Getting Fit on the Bayou
South Louisiana is known for its food, family and fun, but there is something new brewing down on the bayou these days. There is a collaboration, a gumbo of sorts, which has been created by Assumption Community Hospital (ACH) along with its partners, Louisiana State University (LSU) Ag Center and the Assumption Parish School System. ACH is a fully owned subsidiary of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center located in Baton Rouge, LA. Both ACH and OLOL are member of the Franciscan Ministries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS).
Deeply rooted in the mission of this health system and these fine organizations is the need to serve those most in need. The “Get Fit Ba-You” program is a fine example of how you can work your mission. “Get Fit Ba-You,” a child nutritional education series, will be taught to the 5th through 8th grade students in all of the public schools in Assumption Parish beginning in January 2018. This program will touch the lives of over 1000 students in this very rural farming community. A three week series of lessons will be taught to the children. It will consists of pre and post examinations to gauge their comprehension of the materials taught. Sample food items will be prepared and the kids will be able to sample food items that they may have never been exposed to before.
This program was created to address the findings of ACH as a result of our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). A data risk assessment was completed and it indicated that diabetes and hypertension were amongst the highest values noted. A strategy was developed that would educate and support the young people in our community and teach them how to enjoy life in moderation and learn the nutritional value of the items that they put on their plate. We will expand upon their knowledge from year to year and track their progress as they move from grade to grade through the years. In addition, we shall share with these families a registered dietitian for one on one consultation with the student and their parents if further guidance and specialized needs are discovered.
We believe that it is our duty and mission to serve as a beacon of health and hope in our community. We want the public to gravitate towards us when they are in need of an access point to health and wellness. In addition, we are breaking ground on a quarter mile walking path that will outline a piece of land that has 6 majestic Oak trees and where we proudly display our national and state flags. We hope that the “Get Fit Ba-You” program and the walking path serve as a bridge to our community and a symbol of our commitment to our citizens. We know that we are a small hospital in the heart of Assumption Parish, but the efforts of our team loom large in the lives of the patients and families that we touch.
Assumption Community Hospital is proud to partner with the LSU Ag Center and the Assumption Parish School System to bring these and many other programs and benefits to the citizens that we so proudly serve. We look forward to forging new collaborations in the future as the excitement builds surrounding the programs that have begun. For more information or to keep up with us, check us out on Facebook.
Picture (from left to right): Brian Tripode, RPh; Stephanie Domingue, HIM; Liz Templet, DM; Ellen Rivere, RN; Robin Landry, MS; Paige Burns, RN