Community Health Collaboration Paper

Words: 1044
Pages: 5

The Bexar County Community Health Collaborative is a non-profit organization that works with a broad range of partners “to improve the health status of the community through collaborative means” (Health Collaborative 2016). Currently, the Health Collaborative has initiatives focused on increasing immunizations, health impact investing, promoting physical activity, preventing teenage pregnancy, and increasing health literacy among others.
Introduction to the Program (Healthy Me/Healthy We)
Before the internship began, the data committee of the Health Collaborative conducted the 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) of Bexar County. The report explained how health is directly correlated to the availability of resources. The CHNA led to
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The exercise portion of the intervention is a Zumba class. Zumba is a low-impact exercise program that incorporates elements of Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata into an aerobic dance workout (Micallef, 2014). The classes include approximately five minutes of warm-up, 50 minutes of aerobic exercise, and five minutes of cool-down with intermediate water breaks in between. Each Zumba class is complemented with short nutritional and wellness teachings from Health Collaborative interns. Each week, the topics included health alternatives, how to incorporate more produce into a diet, sources of key nutrients, reducing sugar in the diet, and choosing whole grains. The classes were held Monday through Thursday, started as early as 5:00 PM, and ended as late as 8:00 PM. The participants could visit several sites throughout the …show more content…
(Cohen et al. 2003; Darmon and Drewnowski 2008; Elo 2009; Renalds, Smith, and Hale 2010; Tanumihardjo et al. 2007). The HMHW school-based program sites are appropriately placed, as 77% of them serve areas that are marked by higher rates of overweight and obesity. In addition, the schools that participate in the program are in the southern part of Bexar County and represent areas marked by low health literacy, high poverty rates, and high prevalence of overweight and obese adults (Health Collaborative,