Dr. Ruth Perry, Executive Director of Trenton Health Team
“These faith-based programs will help us expand on our community connections, building awareness and participation in nutrition and active lifestyle programs," Dr. Ruth Perry, Executive Director, Trenton Health Team
Trenton, New Jersey (PRWEB) November 24, 2014
The Trenton Health Team will join forces with faith-based groups to improve the health of city residents with the financial support of Novo Nordisk, Inc., a global leader in diabetes care. In a city where 39 percent of the residents are deemed obese and 16 percent suffer from diabetes, the focus will be on getting and staying healthy by creating a partnership between the city’s healthcare collaborative and the faith community.
“With more than 120 churches, synagogues and mosques, as well as their community development corporations, in Trenton, we have a tremendous opportunity to tap into the faith community to improve the health of the city’s residents,” said Dr. Ruth Perry, THT executive director. “Through this program, we will be encouraging community residents to take ownership of their health and well-being.”
“Novo Nordisk’s Community Health Collaborative™ grant program focuses on two areas that encourage healthier living, particularly in urban environments,” said Curt Oltmans, Corporate Vice President and General Counsel at Novo Nordisk. “The Trenton Health Team is embarking on an impressive program that will ultimately teach people the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. We are pleased to partner with an organization that creates sustainable community programs to help maintain good health.”
Through the Novo Nordisk Community Health Collaborative ™ grant program, six to eight churches will be selected to encourage people to make healthy choices. The program, called “Trenton Community Challenge: Stepping Up to Transform our Health,” will equip the faith-based organizations with instructional materials and pedometers. Peer leaders will be selected and trained and will develop support groups of 10 to 30 people each who want to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Festive events emphasizing healthy eating and active living will feature a cooking competition with area chefs serving as judges. Participants who have been counting their steps with their pedometers will also participate in a celebration.
In implementing the grant, Dr. Perry said THT will work with its vibrant Community Advisory Board, composed of 50 Trenton area organizations that share the common goal of improving Trenton residents’ health.
“These faith-based programs will help us expand on our community connections, building awareness and participation in nutrition and active lifestyle programs that will be delivered through the infrastructure of a trusted and readily available resource: the community’s churches and faith-based organizations,” she said.
About Novo Nordisk
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global health care company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within hemophilia care, growth hormone therapy, and hormone therapy. Novo Nordisk employs approximately 40,000 employees in 75 countries, and markets its products in more than 180 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.us or follow us on Twitter @NovoNordiskUS.
About the Trenton Health Team
Trenton Health Team (THT) is an alliance of the city's major providers of healthcare services including Capital Health, St. Francis Medical Center, Henry J. Austin Health Center and the city's Health Department. In collaboration with residents and the city’s active social services network, THT is developing an integrated healthcare delivery system to transform the city’s fragmented primary care system and restore health to the city. The THT receives generous support from The Nicholson Foundation, corporate partners and other foundations. For more information, visit http://www.trentonhealthteam.org.
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Media queries, please contact:
For Novo Nordisk – Ken Inchausti at 609-786-8316 or kiau(at)novonordisk(dot)com
For Trenton Health Team - Becky Taylor at 609-240-6886 or Becky(at)btaylorpa(dot)com