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Community Wellness Program keeps St. Louis healthy

  • December 1, 2006
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Obese children and frail older adults in underserved areas in St. Louis are getting help from a new initiative called the Community Wellness Program (CWP).

The CWP is a collaboration between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine''s Division of Geriatric and Nutritional Science, and it will explore community-based strategies to help kids slim down and elderly people avoid injuries and hospitalizations due to frailty.

Samuel Klein, MD, Chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science at Washington University and William H. Danforth Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Science, believes the program will improve the health of people living in the greater St. Louis area.

"Obesity in all age groups and frailty in older adults are major public health problems that can''t be solved by medical centers alone," said Dr. Klein. "We need an effective community-academic partnership to develop successful intervention programs."

The CWP is supported by the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine, with private funding from the Atkins Foundation and the David and Linda Yawitz Fund in Geriatrics and Nutritional Science.

The CWP has developed and implemented two unique outreach programs: Family Lifestyle Intervention Program (FLIP), and Nutrition, Education, Assessment and Treatment (NEAT), with successful results.

Kimberly Sieve serves as Administrative Director of the CWP. Monique Williams, MD, an internist and geriatrician, serves as medical director of the NEAT program, and Richard Stein, PhD, a behavioral psychologist, leads the FLIP.

Family Lifestyle Intervention Pilot (FLIP)
In the United States nearly 31 percent of the population is obese. The high prevalence of obesity in children and adults makes it important to involve community resources to address the problem.

The FLIP Program is a family-based weight management lifestyle program targeted towards obese adolescents and their primary caretakers.

In the program, participants complete three different 12-week treatment stages over the course of a year. Each stage is conducted by a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, physicians, and dietitians from Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, plus fitness trainers, social workers, cooking experts and support staff from the YMCA.

"Addressing obesity in children is critical to decrease the prevalence and severity of obesity in adults," said Dr. Klein. "We hope that developing healthy lifestyle habits at an early age will lead to long-term resistance to the influences that encourage more eating and less physical activity."

Nutrition, Education, Assessment and Treatment (NEAT)
Frailty is an important issue that aging populations will eventually face, and those with limited access to healthcare are at a particular risk.

The NEAT Program was developed to improve the health, quality of life and independence of older adults in underserved areas in St. Louis.

Free health fairs, staffed by Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University geriatric physicians, nurses and employees, as well as community volunteers, are conducted at older adult housing sites. These fairs involve an educational program in conjunction with a comprehensive assessment of the following health factors:

  • Body mass index, pulse, blood pressure
  • Dietary intake
  • Cognitive function
  • Physical function
  • Bone mineral density
  • Medication use

Since its inception in 2005, 58 older adults have participated in the program, with 93 percent of them indicating they have received important information about their health and are now better able to discuss their concerns with their physicians.

"The CWP represents a unique partnership between an academic medical center, a major healthcare system, and community leadership to improve the health and quality of life of people living in the St. Louis area," said Dr. Klein. "This approach helps us translate research findings directly to the community we serve."

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