Reaching for a healthier Marion County

What is REACH?

REACH stands for Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health. REACH is the only CDC program focused on racial inequities in chronic disease. REACH emphasizes changes in PSE — Policy, Systems, and Environment — using a community-based approach. REACH consists of the Marion County Public Health Department Chronic Disease Dept., Community Hospital Network, Health By Design. and the Minority Health Coalition of Marion County (MHCMC).

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Marion County REACH focuses on these PSE areas:

  • Food Systems

    • Fresh Bucks Program

    • Produce Rx program

    • Helping local food retailers offer healthier options

  • Breastfeeding

    • Indiana Black Breastfeeding Coalition to increase their capacity

    • Assess churches and businesses to assist growing their breastfeeding support

    • Raise awareness of and normalize breastfeeding in the community

  • Physical Activity

    • Helping neighborhoods identify key projects to make spaces more walkable

    • Training neighbors to advocate for things that make it safer and easier to walk and wheel to everyday places

  • Food Service Guidelines

    • Offering healthier food items at Community Hospital East

    • Helping local pantries offer and encourage healthier foods

  • Community Clinical Linkages

    • Create linkages between small worksites, community-based organizations, and faith-based groups, and provide resources to individuals who live in food desert areas.

    • Build clinical community linkages to ensure higher participation in community-based diabetes prevention, self management education, and support.

    • Help community-based health programs and clinics connect and share referrals and information.

  • COVID-19 Vaccination Outreach

    • Connecting people to information and resources about COVID-19 Vaccines

Advocating for your health!

  • African American Medical & Resources Directory

    Listing of local African American Medical Experts & Community Resources

  • Too Sweet for Your Own Good

    Managing Diabetes Virtual Conference

  • ABC's of Diabetes

    Free self-management classes, including instruction on medications, nutrition, exercise, monitoring, complications, and available community resources.

Good for you & your baby!

Breastfeeding ...

Good for you & your baby! Breastfeeding ...

The Marion County Health Coalition of Marion County helps provide breastfeeding support services and increase awareness about breastfeeding through the following avenues:

  • Increasing the capacity of the Indiana Black Breastfeeding Coalition

  • Assessing churches and businesses to assist with growing their breastfeeding support

  • Raising awareness of and normalizing breastfeeding in the community

Understanding equity and equality

Equality Does Not   Necessarily Mean Equity! However, each strategy working together is  another “box” towards achieving equity.

  • CCL

  • Food services guidelines

  • COVID-19 vaccination

  • Breastfeeding

  • Physical activity

  • Food system

Source: Community View Collaboration. Saskatoon Health Region. Public Health Observatory:  Population and Public Health. 

2014 June.  Advancing Health Equity in Health Care:  What is Health Equity?  A Primer for the Health Care System. http://www.communitvview.ca/pdfs/2014_shr_phase3_whatishealthequity.pdf

Questions?

Contact Lisa Diamond, CLC, CMT, MHCMC Community Health Liaison