# Presentation: 448775

## Cherokee REACH 2010 To REACH US

- Cherokee Choices
- 1999 – 2012
- Presented by Ann Bullock, MD and Jeff Bachar, MPH

## What Is REACH 2010/REACH US?	

- “REACH”=“Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health”
- CDC grant
- Health Disparities = Inequalities
- Congressional Black Caucus

## What Is REACH 2010/REACH US?	

- 33 initial grantees
- Demonstration Projects
- Coalition-based
- 1 of 6 with an American Indian focus;
- REACH here= **Cherokee Choices**

## Cherokee Choices

- The Planning Year:
- Kids:  “Do something for my kids”
- Parents: Role models for each-other
- Community: Strengths, Grief, Sharing
- Generations of Wellness

## Worksites
Schools
Churches

- Schools
- Churches

- Cherokee Choices

**Cherokee Choices ****Worksite Wellness Program: ****--Health Challenge**
**--Native Lifestyle Balance**

## Pre and Post Assessment:
Lipid panel, diet and exercise habits, goal setting;
Use of Health Risk Assessment
Time off to participate
Regular contact with employees via walk thru visits by staff

- Lipid panel, diet and exercise habits, goal setting;
- Use of Health Risk Assessment
- Time off to participate
- Regular contact with employees via walk thru visits by staff

- Health Challenge Activities Offered

## Health Challenge Activities Offered

- Stress Management Workshop
- Educational in-service
- Supermarket tour
- Personal training
- Cooking demonstration
- Team [sport] challenges
- Clinical measures
- Health Challenge Cookbook
- Stress Management
- Fitness Assessments
- Celebrations/Awards

## Native Lifestyle Balance

- 16 week curriculum, based on DPP
- Individual contact
- Follow up after the course

## Total Weight Lost

- From 2002-2004,
- 	562.8 pounds have been shed, averaging 6.5 pounds per person.
- During the 2004 year alone, a total of 303.8 pounds have been lost, averaging 3.5 pounds per person.

## Meeting Their Goals

- 55.5% of this year’s participants agreed that they had met their health challenge goals
- 26.7% were neutral
- Only 8 indicated that they had not met their goals.

## Schools: Cherokee Choices Mentoring Program

- Our communities are dealing with disproportionate amount of pain--being transmitted to children
- Mentoring as a diabetes and general life problem intervention:
- Caring adults who mirror back to kids how important they are
- Mentors focus on:
- Health knowledge, behaviors; fun, active activities
- Resiliency, Coping Skills, Emotional Issues
- Cultural Knowledge, Pride
- Self-Expression—Verbally, Art, Drama, Music
- Academic skills and success
- Giving of oneself to serve others—enhances self-efficacy

## How Did We Get In The School?

**In School Activities:**
**Lessons in Classes: emotional expression, resilience model, coping skills; meet NC education objectives**
**Bears and Cubs Trade Tales**
**Mentors with students during lunch & recess.**

## After School

- A Wednesday **afterschool** **program**
**Walk & Talk Club**
- An annual spring event, the **Art Explosion **exhibits and honors children’s talent & creativity.
- Girls On The Run; Girls On Track;

## Churches and REACH in Cherokee

- Wellness Wednesdays at one Church
- Gospel Sing to kick off Walking To Jerusalem (borrowed from Healthy Carolinians)
- 8 Churches with overwhelming response

## Social Marketing and REACH in Cherokee

- Professional Marketing Agency
- Discussion Groups
- Documentary
- Print and TV campaign to reinforce messages at worksites, schools, churches

## Looking Ahead

- Expand Mentoring Program
- Collaborate with county schools
- Link Wellness To Costs
- Collaborate to reduce healthcare costs
- More Community-wide events such as walks, runs and hikes.
- Prenatal/Early Life Intervention
- Nurse-Family Partnership