Progress 09/15/20 to 09/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The Produce Rx Prescription program is targeted to low-income patients diagnosed with ovesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease or other ailments that would benefit from improved nutritional intake. Many local residents lack access to nutritious vegetables and fruits. A significant portion of our census tracts are designated as USDA food deserts due to the lack of fresh food for low income residents. In Washington County, where the program is located, 28.1% of residents are classified as food insecure. The program's target audience is 72.2% African-American, 33.3% live in poverty with child poverty is at an alarming 48.1%. In 2015, the latest year for which county-level data was available, 43.2% of adults in Washington County were obese, compared to a national rate of 28.9%. The diabetes rate among adults in Washington County is 13.8%, compared to state and national averages of 12.4% and 8.9% respectively. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Participants in the Produce Rx programhad a tremendous opportunity for trainings under this program. Each participant was required to attend a training each month in order to renew their "prescription" card. Learning opportunities were available in the form of cooking classes, lunch and learns, grocery store tours, wellness center activitities, and one-on-one nutrition sessions with the nutrtitionist. The cooking classes and lunch and learns provided educational ways of preparing fresh vegetables and fruits. The grocery store tours were a hands on purchasing experience at the grocery store so participants could see which items were eligible under the program and purchase those items at the store during the tour. Leland Medical Clinic has a state-of-the-art wellness center attached to it where participants couldincorporate exercise into their daily routine. They received instruction on exercise from the Wellness Center manager. Participants now have the opportunity to complete these educational classes virtually which removed the barrier of transportation for those who could not find a ride to attend a class in person. Leland Medical Clinic also has a passenger van that is able to pick up and drop off participants who need a ride to the clinic/wellness center to perform an activity in person. Participants attended 165 Grocery Store Tours, 149 one-on-one nutrition sessions, 146 Lunch and Learns, 154 Wellness Center activities, and 148 Cooking Classes. Class attendance averaged a rate of 85.6% over the course of the program. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The programhad wide spread exposure through social media, word of mouth, and televised appearances by the Leland Medical Clinic nutritionist who oversaw this project. The project was also prominently featured on the Leland Medical Clinic website which houses the virtual activities for participants. The program was featured numerous times internally on the Delta Health Alliance newsletter which is distributed to over 500 employees. Regular updates on the program are provided to the Patient Advisory Board at their quarterly meetings. The program has been a part of numerous outreach activities reaching hundreds of individuals at various health fairs and wellness events. The nutritionist who managed the program spoke to various orangizations about the program and its success and was also invited to do a healthy coooking class for a community engagement event. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The program has served approximately 169 participants. One major accomplishment is the efficiency of the program function in cooperation with partner grocery store Stop N Shop. Participants spenton averageover 85% of their total dollars each month on fresh fruitsand vegetables. The program monitored, on a monthly basis, each individual, and what theypurchased through the Loyalty Lane database. This information was invaluable as it gave the program a clear picture of what and how the program participants were spending their $125 per month of program dollars. The program is able to capture total spends and the number of fruits and vegetables consumed by each participant each month through these reports. The total number of vouchers used was 1,311 with total voucher dollars issued being over $107,000. Participants used 1244 vouchers with a total of over $84,000 spent on fruits and vegetables. Participants purchased over 26,498 total fruits and vegetables over the course of the program. There has been a statistically significant improvement in participant BMI. Participants have dropped their BMI by an average of 1.68 points.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
https://www.lelandmedicalclinic.org/produce-rx
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Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this program are participants with diet related illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and high cholesterol. Participants are screened by the Leland Medical Clinic dietitican and those meeting the criteria are recruited and signed up for the program. Participants are assigned to cohorts. Cohorts begin at the end of each month. To date, the program has 30 participants with 114 participants ever served (cumulative). No participants have dropped out of the program. Each cohort contains educational trainigs that participants must participate in to receive their monthly refill on their Produce Rx card. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Participants in the Produce Rx program have a tremendous opportunity for trainings under this program. Each participant is required to attend a training each month in order to renew they "prescription" card. Learning opportunities are available in the form cooking classes, lunch and learns, grocery store tours, wellness center activities and one-on-one sessions with the nutrtitionist. The cooking classes and lunch and learns provide educational ways of preparing fresh vegetables and fruits. The grocery store tours are a hands on purchasing experience at the grocery store so participants can see which items are eligible under the program and purchase those items at the store during the tour. Leland Medical Clinic has a state-of-the-art wellness center attached to it where participants can incorporate exercise into their daily routine. They recieve instruction on exercise from the Wellness Center manager. Participants now have the opportunity to complete these educational classes virtually which overcomes the barrier of transportation for those who cannot find a ride to attend classes in person. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The program has had wide spread exposure through social media, word of mouth, and televised appearances by the Leland Medical Clinic nutritionist who oversees this project. The project is also prominently featured on the Leland Medical Clinic website which houses the virtual activities for participants. The program has been featured internally on the Delta Health Alliance newsletter which is distributed to over 500 employees. Regular updates are provided on the program to our Patient Advisory Board at their quarterly meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Recruitment will be ongoing for the program. BMI monitoring has been one of the program's primary functions, and the program has seen success in moving the needle on this measure. In the last month, the program saw 23 participants drop their BMI by an average of 1.64 points. The program will continue to monitor participant biometrics which includes blood pressure, cholesterol, HbA1C and BMI. One of the program's primary goals is to increase the participation rate for educational class attendance. Last month, the participation rate for all classes was at 82% which continues to climb monthly. The program will continue to monitor this rate on a monthly basis.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The program has served approximately 114 participants. One major accomplishement is the efficiency of the program function in cooperation with partner grocery store Stop N Shop. Participants are spending on average over 85% of their total dollars each month on fresh fruits and vegetables.The program is still monitoring on a monthly basis each individual and what they are purchasing through the Loyalty Lane database. This information is invaluable as it gives the program a clear picture of what and how the program participants are spending their $80 per month of program dollars. The program is able to capture total spends and the number of fruits and vegetables consumed each month through these reports.
Publications
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Progress 09/15/20 to 07/11/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The Produce Rx Prescription program is targeted to low-income patients diagnosed with ovesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart disease or other ailments that would benefit from improved nutritional intake. Many local residents lack access to nutritious vegetables and fruits. A significant portion of our census tracts are designated as USDA food deserts due to the lack of fresh food for low income residents. In Washington County, where the program is located, 28.1% of residents are classified as food insecure. The program's target audience is 72.2% African-American, 33.3% live in poverty with child poverty is at an alarming 48.1%. In 2015, the latest year for which county-level data was available, 43.2% of adults in Washington County were obese, compared to a national rate of 28.9%. The diabetes rate among adults in Washington County is 13.8%, compared to state and national averages of 12.4% and 8.9% respectively. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Participants in the Produce Rx program have had a tremendous opportunity for trainings under this program. Each participant is required to attend a training each month in order to renew their "prescription" card. Learning opportunities are available in the form of cooking classes, lunch and learns, grocery store tours, wellness center activitities, and one-on-one nutrition sessions with the nutrtitionist. The cooking classes and lunch and learns provide educational ways of preparing fresh vegetables and fruits. The grocery store tours are a hands on purchasing experience at the grocery store so participants can see which items are eligible under the program and purchase those items at the store during the tour. Leland Medical Clinic has a state-of-the-art wellness center attached to it where participants can incorporate exercise into their daily routine. They receive instruction on exercise from the Wellness Center manager. Participants now have the opportunity to complete these educational classes virtually which overcomes the barrier of transportation for those who cannot find a ride to attend a class in person. Leland Medical Clinic also has a passenger van that is able to pick up and drop off participants who need a ride to the clinic/wellness center to perform an activity in person. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The program has had wide spread exposure through social media, word of mouth, and televised appearances by the Leland Medical Clinic nutritionist who oversees this project. The project is also prominently featured on the Leland Medical Clinic website which houses the virtual activities for participants. The program has been featured numerous times internally on the Delta Health Alliance newsletter which is distributed to over 500 employees. Regular updates on the program are provided to the Patient Advisory Board at their quarterly meetings. The program has been a part of numerous outreach activities reaching hundreds of individuals at various health fairs and wellness events. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The program has served approximately 114 participants. One major accomplishment is the efficiency of the program function in cooperation with partner grocery store Stop N Shop. Participants are spending on average over 85% of their total dollars each month on fresh frients and vegetables. The program is still monitoring on a monthly basis each individual and what they are purchasing through the Loyalty Lane database. This information is invaluable as if give the program a clear picture of what and how the program participants are spending their $80 per month of program dollars. The program is able to capture total spens and the number of fruits and vegetables consumed by each participant each month through these reports.
Publications
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
https://www.lelandmedicalclinic.org/produce-rx
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Progress 09/15/21 to 09/14/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this program are participants with diet related illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity and high cholesterol. Participants are screened by the Leland Medical Clinic nutrionist to ensure they meet program criteria. Once participants meet criteria they are enrolled in the program and placed in the appropriate cohort. At this time, we have five (5) cohorts working. Each cohort is at a different stage in the program. Cohorts begin at the end of each month and new participants are entered into the cohort at that time. Cohorts contain one-on-one sessions, grocery store tours, lunch and learns, cooking classes and wellness center activities over a six month activities. After finishing a cohort the participants are placed into a maintenance program to ensure they are continuing to maintain the healthy habits they have formed in the first six months of the program. During their time in the program, the participants' blood sugar levels, cholesterol, BMI, and blood pressure are monitored at regular intervals to determine any improvements made due to their change in eating habits. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The participants in the program are required to attend trainings on healthy lifestyle classes such as lunch and learns, cooking classes, grocery store tours and wellness center activities. Leland Medical Clinic has a state-of-the-art fitness center attached to the clinic where participants can engage in physical activities to be improve their healthy lifestyle. Grocery Store tours are conducted mutliple times a month to aid participants in navigating through the store to choose those eligible items from the list and make healthy choices. Lunch and Learns and cooking classes are demonstrations on how to prepare fresh vegetables and fruits in a healthy way. Participants are required to participate in these classes in order to get refills on their Produce Rx cards. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?It is very early in the program and we have not yet had the opportunity to disseminate information on the sucess of the program to the community. However, we have advertised the program in an effort to gain more participants through social media outlets. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, the program plans to monitor participants blood sugars, blood pressure, cholesterol and BMI to see if there has been a statistically significant change or improvement due to the change in their eating habits. The program will continue to enroll participants into cohorts each month and continue the educational programs it offers to each cohort member.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The program is just getting off the ground with a total of 40 participants having signed up in the last 90 days. This is a tremendous increase over the previous year. The program has worked with the local grocery store to have all eligible foods entered into their electronic inventory system so that participants are not charged for eligible items at check out. This has been a huge barrier to the program's success. Working with Loyalty Lanes, the program is able to capture dollars provided to participants each month and also retrieve the total sum of dollars spent at the grocery store during the month by active participants. This has aided our ability to do firm level reporting and provided the program with valuable insight into how and who is utilizing the program as it should be utilized.
Publications
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Progress 09/15/20 to 09/14/21
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?To date, the grocery store owner developed a system to use in the store to flag eligible items and use vouchers. The cashiers have been trained on the process since they are using a paper system. The dietitian has educated participants on healthier dietary choices due to their condition and through the store video will further educate participants on eligible items. Cooking classes will be in June 2021 to further educate participants about healthier ways to prepare their food. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?At this time, we have no data to share with communities of interest. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Beginning July 1, more participants will be recruited for the program. Recruiting will be made through in person referrals from the dietitian at the clinic as well as the coordinator making phone calls and possible home visits to patients of the dietitian. The communication team plans to send out blasts to eligible participants as well as using other communication strategies such as Facebook, the website, and posters in town. Vouchers will continue to be distributed. Monthly cooking classes will be available to each participant - virtual and in person. The grocery store video will be shown to each participant as they enroll to better educate them on what foods are eligible for purchase. The farmers market will open 1 day a week at the clinic for participants to provide members will locally grown, in-season produce. (July, August and into fall) Home garden kits and tutorials as well as in-person coaching will be available to participants who are interested in starting a garden at home.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Prior to the enrollment of participants for the pilot program, the project manager for this grant left in January of 2021. Due to this change in leadership as well as the coordinator position not filled until March, there was a delay in getting the program started. Per the work plan matrix, the following accomplishments have occurred: Grocery Voucher Incentive Program Coordinator hired and trained from the community served (March 2021) Staff trained in eligibility requirements. Finalize point-of-sale incentive system internally and with local firm. Train cashiers on process and system. Produce Rx stickers placed on each eligible item UPC code. Screened, verified, and enrolled 4 participants for the pilot group. Paper vouchers distributed and used a local grocery store. Weekly visit to grocery store cashier and manager to tweak process for ease of checkout, answer questions regarding use of vouchers. Establish data collection protocols. Through the clinic, collect baseline health and demographic data on 4 participants. Established data collection protocols for Grocery Voucher Incentives, Cooking class, Farmers market and home kit incentives. Data surveys completed: pre/post survey, cooking class survey, and home garden survey. 1 DHA staff hired; 3 Leland Medical Clinic trained; 7 grocery cashiers, manager, and owner developed and trained on process. Communications Needs Completed/In progress: pamphlets, posters, vouchers, item stickers, store tour video, cooking class videos. Though participants are just beginning in this component of the program, participants are already purchasing more varieties and amounts of produce than they would normally be able to purchase; therefore, adding fresh fruits and vegetables into their diet. Also, this availability to purchase more produce should reduce the amount of food insecurity in their homes. A grocery store video completed by the Leland Medical Clinic dietician will be ready on 6/18 highlighting eligible food items as well as education information regarding the selection of produce for particular dietary conditions. The video will also show the checkout process so that participants and the cashier have a seamless and smooth checkout. Pamphlets and other communication materials have been provided to participants to educate them about the program, eligibility requirements, and the benefits of it. LMC Farmers Market and Fresh Produce Stand Introduce LMC Farmers Market to DHA and LMC staff. Schedule determined by LMC manager (Tuesdays) to coordinate with high volume traffic day. Informed 4 participants of approximately when the farmers market will start (July). Completed/In progress: LMC dietician and DHA communications teams to provide 3 cooking classes per month - 2 virtual and 1 in person for sign up of participants. Cooking classes by the LMC dietitian will also be recorded and disseminated to participants in the month of June as well as 1 in-person class instructing them on healthier recipes and ways to utilize eligible food items as well as proteins and dairy to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Once produce is harvested from the Delta Eats gardens, the farmers market will supply additional produce to them at the Leland Medical Clinic. Home Garden Initiative Completed: Home garden kits established by DHA staff. Some tutorial videos completed. No Garden kits have been distributed as of yet. The Delta Eats team had previously started a home garden produce delivery and home garden kit program. Produce Prescription participants will be able to sign up to have fresh produce from the gardens delivered to their homes or available for pick up. The Home Garden Initiative will introduce participants to starting their own home garden. Kits with the necessary seeds, plants, soil, and other supplies will be delivered to homes. The introduction of home gardens will allow participants to grow fresh fruit and vegetables at their homes making it more easily accessible as well as providing education through tutorials and coaching to increase knowledge around home gardening as well as increasing family participation.
Publications
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