There is a reason University Health includes “innovation” in the name of its community health outreach program. Its Community Health Strategies and Innovation (CHSI) initiative launched a partnership in early 2024 with Community Builders of Kansas City. It began with integrating nutrition infographics and healthy recipes in the produce sections of CBKC’s two Sun Fresh grocery stores, a start spurred by a little inspiration and is growing with innovation.
“I do a good job of creating work for my team,” said Candice Brooks, University Health community relations officer. She was kidding but, not really.
“I come up with ideas, pitch them to the team and see where it goes,” she explained. “For this program, I was in CBKC’s Blue Parkway Sun Fresh and while walking through its produce section I thought to myself, ‘How do people know what to do with this produce?’ We always talk about a healthy diet, eating in color from what grows from the ground, but we need to give people practical ideas on how to make eating healthy more a part of their lives.”
It started with seasonal recipes as well as infographics on nutrition placed for customers to pick up for free in the produce sections with a goal to prompt, motivate and inspire new healthy eating behaviors. Good start but then they took it to the next level. Now CHSI team members are onsite in each store’s produce section on first Fridays engaging people and talking up nutrition and the recipes. And, they started offering free blood pressure checks!
But, that’s not all. CHSI now brings a Veggie Meter® – and it is cooler than it sounds. The technology is a portable device that measures skin carotenoids to assess fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Customers get an FV score and where their score ranks among measures across the U.S., in fruit and vegetable intake. Wow!
“This gives us a great talking point with people,” Brooks said. “We did the Veggie Meter measurement with one young lady. Her blood pressure was high and her Veggie Meter score was low. One way to lower your blood pressure is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. This young lady came back to our table and showed us the produce she was going to buy as something she could do for herself to lower her blood pressure. For customers who have a high (good) Veggie Meter score, that is a great affirmation that they are making good choices.”
Brooks has ideas for what can be next to continue to grow the program which includes having a blood pressure stand as a permanent installation in the stores and, dreaming big, even cooking demonstrations.
None of this would be possible, Brooks said, without the amazing support of University Health leadership, CBKC and the CHSI team.
“We are fortunate that we have the support of our leadership, starting with Charlie Shields on down, that approves funding not just of our team and its outreach but all the tools like recipes and the Veggie Meter,” Brooks said. “Emmet Pierson (CBKC president and CEO) and the whole Sun Fresh management team has made it so easy for us. We come to them with these ideas, and every time they just tell us to go do it!”
University Health’s CHSI program has three areas of focus:
- Health and wellness education, which targets chronic disease prevention and self-management.
- Nutrition and nourishment, which includes the Healthy Harvest Mobile Market and food delivery to multiple partner organizations.
- Connection to Care events and outreach, which focuses on establishing and continuing care for community members that need it.
Brooks has been with University Health for 20 years in varying roles. A native of Kansas City’s east side, she says this role was meant to be, “I always wanted to be part of this community team. It is a dream come true to work alongside the other Community Health Strategies team members and make a difference.”