CDC Visits Bronx Health REACH and Partner Sites to Assess the Impact of the Three Year REACH Funding

Janelle K. Gardner, Project Officer and Public Health Advisor for 

the CDC, (fourth from the left), with staff from Bronx Health REACH and 

the Institute for Family Health Mt. Hope Family Practice Health Center.

Janelle K. Gardner, Project Officer and Public Health Advisor for the CDC made a site visit to Bronx Health REACH in September. Bronx Health REACH staff and partners provided an update on the work done to date for the CDC REACH grant awarded in 2014 to increase access to healthy food and physical activity. During the first half of the site visit, the Bronx Health REACH staff and partners from Transportation Alternatives, Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education, Mainland Media, Mount Zion CME Church, Cosmopolitan Church of the Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit Church presented on the various healthy eating and active living initiatives.

The afternoon half of the site visit included visiting several Bronx locations where initiatives have been implemented. These included a visit to the Institute for Family Health Mt. Hope Family Practice Health Center where Bronx Health REACH has worked with the staff to implement a Vegetable and Fruit Prescription program for obese patients. Ms. Gardner met and spoke with Mt. Hope staff about the implementation of the program. There were visits to two restaurants (Delmy Food Deli and Mexicocina), and to Fine Fair Supermarket, all of which are selling The Bronx Salad. The final visit of the afternoon was at the Bodega Association where Ms. Gardner met with the leaders of the Association and Julia Mair from the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc. (HITN), to discuss the work being done on the Healthy Bodega Initiative.

Bronx Health REACH thanks all our partners who participated in that successful CDC site visit. Ms. Gardner spoke glowingly of the impact of the work and especially of the partners involvement.