VIDA!

By Jamie Cetrone | Categories: | Comments Off on VIDA!

Recognizing the health disparities present in neighborhoods surrounding The MetroHealth System’s main campus, a community coalition of residents, community organizations, and Latina faith leaders came together to envision a “healthy community.” The VIDA! program resulted from this engagement, with an initial focus on promoting healthy cultural cooking practices in the local Hispanic community. The goal of the program is to train representatives from local Hispanic congregations as Community Health Cooks, who then go forward to educate others within their networks about healthy cooking practices and foundational healthy lifestyle principles.

This is a train-the-trainer program, focused on training Latina women from local Hispanic churches as Community Health Cooks, emphasizing healthy and culturally appropriate meals. MetroHealth works with a local Hispanic female chef and health coach to implement the program. This cadre of trained, lay leaders then extend the lessons of healthy cultural cooking practices to individuals and families throughout their faith community networks. The program emphasizes affordable, accessible, nutritional, and culturally appropriate meals that bring people together around a family table. MetroHealth provides staffing to coordinate the program and covers the costs of training the Community Health Cooks (instructor, food, supplies, curriculum). Participating churches provide food, space, and other in-kind support once the cooks are trained.

In a venture related to VIDA!, MetroHealth began a farm stand on its main campus to provide fresh produce to employees and local residents, working with the same Latina chef that trained the Community Health Cooks. Various internal departments were involved with this effort including Strategy and Nutrition Services. MetroHealth’s Center for Reducing Health Disparities was also integral in the planning and launch of the VIDA! program. Externally, a coalition of residents and community organizations, including the Hispanic Alliance, Cleveland Department of Public Health, Family Ministry Center, and others helped to design the program. Numerous local churches are partners in implementing the program.

Eleven women from four churches have been trained as Community Health Cooks in the initial cohort. Pre- and post-tests were administered to assess health behaviors, consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and cooking attitudes and efficacy. Participants reported positive impacts including weight loss, blood pressure and blood glucose control, and adoption of healthier lifestyle practices around eating and active living for themselves and their families.