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

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

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

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

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^th from 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!