The People's Money (2022-2023)
Your Money, Your Community, Your Voice.
Changes at "Increase access to healthy food, cooking classes, and gyms for people diagnosed with chronic diseases"
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What problem would you like to solve?
As a medical director of a primary health clinic/community based organization in Tremont, Bronx, I care for patients of all ages suffering from chronic diseases like Obesity (Childhood and Adult), Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia. Our nutritionist works with the patient to help combat these chronic diseases with lifestyle changes, which are just as important as the medications we prescribe. It has been extremely helpful for our patients to attend healthy cooking classes (at St. Barnabas Wellness center), buy fresh vegetables at farmers markets and supermarkets, and go to the gym. Particularly helpful was when Planet Fitness had free gym memberships for children during the summer. My pediatric patients facing obesity now had free access to gym membership. However, all of these require money that the patients do not always have. I have tried to create partnerships with local wellness programs, but without capital, it is difficult to achieve. We need funding to help our patients access affordable gym memberships, cooking classes, and farmers markets or vegetables.
Why is it important to solve? Why is it relevant for the community?
Chronic diseases like hypertension, obesity, and diabetes plague our communities, especially in the Bronx, and lead to devastating cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks or stroke. This puts a burden not only on the community and family, but also on our hospitals and medical system.
What idea do you have to address the problem?
My idea would be to use the funding to create partnerships with existing community wellness organizations (for example, St. Barnabas Wellness Center, Bronxeats, Farmers markets) to allow for our patients with certain diagnoses to have free or discounted access to gyms, cooking classes, and healthy fresh foods.
Who would that help?
This would help our patients tackle their chronic diseases with lifestyle changes in addition to medications. This would influence their families and friends to promote healthy lifestyles. It would eventually help the overwhelmed medical systems by reducing incidence of these chronic diseases.
What neighborhood would benefit from your idea?
Bronx (10457)
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+["
What problem would you like to solve?
As a medical director of a primary health clinic/community based organization in Tremont, Bronx, I care for patients of all ages suffering from chronic diseases like Obesity (Childhood and Adult), Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia. Our nutritionist works with the patient to help combat these chronic diseases with lifestyle changes, which are just as important as the medications we prescribe.
It has been extremely helpful for our patients to attend healthy cooking classes, buy fresh vegetables at farmers markets and supermarkets, and exercise at local gyms. Particularly helpful were Planet Fitness free gym memberships for children during the summer and St. Barnabas 90 min $5 healthy cooking classes.
However, all of these require money that the patients do not always have. I have tried to create partnerships with local wellness programs, but without capital, it is difficult to achieve. We need funding to help our patients access affordable gym memberships, cooking classes, and farmers markets or vegetables.
Why is it important to solve? Why is it relevant for the community?
Chronic diseases like hypertension, obesity, and diabetes plague our communities, especially in the Bronx, and lead to devastating cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks or stroke. This puts a burden not only on the community and families, but also on our hospitals and medical system.
What idea do you have to address the problem?
My idea would be to use the funding to create partnerships with existing community wellness organizations (for example, St. Barnabas Wellness Center, Bronxeats, Farmers markets) to allow for our patients with certain diagnoses to have free or discounted access to gyms, cooking classes, and healthy fresh foods.
Who would that help?
This would help our patients tackle their chronic diseases with lifestyle changes in addition to medications. This would influence their families and friends to promote healthy lifestyles. It would eventually help the overwhelmed medical systems by reducing incidence of these chronic diseases.
What neighborhood would benefit from your idea?
Bronx (10457)
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