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Community Outreach and Health Education

Each year, hundreds of community residents receive free health screenings through programs offered by North General Hospital. By creating innovative ways to spread our message of wellness, prevention and treatment, we are able to reach the total community, from the very young to the very old, covering all states of health.

Our staff organizes and participates in community health fairs, conducts workshops on a variety of health topics and disseminates information on numerous chronic health concerns and diseases including, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, hypertension, glaucoma, mental illness, and HIV/AIDS.

Screenings and health forums are often held in conjunction with national campaigns (Heart Health, Blood Pressure, Prostate Cancer, HIV and Glaucoma) at community-based events. Throughout the year, the Hospital hosts health fairs in collaboration with community partners, and provides free health screenings at these events. In addition, we screen community residents at senior centers, churches and NYCHA developments. In 2008, more than 7000 free screenings were provided to community residents.

Patients identified during outreach activities are linked to care by outreach staff, then team members schedule appointments, facilitate patient registration, and are often available at the Hospital for the patient's first visit. When possible, staff collaborate with local health insurance plans to coordinate eligibility for patients without coverage.

 

Current Community Health Education Programs Offered:

Take Control of Your Health, Feel Better
This free course meets once a week and teaches participants with long-term illness skills to live a fuller, healthier life. The course provides tools to help patients and their families manage symptoms, communicate with doctors, lower frustration, fight fatigue, make daily tasks easier, and get more out of life.

Chronic Disease Self Management Program
A 2.5 hour evidence-based peer led self-efficacy 6 week workshop developed at Stanford University that has been found to help patients with long term illness have better quality of life, less hospitalizations and doctor’s visits, and better management of their disease. We provided 20 workshops in 2008 with 160 participants. Additionally, we trained 12 community residents to be peer leaders.

Diabetes Self-Management Program
As above with a specific focus on diabetes management, how to prevent complications of diabetes, maintain good control, eat healthy and be physically active. We provided 33 workshops in 2008 with 300 participants and we trained 15 community residents to be peer leaders.

Take Care New York
North General is a partner with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in their Take Care New York campaign. “Passports to Health” are distributed at health fairs, public education lectures, etc., and are available in multiple languages and large-print for the visually impaired.

Save Half for Later
North General is a partner with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and other community organizations on this campaign to encourage portion control when eating out by saving half of the meal in a reusable plastic container that is provided to restaurants for free. The goal is to promote the campaign and enlist 1 new restaurant every four months for the next 3 years.

Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program
Through its School Based Health Center, North General provides nutrition education to PS 57 students and their parents in an effort to prevent Type 2 diabetes in this at-risk population. Center staff conducts classroom-based interactive workshops to students in grades K – 8; provides pedometers to upper class students; and offer hands-on “cookshops” for parents featuring healthy menus. In addition, the Hospital operates a Snack Wagon at the school that offers healthy snacks for sale or in exchange for unhealthy snacks.

If you are interested in scheduling an event, please call Guedy Arniella, LCSW, Assistant Vice President, Community Health and Program Planning, at 212-423-4796, or email at guedy.arniella@ngsc.org.