Integrating Care: A Smoking Cessation, Exercise and Nutrition Curriculum Housed in Community-Based Primary Care Settings

The “Stay Quit, Get Fit” curriculum is an evidence-informed model for social change through direct public health work in low-income predominantly African-American communities. The curriculum is based on two years of direct practice running an integrated smoking cessation, exercise and nutrition program in low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We house our programs in Primary Care Settings located within marginalized communities, which allows for continuity of care and becomes part of neighborhood programming. This model affects multi-systemic change by providing participants with tools to make lasting changes in their lives. This has had a trickle-down effect as participants bring their new skills to their families and neighborhoods, creating a community-driven movement that supports their collective ability to make active decisions about how to lead healthier lives.

This presentation will provide a toolbox of specific interventions for creating an integrated model of care. We will also share techniques for providing smoking cessation, exercise and nutrition education, as well as discuss how to tailor these interventions to the various communities served by workshop attendees.