Robert Williams, a Greenville resident and member of the Philippi Church of Christ, says he first connected with ECU Health through a Blue Zones presentation at his church. “KaSheta Jackson and her team invited churches to participate in the Blue Zones challenge. I attended several meetings, and I learned a lot about that. It was through that process I learned about ECU Health’s Lifestyle Medicine Clinic and the Wellness Center,” Williams said. It was that initial spark that ignited Robert’s interest not only in improving his own health, but also in improving the health and well-being of his church community.
HealTHY Neighbor program
“Community health is more than flyers,” KaSheta Jackson, the vice president of Community Health at ECU Health said. “We’re transitioning the way we look at community health and how it functions. It should be a prevention and promotion model.”
That model includes the HealTHY Neighbor program, which offers health screening every six months, cooking demonstrations, walking challenges, webinars and educational sessions, including the Blue Zones challenge presentations Robert attended. “We serve as a resource for the congregation,” said De’Vette Thomas, the manager of Community Health Improvement at ECU Health. “Each church has a well-being ambassador and the pastor is involved. Mr. Williams is the ambassador for Philippi.”
Jackson and Thomas both agree that funneling resources through churches is a great way to connect with the surrounding community. “Community members often go to their churches for resources – whether they be health, healing, wealth or faith-based,” Jackson said. “De’Vette works with these churches, screens the congregation and analyzes the data. She shares with the pastor opportunities to make changes and then partners with the pastor and the ambassadors on how to implement those changes. We encourage the church community to work on improving their health, which aligns with our mission to improve the well-being in eastern North Carolina.”
Philippi Church of Christ has a food pantry open every Wednesday, and Williams shared that ECU Health has taken steps to help there, as well. “ECU Health asked if they could come out and pass out samples of healthy foods and share information about healthy eating,” he said. Qua’Tavia White, a community health improvement coordinator, said she connected with Williams and Philippi Church of Christ through the Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas initiative, which supports Pitt Partners for Health. “I first met Mr. Williams at a Blue Zones meeting, and Pitt Partners does a monthly Dining with a Doc session where you learn to make a healthy, plant-based meal,” she said. “Another thing we do is go to existing food pantries and offer healthy samples of food. We went to Philippi’s pantry and offered butternut squash soup and gave them a bag of ingredients and a recipe card so they could take it home and make it for their families.”
That connection through food pantries is important, White said, because it helps her team reach people they might not otherwise see. “We get a chance to work with an underserved population and engage positively on behalf of the system,” she said. “We don’t want people in the hospital; we want to keep them healthy. It’s good they know we do these things.”
Making healthy changes
After his experience with the Blue Zones challenge and connecting with the HealTHY Neighbor program, Williams took steps to manage his own health. “I was screened and learned I was a borderline diabetic. I attended nutrition classes and connected with Jessica Wakefield in Lifestyle Medicine, and she was valuable in coaching me around lifestyle changes, such as how to eat better. My wife and I learned how to read nutrition labels when grocery shopping,” he said. “During my two or three meetings with Jessica, she gave me great insight toward taking charge of my own health.” Jessica Wakefield, a lifestyle coach IV, said of the interaction that, “Our conversations were a catalyst for him to make important health changes, and based on what we discussed, I encouraged him to consider meeting with a registered dietitian. He also focused on finding a work-life balance and reducing
Those insights helped Williams learn how to deal with what he called “interference.” “A lot of times we don’t do what we need to do, not because we don’t know what we should do, but because there’s interference,” he said. “Mine was time. I’m a small business owner, a father and a grandfather, and there is a lot pulling on me. Jessica helped me understand that with preparation, I can overcome that interference.”
Williams also was given a 90-day free membership to the Wellness Center, through his Blue Zone participation, which gave him a chance to see what the facility offers. “I loved the Wellness Center,” he said. “You have exercise, a physician, a dietitian and more all right there.”
As a result of his hard work, Williams said he has lost weight, is lowering his A1C, has seen a decrease in his blood pressure, is exercising more regularly, is being more conscious about what he’s eating and is undergoing important preventative health screening. As importantly, he said, he’s made vital connections between ECU Health and his church. “I advocate for my friends, my church members and my family. We implemented the HealTHY Neighbor program, we have a walking trail for the community to use and we just signed our partnership agreement with ECU Health to be a Health Hub site.”
Health Hubs
Launched in May 2023, the Health Hub initiative is a strategic effort to bridge the gap between high demand for health services in rural communities and the barriers to receiving care.
“We have a lot of different programs to build relationships in the community to bridge gaps in the health care system and build trust with organizations, and the Health Hub initiative is one of those,” said Charmaine Reeder, a community health engagement coordinator who works with the Health Hub program. “The goal is to bring two access points: virtual health care and access to resources that address the social determinants of health.”
Virtual care is available to anyone throughout eastern North Carolina and can be accessed on a computer or mobile device. It’s free to register and make an account, and it only costs $55 per visit when you speak with a provider. Williams added. “That’s responding to the need of our community.”
Reeder said Williams’ church has utilized many of their resources. “Mr. Williams was the go-to person for updates in his church. He advocates really well for his community and for Pitt County. He’s so positive, and he truly cares about his church and community.”
Williams said working with ECU Health has been a valuable and easy partnership. “They really listen and respond – that’s a big thing,” he said. “If we say we want to set up a Health Hub, right away they get things set up.” That willingness to listen makes all the difference. “When you listen, you hear what someone’s needs are and what interferences they have, and you can come up with action items to address those issues. We’re so happy to have that level of responsiveness.”
“These connections show the collective impact of churches, the health department, hospitals, county schools and more,” White added. “We appreciate seeing people come together for one purpose.”
Resources
Health Hubs
ECU Health’s Community Health Services
Lifestyle Medicine
Wellness Centers