Continuing the Work on Reducing Health Disparities through Fresh Food

 

Corbin Hill Staff Member Interacting with a Farm Share Customer.

As the Nutrition and Physical Activity Coordinator for Bronx Health REACH, I get a firsthand perspective on how biological, social, and ecological factors can negatively affect a community’s quality of life. Such issues, which have existed in communities throughout the nation including in neighborhoods like the Bronx, New York for many years, have led to devastating health disparities for minority groups . It is up to various community groups and organizations to make a difference in order to improve the health of these individuals. At Bronx Health REACH, we are determined to eliminate health disparities throughout the Bronx.

National Minority Health Month, April, created by the Office of Minority Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is meant to be a high visibility, health promotion and disease prevention campaign specifically aimed at minority communities. This year, the focus was on highlighting the important role individuals and organizations play in helping to reduce health disparities and improve the health of racial and ethnic minorities.

At Bronx Health REACH, there are two initiatives associated with this year’s Minority Health Month focus. Every other week, in conjunction with the staff of the Corbin Hill Food Project, we have a farm share distribution at NYC Health + Hospital Gotham Health Morrisania site at 1220 Gerard Avenue in the Bronx. Families who live in the neighborhood are able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at a reduced cost. Along with the fresh produce, participants are given recipes that enable them to learn different ways to prepare the fruits and vegetables they receive. Our hope is that they incorporate these fruits and vegetables regularly into their diets leading to better health outcomes and ultimately helping to reduce health disparities.

  Another initiative being planned is a Food as Medicine program in conjunction with the Corbin Hill Food Project and our Institute for Family Health centers. This program is directed at racial and ethnic minorities who are patients at our health centers. Those patients that are screened to be food insecure by their providers will be asked to participate in the program. Participants will receive a biweekly bag of local, high quality produce at low cost over a six-month period. Their eating habits will be documented at the beginning and end of the program. Our hope is that these individuals incorporate fresh, healthy produce into their diets to improve their health and ultimately their overall health outcomes.

The basis of both of these initiatives is to increase access to healthy food in those communities overburdened by health disparities with the hope that they become less food insecure and have better health outcomes.