Diabetes education

Diabetes education

LIBERTY

The six-session Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP), developed by the Health Service Advisory Group, is offered at 1 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Aug. 1 at the Liberty Township Administration Building, 1315 Churchill-Hubbard Road. To register, contact the Girard Multi-Generational Center at 330-545-6596.

Grant awarded to help infant mortality

YOUNGSTOWN

The Western Reserve Health Foundation awarded a $61,000 grant to Alta Care Group to help address infant mortality and other issues relating to prenatal care. The grant supports two community health workers and their supervisor and related costs for the two-year Care Coordination grant previously awarded Alta by the Mahoning County District Board of Health.

The program provides care coordination services and expands the footprint of the Mahoning County Pathways HUB. The goals are to reduce infant mortality, low birthweight and premature birth. Program staff works with women to connect them to community resources and remove barriers to care.

Healthy food programs

YOUNGSTOWN

Mercy Health – Youngstown is offering programs this summer that help put healthy foods onto the plates of people across the Mahoning Valley.

The anchor program is the Farmer’s Market at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, Belmont Avenue, which is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays through October in the hospital’s Park Avenue lobby.

Two additional Mercy Health initiatives that enhance access to healthy ingredients are the Double Up and Fruit and Vegetable Prescription programs. Double Up enables people using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to double-up their produce purchases at three markets in the Mahoning Valley: St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital; Idora Neighborhood Farmer’s Market, Youngstown, and Farmer’s Market at Courthouse Square, Warren, both on Tuesdays.

The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program provides Mercy Health primary-care physicians with access to vouchers to “prescribe” fruits and vegetables for up to 200 patients for whom these foods are medically necessary as part of a specific, prescribed diet. Patients with prescriptions can use their vouchers at any of the three farmer’s markets supported by Mercy Health – Youngstown.

For information about Mercy Health – Youngstown Community Health Education and nutrition programs, call 330-480-3070.

Free diabetes classes

YOUNGSTOWN

Mercy Health – Youngstown is offering free diabetes self-management education classes from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 6 to 8:30 p.m. July 25 through 27 at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, 1044 Belmont Ave., Youngstown. Additional class dates are today through Thursday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, 8401 Market St., Boardman.

A physician referral is required to enroll. Most insurance plans cover the cost of the class. Call 330-480-2665 for help getting a physician referral and to register for the class.

Grant for new books

YOUNGSTOWN

Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley received a $4,000 grant from the PNC Foundation for the hospital’s Reach Out and Read program. The grant will be used to purchase new books for local patients. For information, contact JoAnne Stock at 330-746-9122.

The PNC Foundation grant is a part of the PNC Grow Up Great initiative, which aims to help children from birth to 5 develop a love of learning, said Ryan Pastore, vice president and director of client and community relations.