Cooperative Agreement NU58DP007615

GREATER FLINT AREA REACH - THE GREATER FLINT AREA REACH PROJECT IS AN IMPLEMENTATION-READY PROJECT THAT LEVERAGES EXISTING AND EMERGING FOOD SYSTEM, BREASTFEEDING CONTINUUM OF CARE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EFFORTS TO TO MAXIMIZE REACH FUNDING AND CLOSE THE GAP TO IMPROVE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC HEALTH IN THE GREATER FLINT AREA. THE EXTENSIVE CAPACITY AND LEADERSHIP OF THE GREATER FLINT HEALTH COALITION (GFHC), A 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION WITH A MORE THAN 25-YEAR HISTORY AS THE COMMUNITY'S NEUTRAL CONVENER, BACKBONE SUPPORT ORGANIZATION, AND CURRENT TWO-YEAR FUNDED REACH PROJECT, WILL ALLOW FOR SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION. GIVEN GFHC'S ROLE AS A NEUTRAL CONVENER, THE COMMUNITY COALITION WILL BE BUILT UPON THE GFHC'S EXISTING HEALTH IMPROVEMENT STEERING COMMITTEE TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY COALITION INCLUDE: MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY (CHAIRED BY PROJECT CO-PI), FOOD BANK OF EASTERN MICHIGAN, CRIM FITNESS FOUNDATION, GENESEE COUNTY PARKS, YOU OVERCOMING LACTATION OBSTACLES, GENESEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, FLINT MOBILE MARKET AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS AND HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS. BY IMPLEMENTING A POPULATION-WIDE STRATEGY WITH AN INFORMED SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH FOCUS, THE GREATER FLINT AREA REACH PROJECT WILL IMPROVE HEALTH, PREVENT CHRONIC DISEASE, AND REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG THE PRIORITY POPULATIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISPANIC AMERICANS WITH THE HIGHEST RISK OR BURDEN OF CHRONIC DISEASE RELATED TO HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND HEALTH EQUITY. THE CITY OF FLINT (AND SURROUNDING AREAS), HAVE EXPERIENCED MAJOR ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL TRAUMA IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WHICH HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE OVERALL HEALTH OF THE POPULATION. TO ADDRESS EXISTING HEALTH DISPARITIES, GREATER FLINT AREA REACH PROJECT PARTNERS HAVE AGREED TO A SHARED VISION THAT EMPHASIZES LOCAL LEVEL POLICY, SYSTEMS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACHES THAT INCLUDE: NUTRITION - IMPLEMENT CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE, HEALTHY NUTRITION STANDARDS IN LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES - EXPAND CAPACITY OF FLINT FRESH MOBILE MARKET TO DISTRIBUTE LOCALLY GROWN AND CULTURALLY PREFERRED PRODUCE - INCREASE DISEASE SPECIFIC REFERRALS TO THE FOOD FARMACY (UTILIZING ESTABLISHED REFERRAL PROCESS) - INCREASE REDEMPTION RATES OF LOCALLY AVAILABLE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROGRAM PRESCRIPTIONS - EXPAND OUTREACH TO PRIORITY POPULATIONS REGARDING SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY - IMPLEMENT LOCAL LEVEL POLICIES AND ACTIVITIES TO CONNECT PEDESTRIAN, BICYCLE, OR TRANSIT TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS (E.G., ACTIVITY-FRIENDLY ROUTES) TO EVERYDAY DESTINATIONS - IMPROVE ACCESS TO PARKS USING COMMUNITY-IDENTIFIED PROGRAMS AND LOCATIONS - INCREASE PARTICIPATION AND ADVOCACY TRAINING FOR RESIDENTS FOR SAFE, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ROUTES HERE IN THE GREATER FLINT AREA. BREASTFEEDING - EXPAND BREASTFEEDING ROOMS AT WORKPLACE AND COMMUNITY LOCATIONS - DEVELOP A PROCESS TO TRAIN COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC COMMUNITY TO OBTAIN COMMUNITY BREASTFEEDING SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION - IMPLEMENT, CULTURALLY RELEVANT LACTATION EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR MOTHERS FROM THE PRIORITY POPULATION TO SUPPORT CONTINUATION OF BREASTFEEDING DATA FROM THE RECENT FLINT & GENESEE COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT (CHNA) REINFORCES THE SELECTION OF THE IDENTIFIED STRATEGIES. FURTHERMORE, TO ADDRESS RACIAL DISPARITIES, HEALTH EQUITY, AND SYSTEMIC AND INSTITUTIONAL RACISM ON AN ONGOING BASIS, REACH PROJECT PARTNERS HAVE COMMITTED TO PARTICIPATING IN AN ANNUAL HEALTH EQUITY ASSESSMENT. THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE AN EVALUATION LED BY MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CONSISTING OF THREE COMPONENTS: EVALUATION OF IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE; PROCESS EVALUATION; AND OVERALL OUTCOMES EVALUATION. THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREATER FLINT AREA REACH PROJECT WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES, REDUCED HEALTH DISPARITIES IN CHRONIC CONDITIONS .WE EXPECT MORE THAN 90,000 OF THE COMMUNITY'S MOST UNDERSERVED RESIDENTS WILL BE REACHED BY THIS INITIATIVE.