The Walmart Foundation and American Heart Association on Wednesday announced a Healthy Hearts NWA Lifestyle Rx initiative designed to increase students' and families' access to healthy foods.
The nutrition prescription program will be implemented by Saint Francis Community Clinic and three school-based clinics at Panther Health and Wellness Clinic in Siloam Springs, and Jones Elementary and Parson Hills Elementary schools in Springdale, according to a news release.
The program aims to reach 1,500 families -- 500 at each of the school-based clinics, said Serena Munns, American Heart Association vice president of strategic relationships.
The association worked collaboratively with Community Clinic to address nutrition and lifestyle change, one of the areas of greatest need, Munns said. One in eight people in Northwest Arkansas are impacted by food insecurity, she said.
Lifestyle Rx addresses everything from hypertension to nutrition security and provides staff assistance, access to healthful fruits and vegetables and physical activity recommendations, she said.
Funding for the initiative comes from a $250,000 Walmart Foundation grant, according to the release.
Community Clinic provides health care to 41,000 people in Northwest Arkansas, said Amanda Echegoyen, chief operating officer. As part of the clinic's efforts to address social determinants of health, the clinic offers case management, diabetic education, nutrition education and patient advocacy in English, Spanish and Marshallese, she said.
The partnership with the American Heart Association provides the clinic with the tangible tools to do this work, she said.
Community Clinic's eight school-based facilities are designed to serve students and staff but are open to the entire community, Echegoyen said. The clinic's goal is to reduce missed classroom hours and reduce the time parents have to miss work to take children to appointments.
Health care providers at the three participating school-based clinics will identify patients who would benefit from the program and write a prescription for nutrition and exercise, said Stephanie Mendoza, an advanced practice registered nurse at Parson Hills Elementary School.
"This gives them something physical to take home with recommendations for them to live a healthier lifestyle," she said.
Patients also will receive a voucher for locally sourced produce, booklets with heart-healthy recipes and be connected with a patient advocate who will provide information about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits and referrals to nutrition counseling, according to the release. All information will be provided in English, Spanish and Marshallese.
Mendoza said she anticipates the program will impact many of her patients by helping them avoid medications and keeping their hearts healthy. For example, Mendoza said she often sees patients with borderline hypertension who are able to correct the issue with diet and exercise.
Clinics are recommending Lifestyle Rx to nearly every patient who walks through the doors, Echegoyen said.
"We believe these dietary recommendations and physical activity recommendations can serve patients really well to prevent and manage ongoing chronic disease," Echegoyen said.
Claudia Aguilar (top left), an instructor from En Fuego Dance and Fitness, leads attendees in a dance exercise on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, at a press event for the launch of Healthy Hearts NWA - Lifestyle Rx, a nutrition prescription program, at the Center for Nonprofits at the JTL Shops in Springdale. The initiative, in partnership with the Walmart Foundation and the American Heart Association, will be implemented by Saint Francis Community Clinic and three school-based clinics at Panther Health & Wellness Clinic in Siloam Springs, and Jones Elementary School and Parson Hills Elementary School in Springdale. Go to nwaonline.com/211216Daily/ to see more photos. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)