-18T17:45:00.000-04:00

Does providing health insurance to the poor actually make them healthier? While a critical question in the long-running health care debate, the impact of health insurance on the poor has been difficult to determine as studies comparing the insured versus the uninsured typically have too many variables (income, education, health habits, etc.) to be completely successful. However, a recent study on the impact of Medicaid in Oregon provides the first rigorously controlled look at the costs and benefits of having health insurance.

This study, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, took advantage of an unusual situation in Oregon, which decided to expand its Medicaid program by selecting 10,000 uninsured people by lottery. This allowed economists to compare those selected by lottery to receive Medicaid with those who had not been picked. Because it is considered unethical for researchers to deny coverage to some people for the benefit of a study, nothing like this had ever been done before.

In short, the findings from the first year are encouraging. The researchers found that when the previously uninsured were given Medicaid they saw doctors more often, felt more financially stable, reported better physical and mental health, and undertook more preventative health measures. For example, Medicaid coverage increased the likelihood of using outpatient care by 35% and of having a regular doctor by 55%. Women on Medicaid were 60% more likely to receive a mammogram than the uninsured group and the likelihood of people having to borrow money or skip other bills to pay for health care decreased by 40%. However, having Medicaid coverage did not reduce the number of emergency room visits and increased utilization of health care services by the insured added up to an extra 25% in annual medical expenditures, making cost still a significant factor.

With the debate on the expansion of public insurance raging, this study is expected to be a strong argument for insuring the poor. However, feeling healthier doesn’t necessarily mean that people are healthier. The study also didn’t assess the quality of care for those on Medicaid, which is a frequent criticism of public insurance. The second phase of the study will attempt to answer at least one of these questions by measuring the health effects of having Medicaid versus being uninsured. The researchers interviewed 12,000 people (6,000 from each category) and measured variables like blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight. Those results will be released once they have been analyzed.

Insuring the poor is a critical component to reducing the chronic disease burden and eliminating health disparity. Relying on “safety net” hospitals, free clinics, and charity care is not a sustainable option, nor a preferable one. However, expanding public insurance on its own is not enough. Without improving the quality of care of those on Medicaid or raising reimbursement rates so that more doctors accept it, the cycle of poor health outcomes for underserved populations will continue. As this study shows, if people are offered the option to live a healthier life they take it. This should be proof enough.

To read the entire study, click here.

Kids’ LiveWell: Healthier Options for Children at Restaurant Chains

2011-07-15T09:35:00.000-04:00

In the past ten years, obesity rates have doubled in the United States. According to the New York City Department of Health, New Yorkers are also piling on the pounds, and quickly. More than half of all adult New Yorkers are overweight or obese and their children aren’t faring much better. Today, nearly half of the kids in NYC are not at a healthy weight and 1 in 5 kindergarteners is obese.

Spurred by these high numbers and the government’s commitment to reduce childhood obesity, community groups, non-profits, and government agencies are combating this epidemic by promoting healthier food in classrooms, teaching nutrition to parents and children, advocating for safe spaces for physical activity, and increasing the availability of healthy food options in low-income areas. Now, chain restaurants are getting in on the action.

This week, the National Restaurant Association introduced a voluntary initiative called Kids’ LiveWell to promote a selection of healthy menu choices for children at chain restaurants around the country. The inaugural group of 19 restaurants includes big names like Burger King, Friendly’s, and Chili’s, though other popular fast food outlets like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s have not signed on. The nutrition criteria specifies that each Full Kids’ Meal, which includes one entrée, a side order, and a beverage, would be under 600 calories, contain less than 35% total fat, and have at least two sources of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, or low-fat diary.

With more than 15,000 restaurants participating in the launch of the program, Kids’ LiveWell has the potential to reach a great number of kids at America’s popular eateries. In order for its impact to be felt, however, parents and caregivers need to promote healthy options when dining out and teach their children the benefits of healthy eating. As the number of children at risk for diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension continues to increase rapidly, fast food chains and restaurants must take responsibility and accelerate their efforts to halt and reverse childhood obesity. Kids’ LiveWell is a good first step in a long road.

Community Transformation Grants: How Transformational Will They Be?

2011-07-14T09:48:00.001-04:00

For community advocates and local non-profits, community-based health interventions have long been considered a critical component to reducing chronic disease and eliminating health disparity at the ground level. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the policy world has also recognized the importance of community in preventative health activities. The Affordable Care Act created Community Transformation Grants, which aim to help communities implement projects proven to reduce chronic diseases and promote healthy lifestyles. Over the five year project period, the Community Transformation Grants (CTGs) will support two categories of activity: building community capacity to implement change and implementing evidence-based and practice-based programs to achieve change. The implementation grants, which are open to States, local governments, and non-profits, range between $500,000 and $10 million for the first budget year.

As envisioned in the Affordable Care Act, these grants would emphasize community in all aspects of the process. County applicants (including New York City, which got a special dispensation to apply under this category) must allocate at least 50 percent of their award to local community entities or local governments. The applicant must also provide evidence of a community coalition committed to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the CTG. This community-focused approach is crucial, but many community groups are concerned about how much “transforming” these grants will actually spur. In the past, collaborations with agencies such as the NYC Department of Health have employed a more top-down approach. The agency planned the project and the community groups implemented it. This method has worked sporadically at best, with community groups unable to provide the necessary feedback to make the projects applicable and workable in their neighborhoods.

Under the proposed CTG, the Department of Health (considered by many a strong candidate to receive a large grant) has to make changes in its approach to community-based interventions. The Bronx Health REACH coalition, and other coalitions in New York City, have spent years building relationships in their communities to address widespread health issues. These relationships will give the DOH a considerable advantage if they build on these partnerships and employ the capabilities of community groups in the planning process. Some in the Health Department seemingly recognize the value of community efforts and have indicated an interest in partnering with community coalitions in each borough to plan and implement the grant if it was awarded. However, many community groups view with understandable skepticism any suggestion from the Health Department that does not indicate its leadership’s commitment to a strong community presence in the shaping of an initiative intended to transform communities and improve health for its residents.

Bronx Health REACH e-blast: June 17, 2011

2011-06-17T10:30:00.001-04:00

** Legacy Project Funding Opportunity for Projects Addressing Diabetes Related Health Disparities – proposals due July 8**

Bronx Health REACH, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) designated National Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (CEED), announces a request for proposals for projects which aim to eliminate diabetes related health disparities affecting African American and/or Latino populations. Bronx Health REACH/New York CEED will award 3 grants of $25,000-$30,000 for a period of one year beginning September 30, 2011. Proposals for funding are due by July 8, 2011. For application or if you have any questions regarding this announcement, contact: Jill Linnell, jlinnell@institute2000.org (212) 633-0800 ext. 1305 or Yvette Holland, yholland@institute2000.org (212) 633-0800 ext. 1232.

Good Health Bronx Initiative – June 18^th

The Bronx Multi Faith Advisory Group and NYC Department of Health Office of Minority Health is hosting a full-day Good Health Bronx Initiative on June 18^th in Crotona Park. The event will feature a 3 mile faith walk, health screenings, and information about health concerns affecting Bronx residents. Registration for the faith walk is required and each person will receive a free t-shirt. For information on registering please contact Lisa White at 646-253-5800 or email her at lwhite@health.nyc.gov.

Green Bronx Machine – launch party June 22^nd and help a classroom get computers!

Green Bronx Machine is a new youth initiative focused on generating authentic voices in health, wellness, and academic and vocational career readiness. The United Federation of Teachers is hosting a launch party for the program on June 22nd from 6 pm to 9 pm at Café Iguana on West 54th Street in Manhattan. The Green Bronx Machine will receive a set of computers for a school classroom if they receive 1,000 “likes” on Facebook and/or followers on Twitter by June 22nd, so please visit http://www.facebook.com/green.BX.machine orhttp://twitter.com/greenBXmachine and help out! You can also watch a video starring Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and State Senator Gustavo Rivera about the Green Bronx Machine here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cww_dUh5FUI.

Bronx Health REACH Nutrition and Fitness Committee – June 23rd

Bronx Health REACH is holding its monthly nutrition and fitness committee on Thursday, June 23rd from 10 am to noon at Walker Memorial Baptist Church in the Bronx (120 E. 169thStreet). The topics discussed will be the school health policy work of HEA+LTHY Schools NY and resumption of the three working groups on physical activity, nutrition and tobacco. Also, there will be updates on the Johnson & Johnson initiative and the social marketing project. All are welcome to attend.

Bronx Health REACH Coalition Meeting – June 24th

Bronx Health REACH is holding its quarterly coalition meeting on Friday, June 24th at Walker Memorial Baptist Church in the Bronx (120 E. 169th Street). The meeting will take place from 9:30 am to 12 pm and all are welcome to attend.

Hunts Point Farmer’s Market – Wednesdays and Saturdays starting June 29th

Starting Wednesday June 29th, the Hunts Point Farmer’s Market will be open twice a week (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) through November. The market will be open from 8:30 am to 5 pm rain or shine at Msr Raul Del Valle Square at Southern Blvd. and E.163rd St. Alex’s Tomato Farm located in Carlisle, N.Y. will sell fresh and local fruits, vegetables, culinary herbs, and plants. The farmers market will accept state issued Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards and there will be nutrition education lessons and cooking demonstrations conducted every Wednesday by NYC Department of Health. Free HealthBucks will be distributed at the workshops for people to spend at the farmers market. Please contact Dagmar Kostkova at dkostkova@communitymarkets.biz for more information.

Bronx CAN Health Initiative

Bronx Health REACH and the Institute for Family Health are proud sponsors and partners of the Bronx CAN Health Initiative, a borough-wide community health initiative promoting healthy behaviors throughout the Bronx community. The Bronx CAN Health Initiative, led by New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera (33^rd District) and Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz, Jr., is a collaborative effort with community groups, residents, faith-based institutions, health care providers, and others to encourage healthier lifestyles in our communities. For more information about the Bronx CAN Health Initiative and to see a calendar of events, visit: http://www.bronxcan.com/.

Bronx Health REACH featured in UFT-ACTS Spring Newsletter!

The United Federation of Teachers Alliance for Charter Teachers and Staff highlighted Bronx Health REACH’s obesity prevention program at the Bronx Academy of Promise Charter School in its Spring newsletter. The program, funded by the Johnson & Johnson/John Hopkins Community Health Care Scholars Program, is part of a national effort to provide elementary school children with nutrition education. Bronx Health REACH staff member Diana Johnson taught two third grade classes at Bronx Academy of Promise about healthy eating over six sessions and has brought this program to other schools in the Bronx. Bronx Health REACH plans to expand the program to reach 600 students and will also train teachers to teach the whole curriculum on their own.

The Virginia Faith-Based Outreach Initiative featured in local newspaper!

The Virginia Faith-Based Outreach Initiative, a Bronx Health REACH legacy grantee, was featured in the Suffolk News-Herald about its five-week fitness program in local churches. The Virginia program started when a Bronx Health REACH coalition member relocated to Suffolk, Virginia and asked if she could start a fitness program at her church modeled after Bronx Health REACH’s Fine, Fit and Fabulous program. The Virginia-based program combines faith with physical activity and nutrition information and runs for five weeks. Read the article here: http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/2011/06/11/faith-%E2%80%94-and-five-weeks-to-fitness/

Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership Newsletter – June 2011

The Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership highlights its partnership with Bronx Health REACH in its June newsletter. Bronx Health REACH staff members Sigrid Aarons and Bernice McFarline have worked closely with the Smoke-Free Partnership on protesting tobacco marketing toward youth in stores and in organizing the World No Tobacco Day held last month in Union Square. 

Excellence in School Wellness Awards

Bronx Health REACH is pleased to announce that four of our HEA+LTHY Schools NY partner schools received recognition from the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health for Excellence in School Wellness. PS 218 and Sheridan Academy received Gold Medals, PS 43 received a Silver Medal, and PS 64 received an honorable mention. The award ceremony for schools in the Bronx will take place on Wednesday, June 22nd at the Bronx Museum of the Arts (1040 Grand Concourse) from 3 pm to 5 pm. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

The Prevention Institute discusses how “overweight is the new normal”

In its weekly e-newsletter, the Prevention Institute explores how changes in our environment, such as larger food portion sizes, have transformed our cultural norms surrounding food and physical activity, and our behavior. The Institute examines how what surrounds us shapes our behavior toward nutrition and fitness and provides tips on how to inform legislators about community prevention and creating healthier environments. Read more here: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5902/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1168072

Women Helping Others Foundation Invites Grant Applications

The Women Helping Others Foundation is inviting grant applications from grassroots organizations for programs that serve the overlooked needs of women and children in the United States. The Foundation is particularly looking for projects or programs that address health or social service needs. The grants will range from $1,000 to $40,000 and are open to 501(c)(3) organizations that have been incorporated for at least three years. To learn more about funding guidelines, eligibility restrictions, and application procedures, please visit: http://www.whofoundation.org/.

BeFitNYC.org

The New York City Departments of Parks & Recreation and Health & Mental Hygiene have launched BeFitNYC.org – a search engine to find FREE and low-cost fitness opportunities in New York City. Visit BeFitNYC.org to find and join free or low-cost fitness activities, such as lunchtime walking groups, after-work runs, yoga meet-ups or zumba classes, as well as organize a fitness activity and invite friends and family to join using Facebook.

Bronx Health REACH e-blast: June 3, 2011

2011-06-03T15:43:00.004-04:00

** Legacy Project Funding Opportunity for Projects Addressing Diabetes Related Health Disparities – proposals due July 8**
Bronx Health REACH, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) designated National Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (CEED), announces a request for proposals for projects which aim to eliminate diabetes related health disparities affecting African American and/or Latino populations. Bronx Health REACH/New York CEED will award 3 grants of $25,000-$30,000 for a period of one year beginning September 30, 2011. Proposals for funding are due by July 8, 2011. If you have any questions regarding this announcement or want a copy of the application materials, contact: Jill Linnell, jlinnell@institute2000.org (212) 633-0800 ext. 1305 or Yvette Holland, yholland@institute2000.org (212) 633-0800 ext. 1232.

Excellence in School Wellness Awards
Bronx Health REACH is pleased to announce that four of our HEA+LTHY Schools NY partner schools received recognition from the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health for Excellence in School Wellness. PS 218 and Sheridan Academy received Gold Medals, PS 43 received a Silver Medal, and PS 64 received an honorable mention. Congratulations and keep up the good work!

Corbin Hill Road Farm – registration deadline for first delivery week is June 7th
Corbin Hill Road Farm is signing people up for its Farm Share program, which gives communities direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown by local farmers. From mid-June to mid-November, fresh produce will be delivered on a weekly basis at several locations in the Bronx and Harlem. Shareholders pay in advance (several flexible payment plans are available) and will receive a set number of produce items each week. The registration deadline for the first delivery week is June 7th. For more information and to sign up, visit the Corbin Hill Road website at http://www.corbinhillfarm.com/farmshare.html or call (718) 578-3610.

Bronx CAN Initiative – launching June 11th
Join NY State Senator Gustavo Rivera from the 33rd District in the Bronx and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. for the launch of the "Bronx CAN Initiative." Senator Rivera is holding himself as the poster boy for a Biggest Loser contest where he vows to eat healthy and exercise more in order to lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle. The first weigh-in for the initiative will be held at the Mary Mitchell Center at 2007 Mapes Ave, Bronx NY 10460 on Saturday June 11th from 11:30am-1:30pm. The event will be the start of learning more about where to find fresh food in the Bronx, prepare healthy, delicious meals for yourself and your family, and take advantage opportunities to get some exercise in your neighborhood. If there is a health-related event coming up that you would like to see highlighted on the Bronx CAN Initiative Calendar of Events, please send the information to gomezjim@nysenate.gov.

Walk NYC – June 11th
St. Mary’s Recreation Center is hosting a Walk NYC event on June 11th between 12 pm and 1 pm. The event is free and open to all ages and aims to encourage people to stay fit by walking. The walkers will meet in front of the Center at 450 St. Ann’s Avenue in the Bronx and will walk around St. Mary’s Park. Contact Shawn James at 718- 402-5155 for more details.

Get Your Mind Right, Body Right Health Fair – June 11th
New York Urban League Young Professionals and The Bronx Knows are hosting a free health fair for the Bronx community on June 11th in St. Mary’s Park in the Bronx (146th Street and St. Ann’s Avenue). The event, which will take place between 12 pm and 4 pm, will have free health screenings for HIV and STDs, check glucose levels and provide information on diabetes, discuss how to control asthma, and provide tips on healthy eating and fitness.

Entertaining for Development Community Event – June 11th
The New Covenant Community Development Corporation is hosting an event to promote housing, resource opportunities, and economic empowerment in the Bronx. The event will take place at Dominion Cathedral at 1175 Boston Road from 3:30 pm to 6 pm on Saturday, June 11th. The event will include Educational Scholarship Awards, free health screenings, and special music and dance performances.

Bronx Urban Farm Tours – starting June 11th and monthly through October
On June 11th, Bronx Urban Farm Tours will be hosting a “Taste of the Latin Caribbean: Puerto Rican History in the Bronx” tour which highlights the agricultural contributions of the Puerto Rican community and culture in NYC. The tour costs $30 per person and will begin at 9:30 am at The New York Visitors and Convention Bureau, located on 810 7th Avenue (and 52nd Street) and will return at 3 pm. Bi-lingual tour guides will be provided. Urban farm tours with various themes will take place on a monthly basis through October. To register or for more information, call 718.817.8026 or email bronxfoodsummit@gmail.com.

Free Health Wellness Workshops – starting June 13th
Bronx Shepherds Restoration Corporation is hosting free health wellness workshops on Mondays starting June 13th from 1 pm to 3:30 pm at 1932 Washington Ave, 3rd floor. The workshop will teach participants how to manage their health in an interactive and fun way.

Get Screened + Get Cleaned – June 16th
The Institute for Family Health is hosting a health fair on June 16th from 12 pm to 4 pm. The event will take place at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building at 163 West 125th Street in Harlem and will have free health screenings for diabetes, dental, glaucoma, blood pressure, nutrition, HIV, and cholesterol. The health fair will also include free haircuts for the first 50 attendees and massage therapy.

Good Health Bronx Initiative – June 18th
The Bronx Multi Faith Advisory Group and NYC Department of Health Office of Minority Health is hosting a full-day Good Health Bronx Initiative on June 18th in Crotona Park. The event will feature a 3 mile faith walk, health screenings, and information about health concerns affecting Bronx residents. Registration for the faith walk is required and each person will receive a free t-shirt. For information on registering please contact Lisa White at 646-253-5800 or email her at lwhite@health.nyc.gov.

Grand Avenue Mount Zion Church Health Fair – June 18th
Grand Avenue Mount Zion Church is holding a health fair on June 18th from 12 pm to 6 pm at 1696 Grand Avenue in the Bronx. The community health fair will provide Bronx residents with information about health services available in the borough and have health screenings for community members. Please contact Beverly Salmon (917) 526-3342 or Maud Bailey (914) 664-8528 for more information.

BeFitNYC.org
The New York City Departments of Parks & Recreation and Health & Mental Hygiene have launched BeFitNYC.org – a search engine to find FREE and low-cost fitness opportunities in New York City. From June 6th to June 12th the City will be hosting a week-long celebration of fitness to launch the site. BeFitNYC.org will allow people to find and join free or low-cost fitness activities, such as lunchtime walking groups, after-work runs, yoga meet-ups or zumba classes, as well as organize a fitness activity and invite friends and family to join using Facebook.

Bronx Health REACH e-blast: May 18, 2011

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Discovery High School Farmers Market – May 20^th

Discovery High School is hosting a farmers market and edible plant sale from 8 am to 12 pm at its campus (2780 Reservoir Ave, Bronx, NY) on Friday, May 20^th. The event is open to the public and features teach-ins, tasting tables, and activities for students of all ages. The Discovery High School farmers market is the only student-run, profitable farmer's market in all of NYC featuring fresh veggies and herbs grown indoors.

Community Health Education Day – May 20th

Bronx Health Link and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. present the borough’s largest annual health fair, with screenings, counseling, and educational services for all ages. The event will take place on Friday, May 20th from 11 am to 3 pm at the Bronx County Building at 851 Grand Concourse at 161st Street. Admission to the health fair is FREE.

Hunts Point Hustle 5K Walk/Run – May 21st

Sustainable South Bronx is hosting the 5th annual Hunts Point Hustle 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, May 21st at Hunts Point Riverside Park, Lafayette Avenue between Edgewater Road and the Bronx River. The walk/run will start at 9 am and runners and walkers of all ages are invited to participate. There will also be a 100 yard dash for children, awards for the top three female and male participants in each age category, and t-shirt and goodie bag giveaways. To register, donate, or fundraise go to http://www.ssbx.org/ssbxblog/. Registration will also take place the morning of the Hustle.

Agape Love Christian Center Community Health Day – May 21st

The Agape Love Christian Center, a Bronx Health REACH Faith-Based Outreach Initiative member, is hosting an all-day health fair on Saturday, May 21st at 1023 Allerton Avenue in the Bronx. The fair will take place between 10 am and 4 pm and will include FREE health screenings and information, including mammography, blood pressure, and cholesterol checks. For more information and contact details, see the attached flier.

Active Design Family Day – May 21st, June 11th, & June 18th

The Center for Architecture Foundation (CFAF) and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Built Environment Program have organized youth oriented programs that teach young people about Active Design and the relationship between the design of their communities and their health. These FREE pilot workshops will allow families to work as a design team to redesign a city block to create a space where activities such as walking, biking, outdoor play, and using public transportation are encouraged. The first workshop will take place on Saturday, May 21^st from 11 am to 1 pm at North Brooklyn YMCA, 570 Jamaica Ave, Brooklyn.

NYC Nutrition Education Network General Meeting – May 25th

The NYC Nutrition Education Network is hosting its final meeting of the year on the impact of city and statewide nutrition policies. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 25thfrom 9 am to 12 pm at The New School (Wollman Hall, 65 W. 11th Street, 5th Floor) and will feature speakers from the NYS and NYC Departments of Health. RSVP to nycnenadmin@gmail.com. For non-NYCNEN members, there is a $5 fee to attend the meeting.

World No Tobacco Day NYC Youth Rally – May 31st

The NYC Coalition for a Smoke-Free City is organizing a Youth Rally for Middle and High School students to protest tobacco marketing toward youth in stores. The rally will take place between 2:30 pm and 4 pm at Union Square Park on Tuesday, May 31st. There will be representatives from the Coalition from all five boroughs. 

Shape Up NYC Fitness Classes at St. Mary’s Recreation Center – every Friday

St. Mary’s Recreation Center is hosting FREE Feldenkrais fitness classes through Shape Up NYC every Friday from 9 am to 10 am. Feldenkrais is a series of slow and gentle movements designed to enhance awareness of how your body moves and improves posture and coordination. The weekly classes will take place at the Center at 450 St. Ann’s Avenue in the Bronx and are open to the public. For  more information, contact Shawn James at Shawn.James@parks.nyc.gov.    

Entertainment for Development Community Event – June 11th

The New Covenant Community Development Corporation is hosting an event to promote housing, resource opportunities, and economic empowerment in the Bronx. The event will take place at Dominion Cathedral at 1175 Boston Road from 3:30 pm to 6 pm on Saturday, June 11th. The event will include Educational Scholarship Awards, free health screenings, and special music and dance performances. 

Peace Love Café courses – ongoing

The Peace Love Café located at 617 Melrose Ave between 151st and 152nd streets in the Bronx holds ongoing Food Sustainability and Music Appreciation group programs at its healthy food eatery. As the first health food and internet café in the South Bronx, Peace Love Café encourages student, church, and community groups to sign up for 90 minute courses on Food Sustainability ($15 per attendee) and Music Appreciation ($10 per attendee). To reserve a class for your group, call 347-577-6397 or email peacelovecafe@gmail.com.

Envision 2011: Climate Change & Environmental Justice - June 16-18

The New York Theological Seminary is hosting a three-day conference on the religious response to caring for earth. “Caring for the Community of Creation: Climate Change & Environmental Justice” will be held at the Interchurch Center at 475 Riverside Drive. Registration before May 27th is $40 per person and after will be $50 per person. For more information on the conference, speakers, and how to register, visit http://www.nyts.edu/envision/ or contact Janet Martin at janethtmartin@gmail.com or 914.329.6330.

Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook becomes President Obama’s Religious Freedom Ambassador

Reverend Cook, one of the pastors in Bronx Health REACH’s Faith-Based Outreach Initiative, was named as Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, a State Department post, by President Obama. Rev. Cook grew up in Wakefield and founded the Bronx Christian Fellowship Baptist Church. She later became the NYPD’s first woman and first African-American chaplain. In her new role, Rev. Cook will report directly to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton and advise on religion abroad and monitor religious persecution. To learn more about Rev. Cook and her new position, please read this article from the New York Daily News.

Bronx Health REACH e-blast: May 4, 2011

2011-05-04T12:30:00.002-04:00

The Bronx Forum: The Impact of Healthcare Reform on the Bronx – May 6th
CAUSE-NY and Hostos Community College is hosting a forum on how the Affordable Care Act will impact Bronx residents. Representatives from U.S. Dept of Health, Bronx Health Link, NYS Insurance Dept. and other community groups will be in attendance. The program will take place from 9 am to 12:30 pm on May 6th at Hostos Community College at 120 E. 149th St. in the Bronx. The registration fee is $20 and group discounts are available.

Teen Battle Chef Invitational – May 12th
FamilyCook Productions is holding its first benefit at the New York Institute of Technology’s auditorium on Broadway. The event kicks off at 6:30 pm with food prepared by NYC’s top chefs and the invitational will showcase the culinary talents and skills of high school students in FamilyCook programs across the Northeast. Tickets are on sale and start at $50 per person – the proceeds will benefit FamilyCook and help foster new culinary programs in schools and community centers.

The Faith and Earth Summit – May 13th
Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice and The Riverside Church of New York have designed a full day of workshops on May 13th from 9 am to 5 pm. Topics will include Greening Your Congregation, Practical Steps for Energy and Cost Saving, and Mobilizing Youth Groups. The summit will be held at Riverside Church (490 Riverside Drive). To register, go to: http://tinyurl.com/faithandearth or contact Sara Jones at sjones@nyfaithjustice.org or 212.870.1254.

New York Road Runners Youth Jamboree – May 15th
New York Road Runners invites kids ages 4 to 15 to join them for a fun and FREE day of running, jumping, and throwing at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island between 7:45 am and 4 pm. There is no cost of admission for youth or adults and every child who participates will receive a Youth Jamboree t-shirt and event ribbons. Boys and girls 5-10 years old will compete in the morning and events for youth 11-15 years old will take place in the afternoon. There will be a 55-meter race for 4-year-olds at 12:30 p.m. For more information on the Youth Jamboree or to download the registration forms and schedule, please go to www.nyrrf.org, e-mail jamboree@nyrr.org, or call 646.758.9675.

Walk with a Doctor – May 17th
The Committee for Interns and Residents is sponsoring an obesity themed walk-a-thon and health fair on Tuesday, May 17th between 4 pm and 7 pm at 2330 Eastchester Road in the Bronx. This is an opportunity to build relationships with healthcare providers and doctors and there will also be free giveaways, health screenings, and activities. Please contact Nagiane Lacka at nlacka@cirseiu.org for more information.

Fit City 6th Annual Conference – May 17th
The NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene and the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter is holding its 6th annual Fit City conference that will look at ways to address the childhood obesity epidemic through transformations in the built environment. This conference will bring together architects, planners, designers, developers, and public health professionals to address how building design and policy decisions can improve health outcomes in communities and help prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and asthma. The full day event will take place at the Center for Architecture at 536 LaGuardia Place. Advance registration is required, please go to http://cfa.aiany.org/index.php?section=calendar&evtid=2523 to register and for the full schedule.

American Community Gardening Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Fighting Obesity Grant – due May 30th
ACGA and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are offering four $250 grants to programs that are fighting childhood obesity through their gardening program. The applicant is to submit a news article of three hundred words or less about what they are doing in their school/community garden to combat childhood obesity (can include up to three photos). The articles are due May 30th and will be published in the 2011 ACGA Greening Review. Please send or email articles to Bobby L. Wilson 1757 Washington Rd East Point, Georgia 30344 or bobbyw@uga.edu.

New York City smoking ban for parks and beaches goes into effect May 23
The smoking ban passed by the New York City Council in February will go into effect on May 23, prohibiting smoking in New York City parks, beaches and playgrounds. The ban will cover 1,400 parks and 14 miles of beaches citywide. Fines for smoking in these areas will start at $50.

Join Bronx Health REACH for World No Tobacco Day on May 31
Bronx Health REACH has been working with the Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership in an effort to curtail the aggressive tobacco marketing to youth taking place in Bronx neighborhoods through signage and product placement in convenience stores. Read more about our recent activities here. Also, we invite all Bronx youth to take part in the World No Tobacco Day press conference and rally on Tuesday, May 31, at 3pm in Union Square Park in Manhattan. There, they can make their voices heard and tell Big Tobacco they have had enough.

New York 2 New Orleans
New York 2 New Orleans (NY2NO) is a youth-led non-for-profit that creates meaningful service-learning opportunities for NYC high school students in both New Orleans and New York. This summer NY2NO is launching its second consecutive "Food Justice Summer," that will include up to 5 trips to New Orleans, 5 New York based service-learning initiatives, as well as two summer sessions of their programs “Growing Youth Organizers', and the “Community Action Project”. The trips are still being planned but if interested please contact Alex Goldman at 917-656-1558.

Volunteer with City Harvest
City Harvest is looking for a long-term (4 month) volunteer to assist low-income residents in the South Bronx in accessing healthy seasonal food options as part of its Healthy Neighborhoods programming. City Harvest is New York’s only food rescue organization and is looking for a student, community resident, or anyone looking to gain some experience in the food systems change field to start in June. Please contact Tatiana Orlov at torlov@cityharvest.org if interested in applying.

NYC Green Cart Photo Exhibit - through July 10
The Museum of the City of New York is displaying a photo exhibit titled “Moveable Feast: Fresh Produce and the NYC Green Cart Program” that documents the Green Carts throughout NYC neighborhoods. The resulting photographs, in styles ranging from portraiture to landscape to street photography, capture not only the carts themselves, but also the stories of the vendors, customers, and their communities. The exhibit is running through July 10.

Tobacco Marketing to Youth in the Bronx

2011-05-03T15:34:00.003-04:00

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nearly 4,000 youth under age 18 try their first cigarette each day in the United States and an additional 1,000 become daily smokers. In the Bronx, 3,000 public high school students are current smokers (NYC Department of Health, 2009) and a third of them are likely to die prematurely from the effects of cigarette smoking, based on statewide data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tobacco companies market heavily to youth with the goal of finding and securing “replacement smokers.” The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids notes that tobacco industry internal documents identify children as young as 11 years old as a “key market.” A newly published FDA report indicates that 80% of black and 50% of Hispanic teens smoke menthol cigarettes such as Newport. This is particularly relevant to the Bronx, which is 91% black and Hispanic, according to the 2010 census. According to a report published this year by the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC), menthol cigarettes reinforce smoking behavior through their cooling “throat grab”, which reduces the aversion to nicotine among new smokers, thus promoting continued use leading to addiction. One manufacturer of a menthol-containing brand that is extremely popular among black and Hispanic teens, notes: “[T]he base of our business is the high school student.”

Although cigarette companies claim that they have discontinued intentional marketing to youth through targeted ads and promotional items, they have found another powerful venue for the promotion and sale of their products—the local neighborhood store. The corner store is a favored stop off point for youth on their way to and from school. A recent Bronx community mapping survey showed that 85% of these establishments are located within a five block radius of a school. Cigarette and spit-tobacco companies continue to advertise heavily at these stores with large ads and signs clearly visible from the outside.

On June 22, 2010, the FDA issued a new ruling designed to limit the effect of tobacco advertising on youth.

Among other things, the rule:

Prohibits the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to people younger than 18,
Prohibits the sale of cigarette packages with less than 20 cigarettes,
Prohibits distribution of free samples of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, and
Prohibits gifts or other items in exchange for buying cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products.

To ensure compliance, the FDA has promised to conduct unannounced inspections of local retail establishments and to impose “enforcement action,” which could include warning letters, civil money penalties, and orders prohibiting the future sale of tobacco products.

While these provisions are important, they do not address the key issue of tobacco signage in local neighborhood stores. In the Bronx, this is a major issue, due to their proximity to schools, and the tendency of many to violate the FDA ruling by selling small quantities of cigarettes and other tobacco products to youth, and failure to verify their age at the time of sale.

What can communities do? Bronx Health REACH (BHR) has spent the last few months as a community contractor with the Bronx Smoke-Free partnership under a grant funded by the New York City Department of Health. We have met with local members of the Assembly, Senate and City Council to encourage their continued advocacy and support of smoking prevention and cessation efforts in the Bronx, which has one of the city’s highest overall smoking rates and highest pediatric asthma hospitalization rate. In addition, we have met with Community Boards 3 and 5, representatives from our key target schools in Districts 7 and 9, and members of our Faith-Based Outreach Coalition to inform and sensitize them to the issue of youth-focused tobacco marketing in the local retail market.

Bronx Health REACH is currently working with eight schools under the New York State Department of Health-funded HEA+LTHY Schools NY program to bolster school wellness policies focusing on nutrition, physical fitness and tobacco prevention. It has also encouraged its faith-based coalition to actively engage their youth groups in tobacco prevention advocacy, since youth are the target of tobacco marketing efforts. Several youth groups in member churches have already been sensitized to the importance of healthy eating through participation in the God’s Health Squad program, a multi-unit participatory curriculum that covers key concepts related to nutrition, fitness, good health and positive body image. REACH staff and members of the Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership will work with these same youth groups in targeting local retailers to encourage them to remove tobacco signage outside their stores and reduce tobacco product visibility inside.

Finally, Bronx Health REACH invites all Bronx youth to join the Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership on World No Tobacco Day, Tuesday, May 31, 2011, at Union Square Park in Manhattan at 3 pm for a rally and press conference. There, they can tell Big Tobacco that they've had enough of the aggressive marketing designed to get them hooked on cigarettes.

Bronx Health REACH e-blast: April 18, 2011

2011-04-18T13:38:00.001-04:00

National Health Equity Coalition and REACH Funding

The National Health Equity Coalition is asking as many people as possible to sign and return a postcard to show support for reinstating funding for REACH that was cut out of President Obama’s 2012 budget. The postcard is available in English and Spanish on the website: http://www.nationalhealthequitycoalition.org/

Farm Shares / CSAs

Farm-shares, or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, give communities direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown by local farmers. There are several farm share programs serving the South Bronx and Harlem communities:

· The NYC Coalition Against Hunger, one of the Bronx Health REACH Legacy Grantees, is starting a Bronx CSA farm share distribution site at Grand Concourse Seventh Day Adventist Temple (1275 Grand Concourse at the corner of 169th) in the Bronx. The pick-up will be on Tuesdays from 5:00pm-7:30pm. The produce, which comes from Fresh Radish Farms in Goshen, NY, is delivered every Tuesday for 22 weeks from June to November. Shares are available for all income levels, and food stamps (EBT) are accepted. Flyers in English and Spanish are available here. The deadline to purchase shares is May 15. For more information and to sign up, email bronxcsanyc@gmail.com, visit http://www.bronxcsa.wordpress.com/, or call 212-825-0028 x205.

· The South Bronx CSA provides affordable access to healthy food while empowering immigrant communities. The distribution site is located at Brook Park, a community garden on East 141 Street and Brook Avenue. The pick-up time will be every Wednesday from 3pm to 8pm from June to October. The fresh, organic produce comes from Sergio Nolasco Farms in Sussex County, NJ. Sliding scale prices and EBT (food stamps) welcome. Register today! For more information, visit www.southbronxcsa.org , email southbronxcsa@friendsofbrookpark.org, or call 347-331-0096.

· Corbin Hill Road Farm has multiple distribution sites throughout the South Bronx and Upper Manhattan. The program offers membership for families as well as wholesale distribution for organizations. The model allows members to pay week to week instead of the traditional model of paying at the beginning of the season. Food stamps (EBT) are accepted. More information is available on the website (www.corbinhillfarm.com) in both English and Spanish.

Bronx Health REACH Nutrition & Fitness Committee Meeting – April 21, 2011

At our last Nutrition & Fitness Committee meeting, we formed three policy working groups—one each for tobacco, nutrition and physical activity. At our next meeting on April 21, we will discuss the findings from our School Health Index assessments, present the results of a Bronx obesity prevention synergy and strategy meeting organized by the Strategic Alliance for Health, and discuss our forward-looking policy strategy. There will also be a presentation about WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s food justice initiative.

Date: Thursday, April 21

Time: 10 am to 12 noon

Location: Morrisania Diagnostic and Treatment Center, 1225 Gerard Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452, in the Day Room on the Second Floor.

SAfH Excellence in School Wellness Award – Due May 6, 2011

Elementary schools in the Bronx, Northern Manhattan, and North and Central Brooklyn are invited to apply for SAfH’s Excellence in School Wellness Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize schools creating a culture of wellness within the school. Applications are due May 6, 2011. More information including the official flyer, the complete award application, a list of 2010 winning schools, and news articles from last year’s ceremony can be found at the following link: http://www.nycsafh.org/news/outreach-portfolio-safh-excellence-school-wellness-award. For any questions, please contact info@nycsafh.org.

Adopt a Bodega – May 11^th & 25^th, 2011

Learn how to…Adopt-A-Bodega! Participate in this 2 part training and walk away with the tools to successfully demand healthier food options at your local corner store!

Our neighborhoods are full of life and wonderful cultural resources. However, many of our neighborhoods lack access to adequate, affordable, and quality healthy foods while having great access to unhealthy, high caloric, and fattening foods. Bodegas are less likely to carry healthy foods and more likely to carry unhealthy foods than supermarkets. Additionally, supermarkets typically offer more healthy choices but are less common and accessible in areas such as Harlem and the Bronx. However, as a community, we CAN demand certain items to be sold in the bodegas and we CAN change our food environment!

During the 2 part workshop, we will:

• Provide an overview of food access issues in NYC

• Discuss and brainstorm strategies for approaching and building relationships with store owners

• Offer suggestions on how to identify the bodega that your organization will adopt

• Decide what healthier options your organization would like the adopted store to stock

• Debrief on your first efforts to talk to your local bodega owner about carrying healthier foods

Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 AND Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Time: 3-5pm

Location: East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence, Training Room 1, 161-169 E. 110st between Lexington and 3rd Avenue, NY, NY 10029

RSVP by: Wednesday, May 4, 2011 to Dugeidy Ortiz at dortiz2@health.nyc.gov or (646) 672-2410. (please indicate number of attendees and organization)

*Please note this is a 2-part training. If you RSVP, you are committing to attend both trainings.

NYC Green Cart Cookbook

Green Carts are located in designated neighborhoods throughout the City as part of an effort to increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in communities where access is limited. The NYC Green Cart Cookbook, a collection of 26 recipes inspired by the fruits and vegetables sold at NYC Green Carts, features contributions from famous NYC chefs, elected officials, community groups and Green Cart vendors. This Spring, 10,000 free cookbooks will be given away at NYC Green Carts and health-focused institutions across the City in an effort to promote healthy eating in New York neighborhoods. Click here to download a free copy.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Childhood Obesity Webinars

Please join The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity for the webinar series, "Hand in Hand, Together We Can: Working with Communities to Improve America's Health." Webinars will be held every other week on Thursdays at 2 p.m. Eastern. Webinar topics include: Farm Bill 101, and Portraits of Success: The Farm Bill in Action. Register for upcoming webinars at:
http://www.reversechildhoodobesity.org/content/hand-hand-together-we-can-working-community-make-federal-and-local-change

Cancelled: Stellar Farmers Markets winter program

The DOH’s Stellar Farmers Markets’ winter program, announced in the previous e-blast, has been cancelled due to budget cuts. However, the Stellar Farmers Markets workshops, which include nutrition education lessons and cooking demonstrations, will resume in the summer at markets all over the Bronx. Free HealthBucks will be distributed at the workshops for people to spend at farmers markets. For more information about the Stellar Farmers Markets program, contact Kate Gardner at kgardner@health.nyc.gov.

Weight Watchers – discount for South Bronx residents

Weight Watchers is offering a special opportunity for community residents in the South Bronx to join at a discount. Weight Watchers is offering their national program at a reduced rate of $2.50 per meeting (75% off their regular meeting price) to individuals that live in the South Bronx. The meetings take place every Saturday at 10 AM at Immaculate Conception Church on 150^th Street and Melrose Avenue for the next 10 weeks. Please share this healthy weight loss program information with your clients!

All interested individuals should contact Rosanna Campitiello at rcampitiello@cityharvest.org or 917-351-8726 to register in advance of attending a meeting. Meetings have already started but participants can join any week and will be brought up to speed!

Run for Something Better Program

Global financial institution ING and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) have partnered to promote the ING Run for Something Better School Awards Program. Funding will be given to schools that desire to establish a school-based running program or expand an existing one, in an effort to help fight childhood obesity and introduce youth to the benefits of running. A minimum of 50 grants will be awarded to selected applicants for $2,500 each. Eligible applicants include school programs that target grades Kindergarten through 8th grade in public elementary or middle schools.

Deadline: May 1, 2011

Contact NASPE directly for more information and to apply for this funding: http://naspe.confex.com/naspe/2011/cfp.cgi

Mentoring Opportunity: Tech Wizards

Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC, in collaboration with the National 4-H and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, will be running a mentoring program, entitled Tech Wizards, which will utilize GPS/GIS technology to engage youth and address issues in their communities. They are currently recruiting mentors (unpaid) to volunteer to work with a group of 4 students (collectively) once a week in two-hour sessions from late April 2011-January 2012. Mentors that work during this period will have the opportunity to choose between working with young people from Brooklyn (Crown Heights), Queens (Jamaica) and the Bronx (Mott Haven). Prior knowledge of GPS/GIS technology is not required, as mentors will be provided with training in both mentoring and GPS technology. If you or someone you know would like to seize upon this opportunity to positively impact the lives of several NYC youth in the 4-H Tech Wizards Program, please contact Michele Luc at 212-340-2970 or via e-mail at ML782@cornell.edu.

April is National Minority Health Month

A recent study published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which ranks the health of counties across the US on a state-by-state basis, shows the Bronx ranking dead last out of New York State’s 62 counties. Brooklyn (Kings County) didn’t fare much better, ranking 58 out of the 62. Both boroughs have large numbers of immigrants and people living in communities of color. Now is the time for New York to start paying attention to health disparities. http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=3&lvlID=536

HHS Announces Plan to Reduce Health Disparities
On Friday, April 8, HHS unveiled its roadmap for reducing health and health care disparities, a comprehensive effort to address differences in health for racial, ethnic, and other underserved communities, and the National Partnership for Action's National Stakeholder Strategy. For information, email info@minorityhealth.hhs.gov or call 1-800-444-6472.

Consumer Reports – Obtaining Benefits Under the New Healthcare Bill

To mark the one-year anniversary of the health care bill, Consumer Reports compiled a report on how to obtain benefits under the new bill. You can access the report here.

“Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners” Course - April 26-27, 2011

Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC’s Urban Environment Program will be holding an “Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners” course. If you visit homes to provide health or inspection services of any type, you will benefit from the Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners Course. The training will help you understand the connection between health and housing and how to take a holistic approach to identify and resolve problems, which threaten the health and well-being of residents. The training complements hazard-specific training and identifies root causes of health problems in the home. Course participants will have a better understanding of how to collaborate to make healthy homes a reality in their community. To learn more, please visit the National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network website: http://www.healthyhomestraining.org/

Date: April 26-27, 2011
Time: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Location: Cornell Extension-NYC’s Bronx Office
432 E. 149th Street, the Bronx (#2 or 5 train to 3rd Ave-149th St stop)
Cost: $220. The Healthy Homes Specialist Credential exam will be offered at the end of day two for an additional fee.

IOBY Funding Support

Do you have a great idea for your neighborhood? IOBY (“In Our BackYard”) supports small, grassroots efforts that benefit our communities in NYC and the local environment. If you have a great idea for a local environmental project, apply to have it posted on ioby.org to find donations or volunteers! Eligible projects will be accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit http://ioby.org/, or contact Helen Ho at Helen@ioby.org or 917-464-4515.

Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) Small Grants and Technical Assistance Program

CTAC makes available small grants and technical assistance to build the capacity, sustainability, and impact of non-profit organizations that are engaged in important community organizing in low-income neighborhoods or for low-income constituencies. CTAC will award a total of 6-8 small grants (maximum $20,000). Groups must have a community organizing focus and demonstrate a track-record of successful community organizing within their low income community. For the purpose of this program, community organizing is broadly defined as the process of building a powerful, community-controlled, democratically run, inclusive, grassroots organization capable of developing leaders and effecting social change for its constituent members.

Deadline: May 26, 2011. For more information, visit http://www.ctacusa.com/smallgrants.html

Bronx Health REACH E-blast: February 28th, 2011

2011-02-28T15:17:00.001-05:00

Reminder: Faith-Rooted Organizing Training March 4^th

Come learn how to address social and economic injustices in a way that draws power from the roots of one’s faith. Faith-rooted organizing is a method of organizing based on the Civil Rights movement, bringing people together to create change. It will be held Friday March 4^th from 9:00am to 5:30pm at Judson Memorial Church (55 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012). To register, click this link or paste into your browser: http://www.nycharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=3154 or contact Saralyn Jones atsjones@nyfaithjustice.org or Neise Martin at nmartin@nyfaithjustice.org or (212) 870-1254.

NY Faith & Justice’s Minute for Health Campaign

How can your community of faith live a healthier lifestyle? NY Faith & Justice and Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice are offering to bring health messages directly to the members of your faith community. Get easy tips on simple things you can do to improve your health and fight against diabetes and obesity. For more information, contact Stephen Tickner at stickner@nyfaithjustice.org or (917) 628-5131.

We Are The Bronx (WATB) Fellowship – Request for Proposals

We Are The Bronx (WATB) is a Fellowship of over 25 non-profit organizations in the Bronx that was created in 2009. WATB provides non-profit professionals opportunities to network and training in leadership development. WATB created the 2010-2011 Grant-Making Committee to provide project funding to a Bronx-based individual or organization that shares the WATB mission of strengthening the borough. This year the 2010-2011 Grant-Making Committee will award a grant of up to $1000 to a Bronx-based individual or organization that engages youth in leadership development or community empowerment endeavors.

Click here for the RFP.

Click here for the Application.

Funding opportunity for faith-based organizations in NYC

The Fund for Public Health in New York, on behalf of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, is requesting proposals from faith based institutions/organizations to receive grant funds up to $1,450.00 to implement Phase II of the New York City Walkers for Wellness Program which involves: 1) establishing walking clubs and 2) adopting the New York City Department of Health nutrition policies for social events and regular meetings. Note: Only faith based organizations that have proof of 501c3 non-profit status, operating in the five boroughs of New York City are eligible to apply. Application deadline is 5:00PM Friday, March 18, 2011. For more information, visit here.

Pando Projects – Growing Gardens Growing Kids

Through the non-profit organization Pando Projects, several Community HealthCorps members at the Institute for Family Health are helping Pre-K classes at MidBronx Council Services to grow a community garden. The project will be using Earthboxes which are low-maintenance container gardens that have high yields of produce. The teachers in the Pre-K classes will be given a weekly curriculum for 3 months. They will help their class plant an Earthbox to contribute to the garden. Growing Gardens Growing Kids will increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, provide hands-on learning so the children understand where food comes from, and teach them nutrition and healthy habits. Read more about Growing Gardens Growing Kids at www.pilot.pandoprojects.org/ying. If you have any questions, contact the project leader Ying Guo through the website.

Grow to Learn NYC

GrowNYC, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, has launched a new school garden initiative called “Grow to Learn NYC.” “Garden” is being defined broadly to include container gardens and edible walls, not just traditional gardens. At the new website, http://growtolearn.org/, you can find resources for teachers and parents, how-to guides, information about financing school gardens through mini-grants, Garden to Café, and more. Online school garden registration and applying for city resources through GreenThumb can be done at this website as well. You can also contact the experts if you have additional questions or would like help facilitating a garden committee meeting at your school.

Bronx Food & Sustainability Coalition (BxFSC) Meeting: February 28^th

Come learn about the BxFSC’s plans for Bronx Week in May, and see how you can get involved, and get a firsthand peek at classroom gardening! The next BxFSC meeting will be graciously hosted by Steve Ritz in his classroom at Discovery High School. Please join us!

Date: Monday, February 28

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Discovery High School, Room #279

2780 Reservoir Avenue, Bronx NY 10468. Discovery High School is located up on the Walton High School campus (take the 4, B or D train to Kingsbridge Rd).

National Nutrition Month & Registered Dietitian Day – March 9^th

March is National Nutrition Month and the American Dietetic Association urges you to “Eat Right with Color.” Learn more by attending Registered Dietitian Day on March 9^th, where the theme is “Tackling the Challenges of Obesity in the Bronx.” This event is open to healthcare providers and community members, and Honorable Congressman Jose E. Serrano andHonorable Congressman Eliot L. Engel have been invited.

Date: Wednesday March 9, 2011

Time: 11am – 2:30 pm

Location: North Central Bronx Central Hospital (NCBH)

3424 Kossuth Avenue, Bronx NY 10467 on the 17^th floor private dining room

RSVP w/ “RD Day” in subject line to meehan.maggie@gmail.com

For further information, see www.gnyda.org or call Gloria Bent MS, RD, CDN, GNYDA at 718-519-2129 or Melissa Pflugh, MS, RD, CDN – President-Elect, GNYDA at 212-342-0713.

Obesity Think Tank meeting March 23^rd

On March 23^rd, Albert Einstein College of Medicine will host its eighth Obesity Think Tank meeting, which will highlight Bronx Health REACH’s obesity prevention efforts. Come learn about our experiences and strategize new opportunities with us!

“Fostering Policy, Systems and Environmental Changes to Address Obesity and Diabetes in the South Bronx—Lessons Learned from Bronx Health REACH’s Eleven Years of Experience”

Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Location: The Michael F. Price Center for Genetic and Translational Medicine and The Harold and Muriel Block Research Pavilion

5th Floor Conference Room (Room 551)

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Jack & Pearl Resnick Campus

1301 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461

RSVP by March 17, 2011 to: merrilly.calabrese@einstein.yu.edu

Health Disparity Working Group – March 9^th, 2011

To join our End Segregated Healthcare campaign, come to our Health Disparities Working Group March 9^th, 2011. Our working group meets every 2^nd Wednesday of the month at Cosmopolitan Church of Lord Jesus at 39 W. 190^th St., Bronx, NY 10468 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm. During our next meeting, we hope to show a documentary of this issue made by New York Lawyers for Public Interest. We will also be discussing future meetings with elected officials, outreach strategy, and next steps in the campaign. Join us and support the Health Equality Bill! Contact Ying Guo at yguo@institute2000.org or at 212-633-0800 ext. 1341 for more information.

Medicaid Reform

Governor Cuomo has created a “Medicaid Redesign Team” to help him cut New York’s Medicaid program by $2 billion and redesign it for the long-term. This 27-member team is made up of only one statewide community organization and has little representation from the public sector. It is primarily dominated by the hospital industry and is led by two men with ties to large, private hospitals. Given the imbalanced composition of the Redesign Team, we are concerned that the “savings” and “reforms” it will propose will also be imbalanced, resulting in cuts to Medicaid benefits, long-term and primary care services in the community, and safety net providers. In New York City, people of color are more than twice as likely to be publicly insured as whites. This means that cuts and bad decisions about reforms to the Medicaid program will have a bigger negative impact on communities of color.The New York City public hearing was held on February 4^th, 2011. You can view a video of some of the public hearing at http://tinyurl.com/6l27anv or join the Save Our Safety Net Campaign by emailing soscny@gmail.com. You can stay updated on Medicaid reform through the health justice blog of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (http://healthjustice.wordpress.com/). Here is the link to the latest post and here is a link to key resources related to the Medicaid Redesign Team.

Institute for Family Health News

On February 9^th, the Institute for Family Health broke ground to expand its Walton Family Health Center on 177^th St and Walton Ave. in the Bronx. The remodeled and expanded center is expected to care for 10,000 more residents of Mt. Hope, University Heights, and West Tremont annually. The Institute is also going to be one of the first federally-funded Teaching Health Centers in the country. It will expand its residency program in its Mid-Hudson Valley health centers to address critical shortages of primary care physicians across the state. “The Institute has a strong track record of training family medicine residents who continue to practice

in high-need communities” once their training is complete, and many of the new physicians that will be trained are expected to continue serving in these communities. For more information and to access the press releases, please visit http://institute2000.org/org/press.htm.

Bronx Health REACH e-blast: Feb. 3, 2011

2011-02-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

NY Faith & Justice: Faith-Rooted Organizing training: March 4th
NY Faith and Justice is organizing a one-day introductory training on how to address social and economic injustices in our city and our world in a way that draws power from the roots of one’s faith. Faith-rooted organizing is a method of organizing based on the Civil Rights movement, bringing people together to create change. It is shaped and guided in every way by beliefs rooted in faith.
Date: Friday, March 4, 2011
Time: 9:00am to 5:30pm (with break from 11:30am-1pm)
Location: Hosted by Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
To register, click this link or paste into your browser: http://www.nycharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=3154
Or contact Saralyn Jones at sjones@nyfaithjustice.org or Neise Martin at nmartin@nyfaithjustice.org or (212) 870-1254

“Ask Dr. Tommy O”
“Ask Dr. Tommy O” Health Education Show is a non-profit volunteer television program designed to encourage a healthier lifestyle, promote interest in health education, and provide empowerment through health education. It is hosted by Dr. Timothy Birkett of Church Alive Community Church and member Bronx Health REACH’s Faith-Based Outreach Initiative, and co-hosted by Thomas G. O’Brien II, M.S., D.O., a proactive, community oriented family physician. Dr. O'Brien has been honored by Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence in Healthcare, and presented with an award from United Bronx Parents, Inc. for providing exceptional medical care to the South Bronx Community. The show has reached millions of viewers and won numerous awards since it went on the air in 1987, including a Beta Award from Bronx Net Cablevision in 2004 for “Best Health Educational Show.” To learn more about “Ask Dr. Tommy O,” please visit www.communityhealtheducation.com.

“Super Size Me” Screening: February 7th
There will be a free screening of "Super Size Me" at the New York Academy of Medicine on February 7. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Judith Wylie-Rosett, EdD, RD, Professor and Division Head for Behavioral and Nutritional Research, Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Date: February 7, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Registration and Reception: 5:30 – 6:00 PM; Film showing and discussion: 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Location: The New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, New York, NY 10029
Please register at: http://www.nyam.org/events/2011/2011-02-07-01.html

Nutrition & Fitness Workgroup meeting: February 10, 2011
Please join us for our next Nutrition and Fitness workgroup meeting, where we will hold a discussion on the policies this workgroup should address at the school building, district, and citywide levels. We will also discuss our school-based obesity prevention program, have a presentation on school garden-based initiatives, and discuss next steps for our social marketing project and afterschool initiative expansion.
Date: Thursday, February 10, 2011
Time: 1:00-3:00pm
Location: Morrisania Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Room TBA
1225 Gerard Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452

Adopt A Bodega 2-Part Training
Learn how to…Adopt-A-Bodega! Participate in a 2 part training and walk away with the tools to successfully demand healthier food options at your local corner store!
Our Bronx neighborhoods are full of life and wonderful cultural resources. However, many of our neighborhoods lack access to adequate, affordable, and quality healthy foods while having great access to unhealthy, high calorie, and fattening foods. Approximately 90% of food stores in the Bronx are bodegas. Bodegas are less likely to carry healthy foods and more likely to carry unhealthy foods than supermarkets. Additionally, supermarkets typically offer more healthy choices but they are less common and accessible in the Bronx. However, as a community, we CAN demand certain items to be sold in the bodegas and we CAN change our food environment!
During the 2 part workshop, we will:
• Provide an overview of food access issues in the Bronx
• Discuss and brainstorm strategies for approaching and building relationships with store owners
• Offer suggestions on how to identify the bodega that your organization will adopt
• Decide what healthier options your organization would like the adopted store to stock
• Debrief on your first efforts to talk to your local bodega owner about carrying healthier foods
As part of the initiative, you will receive a toolkit and on-going technical support
Dates: Thursday, February 17, 2011 AND Thursday, March 24, 2011
Time: 6-8pm
Location: 1932 Arthur Ave., 2nd Floor, Newborn Conference Room
Bronx, NY 10457
RSVP by: Thursday, February 10, 2011 to aruiz@health.nyc.gov or (718) 466-8856 (please indicate number of attendees and organization)

Healthy Schools NY Leadership Institute
The Healthy Schools NY Leadership Institute application is now available at http://healthyschoolsny.ocmboces.org. Schools in NY interested in further improving the wellness of their school community are eligible to apply with teams of two staff (one administrator and one health professional). The focus of this FREE 4-year leadership development program is to increase the number of schools that effectively implement policy, systems and environmental changes related to physical activity, nutrition and tobacco-free norms within the school community. The application deadline is March 4, 2011. For more information visit the website or contact Kari Shanahan, Program Manager at kshanahan@ocmboces.org.

FamilyCook Productions Food Educator Certification training Feb. 26th & 27th
FamilyCook Productions is conducting their next Food Educator Certification training on February 26th & 27th in Manhattan: training teachers, parents and volunteers to teach such programs as Teen Battle Chef and Dinner Party/Look Who’s Cooking. The training provides program sites with all the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully run a food-safe, hands-on culinary/nutrition program. For more information, please call 212-867-3929.

Public Health Law & Policy Webinars
Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP) is having a series of monthly webinars to bring you up to speed on the most effective, cutting-edge strategies for tackling obesity and making healthy changes in your community. Each training will provide you with new ideas, expert support, and real-life stories from communities tackling some of the same issues we're facing right now.
All webinars are free and begin at 10am PST (1pm EST). Learn more and register at: http://www.phlpnet.org/phlp/webinars

DASH-NY: What Can NYS Do Now to Prevent Obesity
On January 20th, the New York Academy of Medicine hosted the DASH-NY Obesity Prevention Symposium. If you were not able to make it, you can view videos and materials from the event and connect with others at http://www.nyam.org/dash-ny/Good-Ideas-Symposium.html.

Health Reform Youtoons video now available on DVD in Spanish
Bronx Health REACH has translated Kaiser Family Foundation’s Health Reform Hits Main Street: The Youtoons Explain the Health Reform Law animation found here: http://healthreform.kff.org/The-Animation.aspx. If you would like a copy of the Spanish translation for your community outreach use, please contact Ying Guo at yguo@institute2000.org or 212-633-0800 ext. 1341.

Health Disparity Updates
Please join us in our fight to end segregated care! You are welcome to attend our next health disparity workgroup meeting, which will be held at 1:30pm on February 9th at Cosmopolitan Church of the Lord Jesus, 39 West 190th Street. We are supporting passage of legislation that will guarantee equal access to quality outpatient specialty care for patients of academic medical centers regardless of source of payment. In addition, we offer workshops on health disparities. Please contact Bernice McFarline at bmcfarline@institute2000.org or 212-633-0800 ext.1344 if you are interested in having us hold a health disparity workshop at your organization.

The Institute for Family Health’s Chronic Disease Self Management Program
The Institute for Family Health is starting a new Chronic Disease Self Management Program and is looking for new sites to hold the sessions. The program is six weeks long, 2 ½ hours per week, for 10-18 people. If you are interested in bringing this program to your organization, please contact Bernice McFarline at bmcfarline@institute2000.org.

Bronx Perinatal Forum: March 9, 2011
You are invited to the Bronx Perinatal annual forum, "Patients as Partners in Health Care,” which will begin a dialogue between consumers and providers on how to address the sobering issue of the borough's poor rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality, prematurity, low birth weight, teen pregnancy as well as the increasing incidence of chronic illness among women of childbearing age. The forum will begin to create a partnership between patients and providers to inform and engage all on improving the status of women and babies in the borough. The annual forum is free. For more information, visit http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1114279841, call Melissa Vega at (718)904-4105 or email her at mevega@montefiore.org

Reminder: Upcoming Bronx Health REACH Coalition Meeting
Date: February 18, 2011
Time: 9:30am-12:00pm
Location: Walker Memorial Baptist Church
120 East 169th Street, Bronx, New York 10452
Please RSVP to Yvette Holland at yholland@institute2000.org or (212) 633-0800 ext 1232.

e-blast: January 12, 2011

2011-01-12T22:39:00.000-05:00

Bronx Health REACH Awarded Tobacco Control Grant

Bronx Health REACH has been awarded a $20,000 mini-grant from Public Health Solutions, Inc. to work with the Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership on tobacco control and prevention in our target schools and surrounding communities. The focus will be on educating parents and school staff about the problem of tobacco in the south Bronx, especially the many point-of-sale (POS) tobacco outlets near the school buildings.

UFT Unveils Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities Initiative

On December 2, 2010, the United Federation of Teachers, a Bronx Health REACH Legacy grantee, unveiled their new “Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities” initiative. The event kicked off with a humorous and educational skit by UFT staff, who demonstrated a clever way that teachers could integrate nutrition education into the school day. Through UFT’s new initiative, 13 Bronx schools have committed to bringing the Food Bank for New York City’s Cookshop program to students and their families. Cookshop for Classroom will be implemented in at least five classes in each participating school, and parents at the schools can choose to attend a 6-week Cookshop for Families program. Additionally, at least six classes in each school will also implement Move to Improve, educational physical activity exercises which can be done in the classroom. The full story is available in the online version of UFT’s newspaper, New York Teacher, here.

Virginia Legacy Project Grantee Awarded Funding for Nationals Women’s Health Week Event

The Virginia REACH Faith Based Outreach Initiative, a Bronx Health REACH Legacy grantee, received an award from John Snow, Inc and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women’s Health. The award will be used to implement Fine, Fit, and Fabulous at churches of the Virginia REACH Faith Based Outreach Initiative in conjunction with National Women’s Health Week next May. Congratulations to the Virginia REACH Faith Based Outreach Initiative and to former Bronx Health REACH health coordinator Margie Callahan who leads the project!

NY Faith & Justice: Food Justice Working Groups

NY Faith & Justice is beginning to hold meetings for its Food Justice Working Groups. These include:

Business Outreach – Will focus on getting businesses to support various health promotion programs around New York City

Farm Bill – Will focus on shifting federal subsidies to support the growth of a wider variety of fruit and vegetable crops

Community Engagement – Will develop creative ways to engage faith communities, schools, and community groups in activities to improve the health of NYC neighborhoods, such as helping communities start co-ops, community gardens, or band together to develop centralized CSA's (Community Sponsored Agriculture projects)

Food and Voter Education – Will educate faith communities and community groups on political leaders' positions regarding food and health issues and inform people about how they can take individual and organizational responsibility to make healthy food choices

Incentives to Purchase Healthy Foods – Will call on NYC policy-makers to incentivize the purchase of healthy food for people receiving government assistance

Living Wage for Food Workers – Will join a larger city-wide effort to pass a Living Wage Bill in New York City and ensure that food workers are a part of this bill

-For more information, visit here. To register for a Working Group, please contact Stephen Tickner at stickner@nyfaithjustice.org or (917) 628-5131.

Nutrition & Fitness Workgroup meeting: January 13, 2011

The first Nutrition & Fitness Workgroup meeting of 2011 will be held Thursday, January 13^th. During the first half of the meeting, we will focus on our school policy work with an open discussion of relevant strategies for bolstering school wellness policies at the building, district, and citywide levels. There will also be a presentation on organizing and facilitating parent advocacy trainings on school food. The second half of the meeting will examine next steps for our bodega/social marketing project and the expansion of the afterschool initiative.

Date: Thursday, January 13, 2011

Time: 1:00-3:00pm

Location: Morrisania Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Room 214

1225 Gerard Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452

NYC Strategic Alliance for Health- 2011 Excellence in School Wellness Award

The Strategic Alliance for Health has released the 2011 Excellence in School Wellness Award. Elementary school principals in the Bronx (Districts 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12), Northern Manhattan (Districts 3, 4, 5, & 6), and North & Central Brooklyn (13, 14, 16, 19, 23, & 32) have been invited to complete the application. Anyone can access the application at http://www.nycsafh.org/news/2011-excellence-school-wellness-award-application-documentation-guide. Please contact the Strategic Alliance for Health at info@nycsafh.org if you have any questions. They will provide technical assistance on the completion of this application until March 31^st, and applications are due April 22.

NYAM Obesity Prevention Symposium: January 20^th

On January 20^th, local advocates, public health practitioners, and researchers will come together to present to policymakers their best suggestions and specific strategies for how to stop the epidemic of obesity in New York’s low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. One of the speakers will be Steve Ritz, who will describe his successful use of Green Living Technologies to grow organic vegetables within the classroom and the community setting. This event is open to the public; please find the agenda and registration information at http://www.nyam.org/events/2011/2011-01-20-02.html

Date: Thursday, January 20, 2011

Time: 10:30am-2:00pm

Location: The New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue at 103^rd St, New York, NY 10029

Green Living Technologies Training: January 15-17^th

From January 15-17, Green Living Technologies (GLT) will be holding a training session on the use of green roofs and green walls in schools and within communities. Those who receive the training will become certified to bring the technology to schools/organizations to grow vegetables that can be sold on school campuses during the school year, as well as serve as a professional job opportunity for youth throughout the summer. Steve Ritz and GLT are offering to host and pay for the certification and training of teams of four students, as long as at least one adult advisor registers for the training, which is $750. For more information, visit the “training” link of www.agreenroof.com, or contact Kelly Moltzen (kmoltzen@institute2000.org) or Steve Ritz (SNL978@aol.com).

NYC Nutrition Education Network General Meeting: January 20^th

On January 20^th, NYCNEN will hold its second general meeting of the year, which will be an informative session on: “Why Aren't You Listening? Promoting Behavior Change in Individuals, Groups & Organizations.” Speakers will provide insight into the nation-wide Healthy Monday Campaign, discuss techniques to engage people in the topic of nutrition in group settings, and provide attendees with an interactive session on motivational interviewing.

Date: Thursday, January 20th, 2010

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Location: The New School, 66 West 12th Street, 5th Floor, Room 509

Free for NYCNEN members, $5 for non-members. Space is limited! Please RSVP mindfully by sending your name & organization to: nycnenadmin@gmail.com

Making Child Nutrition Reauthorization Work for Your Community

The Food Resource and Action Center has created a webinar to explain how the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 will affect groups and individuals at the community level. This webinar is available here. If you would like a two-page briefing on what this bill means for schools, please email Sigrid Aarons at saarons@institute2000.org.

Employee Wellness & the Institute for Family Health

For the latest edition of the Institute for Family Health’s “Our Health Newsletter,” email Kelly at kmoltzen@institute2000.org. Here you will find personal stories about how several Institute employees successfully implemented change in their lives to improve their health and fitness. The Institute’s Chief Nutritionist, Jaime Schehr, ND, RD, shares some valuable tips on staying healthy during the winter months. There are some healthy recipe choices included in the newsletter as well. The newsletter represents the Institute’s renewed focus on worksite wellness. Employees are being encouraged to adopt and exemplify a healthy lifestyle for our patients. One of the Institute for Family Health’s physicians, Linda Prine MD, bikes to work and was recently featured in StreetsBlog.org for a letter she wrote to the City Council requesting more bike lanes so that New Yorkers can attain more physical activity by biking to work safely.

Health Disparity Workgroup Updates

The Bronx Health REACH Health Disparity Workgroup meets every 2^nd Wednesday of the month at 1:30 at the Cosmopolitan Church of the Lord Jesus located at 39 West 190^thStreet. Because of a snow forecast, the next meeting was re-scheduled for January 19^th, 2011. We will be updating people on the City Council Resolution and the recruitment of sponsors for the re-introduction of the Health Equality Bill in Albany, both of which request quality outpatient care for patients of academic medical centers regardless of source of payment.

Upcoming Bronx Health REACH Coalition Meeting

Date: February 18, 2011

Time: 9:30am-12:00pm

Location: Walker Memorial Baptist Church

120 East 169th Street, Bronx, New York 10452

Please RSVP to Yvette Holland at yholland@institute2000.org or (212) 633-0800 ext 1232.

e-blast: December 9, 2010

2010-12-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

Let’s Move Faith and Communities

Last week, First Lady Michelle Obama released the “Let’s Move Faith and Communities” toolkit for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations. Michelle Obama started off the call by thanking the faith-based community for their leadership in empowering people “to take charge of their lives and make positive changes for themselves and their families.” She challenges us to join her initiative to increase physical activity, start more community gardens and farmers markets at congregations or neighborhood organizations, and host new summer feeding sites for youth. More information and the toolkit can be found on the Let’s Move blog.

FoodWorks New York

On November 22, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced her plan for improving every step of NYC’s food system: from agricultural production, to processing, distribution, consumption and post-consumption. Her speech, videos, and the entire FoodWorks plan with all 59 proposals can be found at: http://www.council.nyc.gov/html/action_center/food.shtml

PlaNYC (Community Conversations December 9^th and 16^th!)

We need to let the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability know what we want included in PlaNYC in regards to the food system. PlaNYC is the Mayor’s plan for improving sustainability in NYC, and the current version covers land, water, transportation, energy, air quality, and climate change issues, but not the food system. The Food Systems Network of NYC has developed a proposed Food Chapter which you can read here. Please submit your ideas for PlaNYC and/or vote on other ideas you like at www.allourideas.org/PlaNYC, and consider emailing your ideas to CounMeIn@cityhall.nyc.gov with the subject line "food." You can also attend one of the two remaining Community Conversations happening over the next week:

Eastern Queens:

Thursday, December 9th, 2010 (today!)

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Bayside High School

32-24 Corporal Kennedy Street

South Brooklyn:

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

St. Michael’s RC Church,

352 42nd Street

Enter through auditorium on

43rd Street

Child Nutrition Reauthorization Passes Congress

On December 2, 2010, the House passed the Senate’s “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010” which will provide an additional $4.5 billion to child nutrition programs over the next 10 years, and the first increase to school meal funding since 1973 that exceeds the inflation rate. This bill now only awaits President Obama’s signature. More information about the provisions of the bill can be found at the Food Research and Action Center website.

School Wellness Updates & Next Nutrition & Fitness Workgroup meeting: January 13^th, 2011

Our next Bronx Health REACH Nutrition and Fitness Workgroup / Advisory Committee meeting will be held on January 13^thfrom 1:00-3:00pm. During the first hour we will discuss updates on our Obesity Prevention Program, including the goals and objectives for our classroom-based nutrition education and involvement of main caregivers, in addition to wellness committee activities of our HEA+LTHY Schools NY schools (PS 218, PS 18, PS 43, PS 64, Sheridan Academy for Young Leaders (PS 457), JHS 145, and Bronx Writing Academy). During the second hour, we will discuss other agenda items such as our social marketing campaign.

2011 Play Streets application due December 15

Play Streets are a great way to engage the public in fun physical activity and nutrition education activities. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) recently released the Play Streets application for summer 2011. If you would like to see a PlayStreets event in your area, please complete the application (both the Expression of Interest Application and the Evaluation Worksheet) by December 15. If you have any questions about the application or the similar School Play Streets application, please contact Helen Ho (hho@health.nyc.gov; 212-361-2197) or Emma Miller (emiller4@health.nyc.gov; 212-361-2196) at DOHMH, or Julia De Martini (julia@transalt.org; 646-873-6026) at Transportation Alternatives about community Play Streets.

Legislation Updates

Bronx Health REACH Coalition and its legal partner, New York Lawyers for Public Interest (NYLPI) recently met with New York City Council member Annabel Palma and Carmen Arroyo to get support for a City Council resolution to eliminated segregated specialty care from academic medical institutions in New York. We have also been updating Community Boards about our current efforts to educate elected officials. Most recently, we have met with and updated Community Boards 1 and 8. To aid us in our efforts to educate fellow community residents and elected officials, we recently created a Frequently Asked Questions sheet to address some of the points of our campaign. If you are interested in attending the meetings with elected officials and Community Boards we will be holding trainings to familiarize you with the issues. Please note that you do not need to have previous experience, just an interest in representing your community. Please contact Ying Guo at 212-633-0800 ext. 1341 or at yguo@institute2000.org if you are interested.

Health Disparity Workgroup

Every 2^nd Wednesday of the month, the health disparity workgroup meets to discuss future community based action to end health disparities and segregated care in our campaign. We meet at Cosmopolitan Church of Lord Jesus at

39 W 190^th St., Bronx, NY 10468

at 1:30pm – 3:30 pm. Our next meeting will be January 12^th, 2011. Please join us as we discuss next steps for our community outreach and education efforts on behalf of our eliminating segregated specialty care campaign.

News on Healthcare Reform:

California First State to Sign Legislation Establishing the Health Insurance Exchanges
September marked the start of healthcare reform. The American Public Health Association recently noted that California became the first state to implement one of the key provisions of federal health reform, a web-based insurance exchange which will allow consumers to comparison shop for health insurance coverage. The California Health Benefit Exchange will provide a place for small businesses and people without employer-based insurance to come together to buy health insurance at lower rates, aided by federal subsidies to low- and middle-income consumers. Created as an independent government agency, the California Health Benefit Exchange will be led by a five-member board that will be appointed by the governor and legislature in 2011.

Pennsylvania’s “High-Risk” Insurance Plan Sees Success
The American Public Health Association is reporting that Pennsylvania's new "high-risk" insurance plan, which was created to provide health insurance coverage for the uninsured with pre-existing health conditions, is showing early signs of success, with enrollment significantly higher than comparable plans in other states. So far, more than 1,650 people have enrolled in the PA Fair Care program at a cost $283 a month. To be eligible for the program, individuals must have at least a six month gap in health insurance coverage and must be unable to obtain coverage because of medical conditions. According to the state Insurance Department, the program can cover up to 3,500 total enrollees. Similar programs in other states average about 10 percent capacity or less, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nationwide, only 8,011 individuals have enrolled in high-risk pools as of Nov. 1.

MARC Academy on News 12 in the Bronx

On Wednesday, November 24, 2010, the children from MARC Academy, a REACH Coalition Partner, were featured on News 12 as they proudly walked to Engine Company 75, Ladder33 located at

2175 Walton Avenue

to present a trove of canned goods collected by them during this special time of the year.

Rosa Rosen recognized by the American Diabetes Association

Bronx Health REACH Coalition member Rosa Rosen has been recognized in an American Diabetes Association article “Doing Well and Doing Good” for her work launching the “Diabetes y Nutrición” bilingual newspaper. The newspaper is published 10 times a year and reaches 70,000 people in New York City, offering culturally appropriate diabetes-specific nutrition information and recipe ideas for its readers. Congratulations Rosa!

NYAM Symposium: Obesity Prevention in NYC

2010-11-19T18:18:00.001-05:00

The New York Academy of Medicine is hosting a unique symposium on January 20, 2011, that will offer area policymakers specific strategies for stopping the epidemic of obesity in New York’s low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. A number of national organizations, including the Institute of Medicine, the CDC, the Prevention Institute, and the Office of the First Lady’s Let’s Move Campaign have recently issued recommendations for interventions to help solve the epidemic of obesity. This event will allow local advocates, public health practitioners, and researchers to present their best suggestions and focus policymakers’ attention on the specific strategies most needed to improve the health of New Yorkers. The event will focus on transformative policies and sustainable programs that can improve our city across the following four domains: Neighborhoods, Places for Children to Learn and Play; Food Systems; and Workplaces. For submission forms and more information, contact Jeanelle Roman, NYAM Policy Assistant at jroman@nyam.org.

e-blast: Nov. 17

2010-11-17T22:32:00.003-05:00

New Study on Fast Food Marketing to Youth

A new study from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity found the extent to which unhealthy food dominates restaurants: “Out of 3,039 possible kids’ meal combinations, only 12 meet the researchers’ nutrition criteria for preschoolers. Only 15 meet nutrition criteria for older children.” In addition, the study found that fast food marketers specifically target children; that this directed advertising is effective, and that youth exposure to fast food advertisements is increasing. Researchers found that companies are disproportionately targeting African American and Hispanic youth, so that African American children see advertisements for foods with nearly twice as many calories as their white peers. A video about these findings can be found here.

Child Nutrition & WIC Reauthorization Update

This week, Congress is expected to vote on the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act,” so it is important to tell your Representative to support this bill! This bill (S 3307) will provide $4.5 billion to boost youth nutrition programs over the next ten years. You can find your Representative’s contact information here. For more information about the NYC Alliance for Child Nutrition Reauthorization, visit http://nycforcnr.org/

FoodWorks

On November 22, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn will be announcing her plan to improve NYC’s food system: improve the city’s food infrastructure, create new jobs in the food industry, keep food dollars in the local economy, reduce diet-related diseases, and reduce the environmental impact of the food system. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by November 20^th at this link, by emailing events@council.nyc.gov or calling (212) 788-6871.

Date: Monday, November 22, 2010

Time: 10:00 am (Doors open @ 9:30 AM)

Location: Food and Finance High School

525 West 50th Street, Room 173

New York, NY 10019

Upcoming Nutrition and Fitness Workgroup Meeting Nov. 22 (note – time change!)

At our next meeting we will hear from Melissa Pflugh about the unique social marketing approach to school wellness and nutrition education program used by Healthy Schools Healthy Families. At the meeting, we will discuss the role of the Workgroup regarding the Advisory Committee for Bronx Health REACH’s school wellness initiatives, next steps for our social marketing campaign, and an update from the October 29-30 Food, Faith and Health Disparities Summit.

Date: Monday, November 22

Time: 1:00-3:00pm (time changed due to conflict with FoodWorks event earlier in the day!)

Place: Morrisania Neighborhood Family Health Center, 1225 Gerard Avenue, Room 214

Garden-Based Learning

From the success of Edible Schoolyard to the new “Nourish” curriculum, there is more and more reason to teach children about where their food comes from! As a matter of fact, garden-based learning has been proven to lead to increases in academic achievement and increases in fruit and vegetable consumption. If you work with schools in NYC and would like to learn more about how to integrate garden-based learning into the school curriculum, you may want to join the “NYC School Gardens” Google Group. Bronx Health REACH’s Nutrition and Fitness Workgroup will be discussing these issues further as part of the Curriculum Advisory Committee; please contact Kelly Moltzen at kmoltzen@institute2000.org or (212) 633-0800 x 1328 for more information.

PlaNYC

PlaNYC is the Mayor’s plan for improving sustainability in NYC through the year 2030. It currently covers land, water, transportation, energy, air quality, and climate change issues, but does not include food in the equation! We need a plan to get local, fresh food into the city to feed all New Yorkers. Please submit your ideas and/or vote on other ideas you like at www.allourideas.org/PlaNYC and try to attend one of the Community Conversations happening over the next few weeks. Here are the remaining three:

Upper Manhattan:
Monday, December 6th, 2010
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
State Office Building, 2nd Floor Gallery
163 West 125th Street, (enter on 126th Street)

Eastern Queens:
Thursday, December 9th, 2010
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Bayside High School
32-24 Corporal Kennedy Street

South Brooklyn:
Thursday, December 16th, 2010
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
St. Michael’s RC Church, 352 42nd Street
Enter through auditorium on 43rd Street

Discovery High School's Farmers Market (Nov. 18)

Under the guidance of Steve Ritz, a trailblazing teacher who teaches Bronx urban youth about green jobs, Discovery High School will host its first classroom Farmers Market, which will be featured via a live broadcast on CNN! Get great deals on fresh holiday produce while supporting the productive activities of these students.

Date: November 18

Time: 8:00am-12:00pm

Location: Discovery High School, room 279

2780 Reservoir Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468

Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference— Growing Health, Wealth, & Justice in Our Communities (Nov. 19-21)

The 2010 Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference will be held this weekend at Brooklyn College. With workshops on urban agriculture, farm share programs, food policy, and youth creating change, the conference will empower attendees to work towards making healthy, affordable food accessible to all. The keynote speaker will be Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power Inc., and 2008 MacArthur Fellow.

For more information, please visit http://www.blackfarmersconf.org/

Health Disparities Workshops

In the Bronx and other parts of New York City, racial and ethnic minorities continue to have drastically different health outcomes than their white counterparts. Through our Health Disparity workshops, Bronx Health REACH answers questions about what health disparities and segregated healthcare looks like in NYC today. Workshops help participants learn about patient rights, how to best advocate for themselves, friends or family in a healthcare setting, and who to contact with legal complaints. If your organization, group, or church is interested in holding a health disparities workshop, please contact Bernice McFarline at bmcfarline@institute2000.org or (212) 633-0800 ext. 1344. Group sizes of 30 or less are better as they allow for more discussion. However, workshops can be adjusted for larger groups. Learn about how health disparity affects you and your community and join Bronx Health REACH in our campaign against segregated care!

Health Reform Information in Spanish

Bronx Health REACH is now distributing Health Reform education pamphlets and video in Spanish. (Video in English is originally provided by Kaiser Family Foundation). Please contact Ying Guo at yguo@institute2000.org or (212) 633-0800 ext. 1341 if you’d like Spanish health reform education materials sent to you.

NYFJ Summit Outcome: Working Groups

As an outcome of the Oct. 29-30Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit at Riverside Church, NY Faith and Justice will be organizing working groups around the issues of: Community Engagement, Food & Voter Education, Incentives to Purchase Healthy Food, Business Outreach, the Farm Bill, and Living Wages. If you would like to join one of these working groups, please contact Stephen Tickner at stickner@nyfaithjustice.org

e-blast: Nov. 5

2010-11-05T21:04:00.018-04:00

Los Caminos
Live a healthy and spiritually fulfilling life with diabetes! Los Caminos is a new faith based diabetes management program sponsored by Bronx Health REACH in collaboration with the Institute for Family Health and Albert Einstein School of Medicine. Seven nurses from several churches are being trained to lead diabetes support groups in their churches. The program will begin January 2011 at Agape Love Christian Center located 1023 Allerton Ave. Bronx, NY 10469. For more information please call Eleonor Leger at 212-633-0800 x 1361 or Carlos Devia at ext. 1338.

Fine, Fit and Fabulous
Do you want to be Fine, Fit and Fabulous? Bronx Health REACH is sponsoring an exciting twelve-week program in Spanish and English which combines nutrition and fitness in a faith-based context. Fine, Fit and Fabulous uses scripture, nutrition education, exercise, and spiritual group support to help congregants adopt healthier eating and exercise habits. This fall, the program will be offered at three churches:
1. Central Baptist Church (English)
166 West 92nd Street, New York, NY 10023
2. Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I. ( Amor, Poder y Gracia) (Spanish)
563 West 187th street, New York, NY 10033
3. Fordham Manor Reformed Church (Spanish)
2705 Reservoir Ave, Bronx, NY 10468
For more information please call Joseph Ellis at 212-633-0800 x 1351.

School Wellness Initiatives
HEA⁺LTHY Schools NY is a five-year program funded by the NYS Department of Health, Bureau of Chronic Disease Services to effect policy, systems and environmental change in District 7 and 9 schools. So far the schools that have officially signed up include PS 218, PS 43, JHS 145, and Bronx Writing Academy. We also expect to work with PS 18, PS 132, PS 64, and the Sheridan Academy for Young Leaders. In addition, many of these schools will be part of our Johnson & Johnson obesity prevention initiative, which is focused on working with teachers and school administrators to integrate nutrition education and physical activity into the classroom curriculum.
We are currently recruiting for the Advisory Committee which will help to shape these two programs. We hope to engage teachers, parents, school administrators, staff at the school district level, and others interested in school-based wellness and nutrition education. If you are interested in participating on this Advisory Committee, please contact Sigrid Aarons at saarons@institute2000.org (212-633-0800 x 1364) or Kelly Moltzen at kmoltzen@institute2000.org (x 1328).

Social Marketing Campaign
Bronx Health REACH is developing a social marketing campaign to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among school-age children in the South Bronx. As a preliminary step, the coalition conducted formative research with 4th and 5th graders, their parents and school staff at MARC Academy and Family Center. Using photovoice, focus groups and interviews, data were collected on dietary preferences and perceived obstacles toward healthy eating. Findings included misconceptions around the nutritional content of packaged foods, portion sizes, and healthy beverages, as well as concerns about food quality and sanitation. A paper is being written on the findings.

NYC Nutrition Education Network (NYCNEN) meeting November 19
NYCNEN’s first meeting of the year will focus on “From the White House to the Big Apple: National & Local Movements to Fight Childhood Obesity.” The keynote speaker, Erica Pijai, MS, RD, is based in Washington, D.C. and will speak about the Chefs Move to Schools initiative. Other speakers are Nancy Easton, MS, Director of Wellness in the Schools; Lillian Dunn, MPH, from the NYC Department of Health will highlight Move to Improve; and Pamela Koch, EdD, RD, from Teachers College, Columbia University will highlight the steps PS 75 took to become NYC’s first Healthier US Challenge School, a national program that awards schools for improving school lunches and increasing physical activity during the day. Over 800 schools across the country have met the challenge so far.
Date: November 19, 2010
Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Place: The New School, 66 West 12^th St, room 407
Free for NYCNEN members; $5 for non-members. Please RSVP to nycnenadmin@gmail.com if you plan on attending.

Water Jets
Water jets can bring drinking water to schools that lack adequate water fountains. They cost $750 for a double bowl unit and $900 for a triple bowl unit. The Office of SchoolFood is willing to install water jets in more schools if the funds are raised. If your school has the money or the ability to fundraise this money and you would like to get water jets installed in your school, please let us know. Currently, PS 277 in District 7 and PS 166 in District 9 have water jets.

NYC School Food Report
City Harvest and the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Public Health at Hunter College released the report “Recipes for Health: Improving School Food in New York City.” This report is meant for parents, teachers, students, policymakers, and advocates, and describes how the school food system works in New York City, recent improvements made by the Department of Education in addressing food quality and nutrition concerns, as well as continuing challenges NYC faces in improving the nutrition environment in NYC schools. Learn what you can do today, and pass along the information to others who may be interested! You can download the report at http://www.cityharvest.org/media/pdf/SCHOOL_FOOD.pdf

Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Congress must pass a new version of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization bill soon, which was last passed in 2007. A new version of the bill was passed by the Senate (“Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act,” S 3307), but this bill supports cuts to the SNAP/ Food Stamp program and is inferior to the House bill (“Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act,” HR 5504). On September 30, the House refused to pass the Senate version of the bill, and instead passed a “continuing resolution,” which extends the current bill until December 31, 2010. This means we have the next few months to reinforce to our representatives the importance of finding alternative offsets so that HR 5504 can be fully funded! We need your voice to make this happen – find your Congressman’s contact information at www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt
For more information, visit www.nycforcnr.org

Free screening of the documentary “Food Stamped”
On November 9, 2010, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine will host the East Coast debut of "Food Stamped." "Food Stamped" is an informative and humorous documentary film following a couple as they attempt to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet on a food stamp budget. The event will begin with a light reception at 5:00pm followed by the 60-minute documentary. A discussion amongst Co-star Shira Potash and Montefiore physician participants of the Food Stamp Challenge will close the evening. The documentary trailer can be viewed at: http://www.foodstamped.com
Date: Tuesday, November, 9, 2010
Time: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Forchheimer Building, Robbins Auditorium
1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10467

San Francisco Passes “Healthy Meal” Legislation
San Francisco passed an ordinance this week that sets nutritional standards for restaurant meals that come with a toy. The ordinance sets a limit on the amount of calories, sugar, fat, and salt permitted in these meals. San Francisco is now the second jurisdiction in America to adapt this legislation, which was designed by the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to be adapted by localities across the country. More information about the ordinance and Public Health Law & Policy can be found here.

Upcoming Nutrition and Fitness Workgroup Meeting Nov. 22
At our next meeting we will hear from Melissa Pflugh about the unique social marketing approach to school wellness and nutrition education program used by Healthy Schools Healthy Families. At the meeting, we will discuss the role of the Workgroup regarding the Advisory Committee for Bronx Health REACH’s school wellness initiatives, next steps for our social marketing campaign, and an update from the October 29-30 Food, Faith and Health Disparities Summit.
Date: Monday, November 22
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm
Place: Morrisania Neighborhood Family Health Center, 1225 Gerard Avenue, Room 214

Campaign to End Segregated Care
Bronx Health REACH Coalition members, alongside staff from New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, have been meeting with New York City elected officials regarding their concerns about segregated specialty care in academic medical institutions. The current system provides a different level of care to patients based on insurance status. Several Assemblymembers and other elected officials have expressed their interest in supporting health equality legislation. In the 2009-2010 Albany legislative session, bills were introduced in both the Senate and the Assembly which would hold hospitals accountable for providing all patients with the same high quality health care regardless of insurance or income. More information will come in our Fall 2010 Bronx Health REACH newsletter. If you would like to get involved in our Segregated Care Campaign, please contact Bernice McFarline at bmcfarline@institute2000.org" or (212) 633-0800 x 1344.

Healthcare Reform
The first round of major changes to the new health care reform bill went into effect in New York on September 23. Below are some of the improvements in coverage that apply to all health plans and which will go into effect when your first new insurance policy year starts after September 23, 2010.

No annual or lifetime limit on how much your insurer will pay for your medical care
Insurers cannot refuse to cover pre-existing conditions for children age 18 or younger (adults will receive the same protections in 2014)
Children can stay on their parents’ insurance until age 29 in New York
Insurers can only cancel policies if fraud is involved, not for small, unintentional errors on insurance applications

For more information about these changes, email Ying Guo at yguo@institute2000.org for a brochure (available in English and Spanish), or visit http://www.healthcarereform.ny.gov. You can also view the YouToons video at http://healthreform.kff.org/the-animation.aspx if you haven’t seen it yet. A Spanish language version will soon be available.

First Bronx Health REACH eblast

2010-10-20T15:37:00.003-04:00

Here is the informaton from the first Bronx Health REACH eblast newsletter. If you would like to be added to the eblast listserve, please email Kelly at kmoltzen@institute2000.org

Faith, Food, & Health Disparities Summit: Oct. 29-30
NY Faith and Justice (a Bronx Health REACH Legacy grantee) will be hosting the “Faith, Food and Health Disparities Summit” on October 29 and 30. This will bring together all stakeholders – community members, churches, food advocates, faith and political leaders, and public health professionals – to identify solutions to increasing the quality of food offered in underserved areas. Rally the troops, it’s time to fight for better food for our community! Please pass the information along to your contacts, and register today! Register online at: http://tiny.cc/FoodFaithHealth or via phone or email by contacting Saralyn Jones at: sjones@nyfaithjustice.org, (212) 870-1254. Find out more information at http://www.nyfaithjustice.org/
October 29th from 7:00pm – 8:30pm (Kickoff)
October 30th from 8:30 am – 6:30pm (Dialogue Circles/Action Forum)
The Riverside Church in NYC
490 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10027

Bronx Health REACH School Program Grants
Bronx Health REACH is the recipient of two new grants! One grant, from the New York State Department of Health, will allow us to provide technical assistance in setting up and moving forward school wellness councils through a new program called “HEA+LTHY Schools NY.” We have also recently been awarded a grant from the Johnson & Johnson Community Health Care Program, which will allow us to provide nutrition education support to elementary schools serving children ages 6-12 years old. Please contact us if you would like to be more involved in either of these programs.

Salad Bars
The Office of SchoolFood recently received some stimulus money and has ordered salad bars for a number of schools in the Bronx. In addition United Fresh has offered to fund several salad bars as well. Among the recipients will be:
District 7: PS1, PS 5, PS 29, PS 18, PS 277, PS 43, PS 49, Young Leaders
District 8: PS 72, PS 75, PS 93, PS 100, PS 138, PS 182
District 9: CES 58, CES 73, CES 114, CES 126,
District 10: PS 7, PS 9, PS 32, PS 37, PS 51
District 11: PS 21, PS 68, PS 87, PS 83 Ax, PS 89, PS 96, PS 107, PS 153, PS 106, PS 108, PS 111, PS 121, PS 178
District 12: CS 6, CS 44, CS 47, CS 61, CS 66, CS 92, CS 134
There is an additional funding opportunity for any other schools wishing to receive salad bars – the deadline is November 1: http://www.saladbarproject.org/

If your school has a salad bar and/or a school garden and you are interested in getting more garden-based school lunches, please let us know and we will help you work with the Dept. of Education’s Office of SchoolFood to discuss the possibility of implementing Garden to Café at your school.

MARC Academy Featured in the NYC DOH Newsletter
Congratulations to Anna York and the MARC Academy staff for being featured in the Eat Well Play Hard Child Care Center Newsletter (see attached). Anna has helped make significant changes in creating a healthy eating environment at MARC. If you know of an afterschool program that would like to work towards similar changes, please contact Kelly at kmoltzen@institute2000.org to find out more information about a new grant opportunity.

Upcoming Nutrition and Fitness Workgroup Meetings
Monday, October 25, 10:00am-12:00pm
Monday, November 22, 10:00am-12:00pm
Meetings will be held at the Morrisania Neighborhood Family Health Center, 1225 Gerard Avenue, Room 214.

Legacy Grantees
Bronx Health REACH is pleased to announce four new Legacy Awards were granted for 2010-2011:
Factors of the Seven, Inc. (FOTS) of Charlotte, NC will implement Motivating and Nurturing through Unified Purpose (MAN-UP) to address diabetes prevention and management among African American and Latino men. The program will build on a faith based diabetes screening initiative developed in partnership with the local department of health in 2009. Legacy Project activities include screening 200 men for diabetes, training 100 male health ambassadors in diabetes prevention, and coordinating diabetes activities in each church. FOTS will also assemble two teams to assess and promote opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity in Mecklenburg County.

The New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH) will start new community supported agriculture (CSA) program through its project The South Bronx Farm Fresh Initiative. NYCCAH will organize a core group including community members from its Food Action Board to guide the development and implementation of the CSA. The CSA will collaborate with a local farmer to bring 25,000 pounds of fresh produce community members in the South Bronx throughout the 2011 growing season. The CSA will reach 150 shareholders including at least 50 low-income members who will receive subsidized shares. NYCCAH will also incorporate nutrition education into their monthly Food Action Board meetings and at the CSA distribution site.

United Federation of Teachers (UFT) will implement its project Healthy Schools, Health Communities to promote physical activity and healthy eating to public school students, teachers and parents. UFT will work with 16 schools to train teachers to implement nutrition education and physical activity in elementary school classrooms. In addition to classroom-based education, they have proposed nutrition education for parents, promoting and providing space for the Shape Up New York family fitness program, and using platforms available through the UFT (newsletters, conferences, website, etc) to promote the project to other schools and teachers.

Highbridge Community Life Center will use a supplemental Legacy grant to develop a community action plan to address stress as a fundamental cause of health disparities in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx.

YouToons Explain Health Reform
Health Reform Hits Main Street, a new animated short video from the Kaiser Family Foundation, features the YouToons explaining the health reform law to an American public still confused by how it works. The short movie has three major sections: explaining problems in the current health care system, short-term changes that will take place between now and 2014, and major provisions that will take effect in 2014. View it online and share it with colleagues, friends and family: http://healthreform.kff.org/the-animation.aspx

Bronx Health REACH Coalition meeting
Our next Bronx Health REACH Coalition meeting will be November 12 at Walker Memorial Baptist Church from 9:30am-12:00pm. Please contact Yvette Holland at yholland@institute2000.org or (212) 633-0800 x 1232 to RSVP.

Social Media!
Bronx Health REACH is expanding into the world of social media. Find updates on our blog at http://bronxhealthreach.blogspot.com/, “Like” us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BronxHealthREACH, and follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/BxHealthREACH!

Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit

2010-09-28T11:57:00.009-04:00

Dates/times: October 29, evening only 7:00pm-8:30pm (kickoff)
October 30, all day 8:00am-6:30pm (dialogue circles & action forum)
Location: Riverside Church
490 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10027
(120th St & Claremont, one block from Broadway, off the 1 train in Upper Manhattan)

On October 29-30, 2010, one of Bronx Health REACH's Legacy grantees, NY Faith & Justice, will hold a “Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit” in collaboration with Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice and the Riverside Church. The goal of the event is to bring together community members, food advocacy groups, and faith communities to collectively address key food and health disparities our communities are facing. This two day summit has been designed to not only voice our concerns but to establish working groups that will enforce the best of our recommendations in the coming year.

On Friday night October 29 from 7-8:30pm there will be a keynote speech, and everyone will be assigned to a small group to participate in the next day. All day Saturday October 30 (from 9am-6:30pm), attendees will work in groups of about 10 people to discuss the vision that summit participants share, barriers that the communities are facing, and strategies to overcome these barriers. The day will culminate with a large group Action Forum, where every small group will report back what they learned through the dialogue process to the larger gathering of participants. In the end, each group will identify 3-5 strategic priorities for action over the course of the next 1-2 years.

The goal is to have 200-300 people attend, and each group will be moderated by 1-2 facilitators, which means a total of 40-60 facilitators is needed. Anyone who would like to be a facilitator must attend one of two trainings beforehand:

A) Primary Facilitator Training Date: Saturday, October 23 @ 10am - 4pm (lunch will be provided).
Location: Judson Memorial Church (4th Street and Thompson @ Washington Square South - entrance on Thompson)
Trainer: Carolyne Abdullah (Curriculum Development Director, Everyday Democracy)

B) Alternate Facilitator Training Dates: Wed, Oct 20 and Thurs, Oct 21 @ 6-9pm (must attend both dates)
Alternate Location: TBD
Trainer: Lisa Sharon Harper (Executive Director, New York Faith & Justice / Director, Conversations for Change)

Benefits of being a facilitator include receiving a Professional Facilitator Certification, a nice addition to your resume, and an enhanced leadership capacity in any setting. Faith-based leaders, this is an opportunity to receive free high-level small group facilitation training for your entire team of small group leaders. Facilitator training guide preview can be viewed here.

Regardless of whether you choose to be a facilitator, we strongly encourage you to get people from your community to participate. For this Summit to achieve its goal of engaging the communities in coming up with solutions which will work for everyone, we need representation from congregations, community residents, store owners, parents, and teachers, to work together with food advocacy groups, political leaders, and businessmen to determine the best strategies for decreasing health disparities by making quality, healthy food more accessible to your neighborhood, at affordable prices. And the work will not end there! Over the next 1-2 years, the groups in the Summit will continue to act upon the strategic priorities that were identified. This is a great opportunity to start influencing policies to improve healthy food access in participating neighborhoods and to push forward in eliminating health disparities!

Registration to participate and to be a facilitator can be done at the following link, http://tiny.cc/FoodFaithHealth.

Saturday Schedule
8:00-Check-In/Continental Breakfast
9:00-Orientation to Small Group Discussion Process
9:15-Session 1: What is our Vision for a Healthy Food System for NYC?
10:30am-Session 2: What is at the Root of the Problem?
12:00-Lunch: Panel Discussion on Approaches to Change
1:15-Session 3: Approaches to Building a Healthy Food
System for All New Yorkers
3:00-Session 4: Moving to Action. What Can We Do?
4:30-Light Meal
5:00-Large Group: Action Forum