Newark
May 22, 2016
The 21st Annual Public Health Symposium, sponsored by Rutgers School of Public Health, was a homecoming of sorts for Courtney Price, Project Manager of New Jersey Partnership for Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N). Price graduated from Rutgers School of Public Health in 2015 and returned this year as a Symposium presenter. The Symposium addressed the many ways in which the public health system can support healthy living for today’s children. Speakers, poster presentations and exhibiters highlighted how families, communities, schools and other institutions can work together to make the U.S. the healthiest nation in one generation. Participants learned how they can encourage healthy habits for children in New Jersey and beyond. The event kicked off Public Health Week, which is promoted by the American Public Health Association. Price shared the podium with keynote speaker Jennifer Ng’andu, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Kristen Schiro, from EmPower Somerset. Price kicked her presentation off […]
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February 21, 2016
A series of workshops designed to engage parents of Newark preschoolers on nutrition and physical activity has proved eye opening for attendees according to workshop facilitator Courtney Price, project manager for New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N). The workshops came out of Price’s meetings with school principals. They all asked for help with the same issue: “How do we encourage our kids to eat more healthy foods?” The idea was to reach the parents and educate them about nutrition related topics, such as reading labels, portion control, and how to make dollars stretch in the grocery store. Attendees have been struck by the cause and effect between poor nutrition and oral health—a topic that is not always associated with healthy eating. And the nationwide statistics on the growth of obesity over 20 years also have been enlightening for many parents. Through a series of PowerPoint slides, parents watch the […]
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November 10, 2015
Newark Head Start programs welcomed a new class of preschoolers in September, many of whom are already facing serious health issues. Among this year’s class of students in Newark’s nine preschools, childhood obesity is the second greatest medical need. Only asthma ranks higher. Liana Rodriguez, Center Director at Early Childhood School-North at Gladys Hillman-Jones is determined to turn that statistic around by working with those who have the biggest influence on children’s eating habits—parents and guardians. Rodriguez turned to Courtney Price, project manager for New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N) for help in educating parents about healthy choices in meal preparation. Price and staff from the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity will present an hour-long interactive nutrition workshop on November 17 at the school. Price hopes that this session will be the first in a series to raise awareness about healthy eating. The workshop will feature food demonstrations, physical […]
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September 9, 2015
Newark’s Mildred Helms Park is a jewel in the city, but in past years, some of its luster has been diminished by street crime and general neglect. The 3.3-acre park sits in the center of a residential area, providing a wooded, shady oasis; visitors enjoy a gazebo, playground equipment and walking trails. Recognizing the need for a safe and healthy playground, the Trust for Public Land launched a revitalization effort for Mildred Helms Park about 10 years ago. Today, The Mildred Helms Resurrection Committee, comprising residents, organizers and volunteers, continues to restore the park to its former glory. While it’s not quite there yet, their effort has made significant progress, including new landscaping and street lights. Courtney Price, project manager for New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N) read about the revitalization and thought this could be an ideal location to house a family friendly “Fitness Zone,” for all ages […]
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July 9, 2015
Learns How Corner Stores Can Help Families Make Healthy Food Choices Touring Newark’s Lucky Fox market on May 5, State Senator Ron Rice saw firsthand how the Healthy Corner Store Initiative helps merchants to profitably stock, sell and bring healthy, affordable food options to residents. “Senator Rice is aware of the issues with the food desert environment in Newark. He was glad to see that stores are tackling the problem,” said Courtney Price, New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N) project manager who accompanied the Senator on his visit, along with representatives from the American Heart Association and The Food Trust. Lucky Fox Market (164 Irvine Turner Boulevard, Newark Central Ward) is one of four corner stores in Newark that have signed on to the Healthy Corner Store Initiative. The New Jersey Healthy Corner Store Initiative is a statewide program focused on increasing the availability and sale of healthy, affordable […]
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May 3, 2015
This May, Newark is celebrating National Fitness Month in a big way with the introduction of CATCH in the city’s nine public preschools. CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) is an evidence-based, coordinated school health program designed to promote physical activity, healthy food choices and the prevention of tobacco use in children. Newark’s nine preschools will join the 8,500 CATCH schools and after-school organizations across America that are teaching children that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be fun. Dr. Marguerite Leuze, Health Services Director, Newark Public Schools has long been an advocate of CATCH. She brought the idea of piloting CATCH in four Newark preschools to New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N). She and Courtney Price, NJPHK-N Project Manager, took the concept to Samantha Lott-Velez, Interim Director, Office of Early Childhood, Newark Public Schools. Lott-Velez bought in immediately but envisioned all nine preschools benefiting from […]
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March 4, 2015
In December, Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, co-director of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N), started a new chapter of her life as medical director for Pediatric Medicine CHI Health System Alegent Creighton Clinic in Omaha, Nebraska. In her new role, Dr. Anyaoku will develop and direct a network of pediatric primary care and urgent care centers across the Omaha metropolitan area. “She was a tireless champion for the prevention of childhood obesity in Newark,” said Courtney Price, NJPHK-N project manager. “We are happy for her new venture, but she will be missed.” Dr. A, as she is known, was director of General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital/Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. She signed on as co-director of NJPHK-N in 2009 attracted by the Robert Wood Johnson philosophy of focusing on policy and environmental change. In that capacity, she spearheaded Let’s Move! in the Clinic, leading training sessions for clinics, practices and […]
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November 11, 2014
Urban areas across America are often described as food deserts because they lack ready access to affordable, healthy food. Irvington, New Jersey and parts of Newark could make the case that healthy food has often been more of a mirage — they say it’s out there, but it’s difficult to obtain, particularly for those lacking personal transportation. But healthy food options are now, or soon will be, right around the corner for many Irvington and Newark residents. Six neighborhood stores in Irvington are now offering — and promoting — fresh fruit to their customers, particularly children who often stop in on their way to and from nearby schools. The stores are part of an initiative by the city’s health department to create incentives for store owners to stock and sell healthy food options. In Newark, four corner stores (one in each ward) have signed on to be part of the […]
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July 16, 2014
The beginnings of what would become an obesity “tsunami” in the U.S. tracks back to 1982 according to Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, MD, FAAP, director of General Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, and co-chair of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-Newark). By 2010, 44 percent of children ages 3 to 19 in Newark, NJ had a body mass index (BMI) of 44.2 percent, putting them at risk for obesity and in grave danger of developing serious illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes and pulmonary disease, normally associated with older adults. Dr. Anyaoku has dedicated her career to helping families address childhood obesity through healthy lifestyle choices. In 2013, she was an early champion of “Let’s Move in the Clinic and Community!”, a healthy lifestyle toolkit designed to help health care providers talk with patients and families about setting small, achievable nutrition and physical activity goals. The New Jersey […]
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April 5, 2014
Dr. Nwando Anyaoku served as one of four experts on The State of NJ’s Health: Growing Healthy Kids town hall. Hosted by Mike Schneider, managing editor of NJTV News with Mike Schneider, the program examined the causes of the current childhood obesity crisis and the many organizations that have mobilized to tackle the problem. The program also focused on the promising strategies for addressing the epidemic and provided viewers with ways to make a difference in their own communities. Viewers also learned how neighbors are building playgrounds, launching farmer’s markets and bringing supermarkets to areas once called “food deserts.” “Nearly one-third of children in the United States are overweight or obese,” stated Dr. Anyaoku, co-director of New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark, and director of General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital/Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. “Childhood obesity brings with it a plethora of health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes […]
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