141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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283775
Creating healthier shops: Community health center collaboration with local businesses to increase healthier food options in the south bronx


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Natasha Borrero, MPH, Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, NY
Acklema Mohammad, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, NY
Elvira Rella, MS, Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, NY
Nicole Schuett, MPH, Health Literacy & Education Department, Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, NY
Maggie Rourke, MPH, RD, CD-N, Urban Health Plan, Inc., Bronx, NY
The Bronx has the highest number of residents that are overweight or obese and saw the greatest increase in fast food retailers in New York City. Urban Health Plan, Inc. (UHP) is a federally qualified community health center providing comprehensive and affordable primary and specialty health care services to the South Bronx. UHP collaborated with the New York City Department of Health (NYC-DOH) initiative Shop Healthy Bronx (SHB), which aims to increase access to healthy food in areas that have a large percentage of overweight or obesity. The UHP team includes a pediatrician, nutritionists, nutrition assistants, program coordinators and directors, health educators, a chef, and outreach specialist. This team meets weekly and is composed of outreach teams that focus on one establishment to identify and provide healthy food options based on NYC-DOH guidelines. We adopted 3 supermarkets, 1 deli, and 1 bakery chain.

NYC-DOH guidelines for SHB designation include: Water placed at eye level; Fruits located over the counter or where visible; Offer 1% or 2% milk; Have whole wheat bread options; Stock healthy snacks; Create breakfast and lunch combos; Low sodium and/or no sugar-added canned goods.

SHB team members provide education to owners so they can identify healthy food options. UHP promotes vendors to patients via waiting room presentations and to 600 employees via email blasts. Nutritionists create monthly recipes and lead food demonstrations with over 200 encounters between two supermarkets. As a result of these changes, three vendors received a Proclamation from the Bronx Borough President's Office.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Identify key stakeholders in collaboration with a health care organization. Describe the components of a successful interdisciplinary team structure geared towards community collaboration. List tools for effective communication with local vendors and agencies.

Keyword(s): Food and Nutrition, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As a nutritionist for the past 34 years in NYC and Director of the Nutrition Department at UHP for 17 years, I have worked on various performance improvement projects and am the lead collaborator on the Shop Healthy Bronx project. Responsible for expanding the nutrition program to various sites. I have conducted multiple community events including 9 Annual Diabetes EXPOS attended by over 500 participants. Contributor to "Cooking with Karla" video posted on You Tube.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4166.0: Lessons Learned in Interdisciplinary Partnerships