NewYork-Presbyterian. The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell.

Ambulatory Care Network Community Health Education and Outreach

CHALK - Choosing Healthy & Active Lifestyles for Kids

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Visit www.chalkcenter.org for our full website, where you can learn how to "Live your Life" in Washington Heights/Inwood. Keep reading here to learn about CHALK.

Overview

CHALK (Choosing Healthy & Active Lifestyles for Kids), a collaboration between Community Pediatrics at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and our community is five year Center for Best Practices grant funded by the New York State Department of Health starting in 2008 at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The goals of CHALK are to reduce over time the prevalence of childhood obesity and its related morbidity in Northern Manhattan (with a focus on school-aged children), and to promote a culture and create an environment in which healthy lifestyles are integral to the lives of all children.

• CHALK works with a community coalition of partners (over 40 different organizations) to develop and disseminate a social marketing message that promotes healthy lifestyles that mobilizes resources and identifies barriers to healthy living.
• CHALK also links its work internally to promote best practices around healthy lifestyles initiatives within the medical campus and its institutional policies.

Goals

• To reduce over time the prevalence of childhood obesity and its related morbidity in Northern Manhattan using prevention strategies and targeting the community
• To promote a culture and create an environment in which healthy lifestyles are integral to the lives of all children

Objectives

• Develop a culturally-appropriate community-wide obesity prevention/healthy lifestyle promotion strategy
• Coordinate broad dissemination of consistent information through community
• Identify resources to implement strategy
• Engage community agencies, leaders and elected officials in a broad initiative
• Engage and train health care providers
• Identify and evaluate best practices

In its second year, CHALK engages healthy lifestyles promotion on both the community and institutional level:

Community

• Community Task Force on Childhood Obesity Prevention and Healthy Lifestyles (Vive tu Vida. Energia, Balance, Acción/ Live your Life. Energy, Balance, Action):

Central to CHALK's work is engaging a community coalition of agencies, leaders and elected officials to develop a culturally appropriate community-wide healthy lifestyle promotion strategy. This coalition has developed a social marketing message that is being disseminated in the Washington Heights/Inwood area of Northern Manhattan, while identifying resources and barriers to implementation of its principles. There are over forty different organizations comprising this task force, and numerous individuals.

The task force spent 2008-2009 reviewing existing social marketing messages, developing a message tailored to the WaHI community, testing the message in the community and developing a dissemination plan. The social marketing message that is being disseminated as of March 6th 2010:

Specialized messages will be developed for organizations, businesses or individuals that adopt the message, highlighting how that group supports healthy lifestyles in their services. Two examples are below:

Our social marketing campaign includes organizations and businesses adopting this message in their marketing practices, CHALKers and Vive tu Vida/Live your Life task force members helping groups adopt healthier services around a Vive tu Vida/Live your Life pledge, a Chalk-it-up campaign throughout the neighborhood (where participating groups disseminate our message with chalk art), advertisements, and more.

Visit the campaign website at www.chalkcenter.org .

Download a "Vive tu Vida/Live your Life" kit to learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved. Español.

490 Community Members Attended our 3/6/10 Kick-off Carnival!

List of Organizations who participate in the work of the task force (does not include all individuals and most NYPH-CUMC programs):

Alianza Dominicana
Antojitos y Monadas/Little Cravings and Pretty Little Things
Asociación de Mujeres Progresistas, Inc
Beverly Isis Landscapes & Garden
Bike New York
Borough President Representative CEC, District 6
Children's Aid Society
CLIMB, Columbia University
Diabetes Prevention & Control Program, NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Freelance Artist
Get Focused Fitness
Greenmarket, Grow NYC
Harlem Hospital, Pediatrics
Healthy Schools Healthy Families (NYPH)
Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University
JCL Team
N.D.E.P. Olympian
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
NYC Department of Education
Office of the Manhattan Borough President
People's Theater Project
Police Athletic League
The Center for Community Health and Education, Columbia University
Washington Heights Inwood Coalition
WE ACT

• Family Fitness Night at the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood - CHALK hosts FREE, popular, weekly hour-long fitness sessions for Northern Manhattan families at the YM&YWHA of WaHI. This follows the American Hospital Association's recommendation that hospitals partner with local Y's to improve community health, and builds on a two year Y-Healthy Schools, Healthy Families partnership. "Family Fitness Night at the Y" allows families use of the open gym for organized games and free time. Equipment is provided for basketball, soccer, jump rope, team sports, tag games, and more. Every Monday, 6pm-7pm at the YM&YWHA at 54 Nagle Avenue.
• Farmers' Markets - CHALK has secured a farmers' market for our medical campus and Northern Manhattan community, opening July 6th 2010. CHALK promotes access to healthy foods and farmers' markets in Northern Manhattan. CHALK conducts seasonal tours of farmers' markets in the area and has weekly parent, kid and farmer activities at the 175th Street market. Both Greenmarkets in Washington Heights/Inwood have "CHALK racks" with a collection of kid-friendly recipes, food-related games and tasty and delicious Latino recipes in Spanish and English. This work draws from a collaborative effort together with Greenmarket, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's Go Green Initiative, and tips learned from the Food & Fitness Partnership of New York. Stayed tuned for more news about our exciting Farmers' Market opening July 6th, 2010!
• Health Fairs - With help from interns and students from diverse disciplines, CHALK participates in health fairs throughout Northern Manhattan, providing educational material on healthy lifestyles, fitness games for kids (jump rope, hula hooping, chalk art, ball games) and information on how individuals can participate in our social marketing campaign by "Living their life".
• Community-based grants
  • CHALK awards minigrants to interested community organizations for projects that are supportive of healthy eating habits and increased physical opportunities for children and families. Community projects supported for 2009-2010 include: a parent and kid workshop that combines exploring the healthy foods of Latin America and its regional dances; a dance-exercise program at a local gym; a TV program that will promote healthy lifestyles and supportive community resources; a healthy lifestyles newspaper in Northern Manhattan; and a theater group that combines mental wellness with yoga and healthy lifestyle promotion.
  • CHALK also collaborates with the Neighborhood Fund of NYPH-CUMC in awarding additional community programs that support healthy lifestyles. In 2009, CHALK awarded small stipends to scouting groups, a baseball league, and $3,000 of farmers' market coupons to three local food pantries.
• Collaborations - CHALK participates in a variety of initiatives centered around healthy living. This includes: Healthy Schools, Healthy Families; the Food and Fitness Partnership of New York; Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's Go Green Initiative; NYC DOHMH Green Cart Outreach; and New York Civic Participation Project's campaign "Parents Taking Action Against Obesity and Diabetes". Our work with NYCPP includes developing a home visit script in partnership with the Institute of Human Nutrition of Columbia University and student volunteers, train-the-trainer workshops and public community workshops on healthy lifestyles and diabetes prevention.

CHALK works in collaboration with institutional departments, including: the Institute of Human Nutrition, MSCHONY, the ACN Nutrition Department, Food Services, Be Fit to Be'ne'fit, Healthy Schools, Healthy Families and other NYP ACN programs, and NYPgreen, among others.

Institutional

• Clinical (the office visit) - CHALK facilitates an interdisciplinary work group on a monthly basis that aims to translate research into effective prevention and treatment. The group is working through various components of the screening and management that happens during an office visit and is working with information-technology staff to integrate these components into the medical record. We are working to finalize the components of an office visit, integrate them into the medical record, train providers during the fall and implement the protocol late 2010. This protocol will be used as standard in all Hospital-affiliated pediatric practices and ultimately will be introduced to all pediatricians in the community. CHALK also hosts and supports workshops for continuing education for medical providers.
• Healthier Hospitals

• NYPgreen Wellness Task Force-CHALK has been instrumental in putting healthy, local foods on the hospital's eco-sustainability agenda. CHALK chairs the Wellness Task Force of NYPgreen, the hospital's eco-sustainability program, and links eco-sustainability initiatives with healthy lifestyles. Our includes a campus wide "Take the Stairs" campaign, expanding existing staff wellness initiatives such as Be Fit to Be'ne'fit (expanded to two sites with CHALK assistance), and working to procure and promote healthy, local foods for patients and staff (which includes securing a farmers' market at our medical center). CHALK also collaborates with other task forces on related projects, and has assisted in efforts to bring bike racks to our ACN clinics.
• Pediatric Food Guidelines - Together with our ACN nutrition team, Food Services and students, CHALK is developing pediatric food guidelines for events that are hosted in the Wintergarden of MSCHONY (our children's hospital). This work includes exploring menu revisions with vendors to support healthy eating habits for our patients.
• Gift Shop Healthy Snack Promotion - Look for CHALK signs in our hospital's gifts shops which identify some best choices for healthy snacks and beverages. Contact us if you'd like to have some signs for your own stores/machines.
• Healthy Tip of the Week - Based on the Healthy Schools Healthy Families social marketing calendar and original tips, CHALK posts weekly healthy tips of the week on the Get Well Network of MSCHONY, an electronic bulletin board for patients. These tips are written in partnership with Healthy Schools Healthy Families, our ACN nutrition team, and the Be Fit to Be'ne'fit program.
• Healthy Lifestyles Resource Library - CHALK runs a small resource library in the Vanderbilt Clinic (4th floor room 412) with books on nutrition, physical activity, program evaluation, social marketing, patient counseling, and sociology, as well as children's books. Books are available in Spanish and English. The library also includes musical CDs, sports equipment, guides for incorporating fitness activities into afterschool programs and a radio/CD player. The library is available during business hours for staff to use in their work with patients and community partners.
• Educate - Part of CHALK's work is educating to effect positive change in policies, laws, and environment regarding childhood obesity prevention and reduction. Past and current projects include improving greenways in Northern Manhattan, supporting community applications for the NYC Plaza program, and considering bike racks for the outside of our ACN clinics.
• Awards, Recognitions and Press
• 2009 NACHRI (National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions) Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida:
  Top Poster in its category
• BBC World Service. Health Check 21/12/2009 "...a report from New York where a hard-hitting campaign against obesity has been mounted..."
• 2009 NYP Patient Centered Care Grant Recipient: Top amount awardedin support of our Fort Washington Farmers' Market
• 2009 Empire Medical Association Top Medical Student Poster "Burn Calories, Not Electricity" submitted by CHALKer Daniel Neghassi: Scholarship awarded.
• Abadá Times: Issue 02 Spring 09
• Healthy Living in Northern Manhattan Dec 2009, January 2010
• Manhattan Times, January 13-January 19, 2010
• Manhattan Times March 10th-16th 2010 "Live your Life" campaign starves bad habits and fills up on healthy food.
• NYPress. The newsletter for employees and friends of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. NYPress Volume 12, Issue 3, March 2010. Cover Story, "CHALK ONE UP FOR A HEALTHY LIFE. NYP TACKLES CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN OUR COMMUNITY."
• CHALKers (Students and Volunteers who have helped make CHALK possible):
• Michael Serzan 2008 (Green Cart Outreach)
• Eunice Lee, 2008-09, Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition (Pediatric Food Guidelines for MSCHONY, Take the Stairs Campaign, Community Health Education Workshops, Educational Materials for Million Meals campaign for 11 states, Securing a Medical Campus Farmers' Market)
• Monica Salinas, 2009 Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Mexico (Farmers' Market Tours, Healthy Lifestyles Home Visit Follow-up, Healthy Recipes)
• Jordan Metz VanLare 2009, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, (Healthy Lifestyles Home Visit Script and Goal Setting Tools)
• Maya Peña, 2009, Harvard University (Farmers' Market Tour, Healthy Recipes)
• Jessica Salvatierra, 2009, LANG Youth Medical Program (Farmers' Market Tours and Kids' Activities, Chalk-it-up Campaign, Bodega Outreach)
• Daniel Neghassi 2009-10, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons (Most CHALK programmatic activities, but especially Take the Stairs Campaign, Clinical Practices, Healthy Lifestyles Guide for ACN patients, Vive tu Vida/Live your Life Task Force, Best Practices in Y Afterschool Programs...)
• Sigrid Collier, 2009-10, Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition (Healthy Habit of the Month Website Content, Vive tu Vida/Live your Life Task Force)
• Andrea Ho, 2009-10, Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition (Healthy Tip of the Week for the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights/Inwood, Vive tu Vida/Live your Life Task Force)
• Allison Martineau, 2009-10, Columbia University Teachers' College (Vive tu Vida/Live your Life Task Force)
• Kari Bono, 2010, Columbia University Teachers' College (Vive tu Vida/Live your Life Task Force)
• Melissa Levy, 2010, Columbia University Teachers' College (Vive tu Vida/Live your Life Task Force)
• Romina Canedo, 2010 Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Mexico, (Vive tu Vida/Live your Life Task Force)
• Ana Maria Espinoza, 2010 Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey Mexico, (Vive tu Vida/Live your Life Task Force)

Whenever possible, CHALK uses eco and people friendly materials in its work (recycled, organic, fair trade).

Join us!