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Author: Kristina Serova

By: CHN Wellness Team

Your brain is an organ, just like your heart! There are some things you can do to keep it working at its best. Learn more about brain health tips and specific foods that can help keep you and your brain healthy.

Healthy Brain Habits:

  • Exercise regularly. Exercising several times a week for 30 minutes may help increase blood flow and slow the effects of aging on your brain.
  • Get 8 hours of good sleep. Sleep allows for your brain to rest and consolidate memories.
  • Stay mentally active. Activities like puzzles, word games, reading, drawing, and painting help stimulate your brain.
  • Try new things. This helps you form new connections in your brain.
  • Eat a variety of foods that boost brain health.

Foods that Boost Brain Health:

  • Leafy greens like kale, spinach, and broccoli are rich in nutrients like Vitamin K, folate, and beta carotene that can help slow cognitive decline.
  • Fatty fish like tuna or salmon have omega-3, which research suggests may help prevent Alzheimer’s.
  • Berries have been linked to improved memory. Blueberries have antioxidants, which may reduce brain aging.
  • Eggs are rich in B vitamins which could slow cognitive decline.
  • Foods high in protein such as meat, tofu, or nut butters give your brain energy throughout the day.

Make Your Own Brain Boosting Energy Bites:

(makes 10)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup protein powder
1/3 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon chocolate chips

How to make:

  • In a food processor, add peanut butter, honey, vanilla, protein powder, flax seed meal, oats, cinnamon, and chia seeds. Pulse until well combined.
  • Add in the chocolate chips and pulse a few more times.
  • Using either an ice cream scoop or your hands, roll the mixture into ten equally sized balls.
  • Place in an airtight container.
  • The energy bites will last in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for 2 months

By: CHN Wellness Team

What is Umami?

Have you heard the word “umami” before? You’ve probably used “sweet”, “bitter”, “sour”, and “salty” to talk about flavor. Umami is another way to describe and taste food!

  • Umami typically refers to foods that are savory or meaty.
  • It is one of the five tastes along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.
  • The term is Japanese and roughly translates to “pleasant, savory taste.”
  • When someone tastes umami, what they usually are tasting is glutamate, a type of protein found in many vegetables, meat, seafoods, and cheeses.
  • Slow cooking methods like roasting and simmering enhance natural umami flavors – this is why slow-cooked stews and homemade tomato sauce are so flavorful and comforting.
  • Umami foods are good for our health because they can replace salty foods without missing out on flavor and they help keep us full longer.

Umami Foods to Try:

  • Seaweed is packed with nutrient and antioxidants
  • Soy-based foods like soy sauce, miso, soybeans, and tofu are linked to lower blood cholesterol.
  • Kimchi has probiotics which can help with digestions
  • Tomatoes have vitamins C and K, potassium, folate, and antioxidants.
  • Mushrooms have B vitamins which are linked to improved immunity (protection against disease)
  • Green Tea can help reduce risk of type 2 diabetes
  • Seafoods and meats are both high in protein.

Make Your Umami Stir Fry

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 boneless chicken breasts (veg. substitute: firm tofu)
  • 2 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 1 chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 head of broccoli in florets
  • 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 red onion sliced
  • Sesame oil to taste
  • Sliced scallions

To prepare:

  • Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, & red pepper. Add cubed chicken & marinade for 15 minutes.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large skillet over medium heat. Sauté all veggies until tender, about 5 mins. Remove from skillet. Cover to keep warm.
  • Remove chicken from marinade. Save the liquid. Heat another tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until slightly pink, 2 minutes per side.
  • Return veggies and add the saved marinade to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Stir until the chicken is cooked and the veggies are tender, about 7 minutes.
  • Top with a small amount of sesame oil and scallions. Serve plain or over rice.

Hallmarks of a Robust Effort by Churches and Their Partners to Provide Vaccinations in Communities of Color

The article by Genine Babakian discusses the challenges of COVID-19 vaccination efforts in communities of color in New York City, particularly among Black and Brown residents. Despite the widespread availability of vaccines, hesitancy remains a significant issue. To address this, Community Healthcare Network (CHN) and Stop the Spread partnered with predominantly Black and brown churches across the city to set up vaccine clinics inside these trusted institutions.

The article highlights that, nationally, vaccination rates varied among racial and ethnic groups, with Black and Hispanic communities facing higher hesitancy rates. It emphasizes the role of trusted community institutions, like churches, in driving vaccine adoption. Beyond vaccines, these churches offered other services, including mental health support, to address the broader needs of their communities.

Image: Krystal Smith registers a community member for the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site at The Church of God of East New York. Image courtesy of Stop the Spread.

Read more

By: CHN Wellness Team

Signs of stress

Do you know how your body tells you it is stressed?

Stress shows up in your body when your brain finds a threat to your safety. Threats can be physical, like seeing a bear in the woods. Threats can also be mental and emotional, like a sick loved one or work changes. No matter the stressor, your body’s response remains the same.

Symptoms of stress:

  • Forgetfulness. Stress and anxiety take up your brain’s energy. It can affect your attention and ability to retrieve memories. If you’re feeling foggy or having trouble focusing, it may be because of stress.
  • Tense Muscles. Our bodies deal with stress by going into fight-or-flight mode. We release hormones that prepare our muscles to respond to a threat causing muscle tension.
  • Gut Problems. Your gut and nervous system are so closely connected that it is sometimes called your “second brain.” Chronic (long-term) stress can cause painful GI issues.
  • Sickness. Constant stress causes increased heart rate and blood pressure which puts a strain on the body. This can have long-lasting effects on your overall health and immune system over time.

It’s important to learn tools to cope with stress symptoms such as:

Exercise. Movement helps release feel-good hormones called endorphins. You can literally shake the stress away with a daily movement routine. Walking, running, dancing, it all works!

Mindful Breathing. Focusing on your breath can help slow your heart rate and calm your body’s fight-or-flight response.

Berries have been linked to improved memory. Blueberries have antioxidants, which may reduce brain aging.

Physical Touch. Hugging can have great health benefits. Hugs help release a hormone called oxytocin which increases happiness and lowers stress. Give your body some TLC with a self-massage. Hugging yourself works too!

Meditation. Meditation is any activity that helps you to focus your mind. If you find traditional meditation challenging, try coloring, washing dishes/cleaning, or listening to music. Mindful practices bring your focus to the present moment and away from stressful thoughts.

To learn more about wellness contact the Wellness Department at Community Healthcare Network at (212)-432-8494 or email [email protected]

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By: CHN Wellness Team

As the weather cools, we encourage you to stay active outside by walking! We wanted to share some stretches you can do either before or after a walk. Stretching helps warm up your muscles and prevents soreness. It will also help increase your range of motion and flexibility, plus it just feels good! Do each exercise below at least once, holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds.

Quad Stretch

  1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart. Use your left hand to reach back and grab your left foot. Hold a wall or chair if you need help balancing.
  2. Pull your foot towards your butt. Tuck your tailbone under.
  3. Make sure your knee is pointing straight down toward the floor.
  4. Hold for at least 15 seconds.
  5. Switch legs and repeat.

Shoulder Stretch – targets: shoulders, upper back

  1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart. Roll your shoulders down and back.
  2. Bring your left arm across your body. Use your right arm to gently pull your left arm towards your right shoulder.
  3. Hold for at least 15 seconds.
  4. Switch arms and repeat.

Straight-Leg Calf Stretch – targets: calves, hip flexors

  1. Stand tall, extend your right leg straight back. Place your heel flat on the ground.
  2. Keep your back leg straight as you gently push your pelvis forward bending your front knee directly over your ankle.
  3. Hold for at least 15 seconds.
  4. Switch legs and repeat. Try this stretch with your hands against a wall or chair for added support.

Figure Four Stretch – targets: hips, glutes, lower back

  1. Using a chair or wall for support, stand up with your feet together. Lift your left leg and cross your ankle over your right thigh.
  2. Sit back into the stretch by bending your right knee as if you are sitting into a chair.
  3. Hold for at least 15 seconds.
  4. Switch legs and repeat. This stretch can also be done while seated in a chair.

Two Senior Leaders Join Community Healthcare Network:
(1) Chief Diversity and People Officer
(2) Chief Population Health Officer.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

New York, N.Y. – Community Healthcare Network (CHN), a New York City network of 14 federally qualified community health centers that serve over 80,000 patients per year, hired Chief Diversity and People Officer, Michelle Johnson, and Chief Population Health Officer, Dr. Dan Napolitano. Both positions are critical to CHN’s comprehensive approach to addressing health equity, racial equity, and the social determinants of health.

Ms. Johnson joins CHN as Chief Diversity and People Officer after 20 years of experience as a diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner. Johnson is a practicing attorney, having worked in labor and employment law and human resources across multiple businesses, including the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, William Patterson University, and New York City’s Department of Education.

Her role at CHN will be at the forefront of CHN’s diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments, accompanied, as well, by executive-level leadership for CHN’s Human Resources Department.

“Michelle Johnson will help bring to Community Healthcare Network the robust anti-racism principles that we owe our staff and our patients,” said Robert M. Hayes, CHN’s president and CEO.

Dr. Dan Napolitano joins CHN as Chief Population Health Officer, establishing the newfound Population Health Department to set, measure, and meet improved health outcomes for patients and communities, maintaining a sharp focus on care management and the social determinants of health.

Previously, Dr. Napolitano served as Vice President of Population Health and Director of Inpatient Services for the Institute for Family Health/Mount Sinai Hospital System. Before that, until 2016, Dr. Napolitano was a family physician and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for CHN.

“I am excited to work again with Dr. Napolitano to improve health outcomes for our patients and for our communities” says Dr. Taisha Benjamin, CHN’s acting Chief Medical Officer.

Both positions are effective as of October 25.

About Community Healthcare Network
Community Healthcare Network, otherwise known as CHN, is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) that provides critical access to primary care, dental, nutrition, behavioral health, and social services for 80,000 individuals annually in New York City. Across its 14 health centers, CHN cares for individuals of all ages, regardless of ability to pay.

To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.

Now that we have cooler (and darker) fall days rolling in, we wanted to talk about keeping up your endorphins! Endorphins are our body’s all natural “feel good” hormones. They help us feel good and lower our stress. They also act as a natural painkiller by reducing pain and increasing pleasure. This gives us a feeling of well-being. Endorphins have many other benefits too, such as:

  • Boosting our self-esteem and immune systems
  • Controlling weight
  • Reducing anxiety
  • Helping our skin’s appearance

What are the ways to boost your endorphins?

  • Exercising. The so called “runner’s high” is a reference to endorphin levels. Regular exercise also helps reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
  • Practicing mindfulness by being present during everyday tasks.
  • Helping others makes you feel good and turns on the pleasure center of your brain.
  • Getting a massage or acupuncture helps with circulation/blood flow, leading to an endorphin increase
  • Drinking red wine or eating dark chocolate (in small amounts of course). Chemicals in these foods called flavonoids are linked to endorphin release.
  • Eating spicy foods. Capsaicin, which gives spicy food its heat, tricks the body into thinking it’s in pain. This causes endorphins to release (who knew!)
  • Laughter which makes you feel good all over.
  • Smelling essential oils. Certain smells can trigger a happy memory.
  • Creating something, like a drawing or baking to work your brain in a new way.
  • Dancing and listening to music.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 1, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Community Healthcare Network (CHN), a network of 14 federally qualified health centers for over 80,000 patients in New York City, celebrates three newly elected members to the CHN Board.

A returning Board member, Dr. Roger Platt recently stepped down as New York City’s Director of School Health, a joint position at the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Department of Education. An internist, Dr. Platt completed his residency at Montefiore Medical Center and led the Mount Sinai Community Practice Network before turning to public service. Today, Dr. Platt will serve as an advisor for CHN’s school health initiatives. CHN currently implements two school-based health centers, one in Washington Heights, other on the Lower East Side, Manhattan.

Edwidge J. Thomas, DNP, joins the CHN board with experience as a leader for Mount Sinai’s Performing Provider System (PPS), part of New York State’s five-year program to modernize the Medicaid delivery system. Thomas fervently advocated for the recognition of community-based care as essential to a high functioning health system. With a doctorate in advanced practice nursing, and a master’s degree in epidemiology, Thomas was a founding member of the first independent Nurse Practitioner primary care practice at Columbia University School of Nursing. In addition, she has activated a mobile health program to bring primary care services to recent immigrant and foster care youth. Dr. Thomas currently serves as the Vice President of Clinical Solutions at Northwell Health.

Curtis D. Young, a New York City based Nonprofit Executive and Community Leader, currently serves as Executive Director for Artistic Noise, a nonprofit organization that “brings the freedom and power of artistic practice to young people who are incarcerated.” Additionally, Young serves on the Manhattan Community Board 12 in Northern Manhattan. Throughout the course of his career, Young has been honored by the New York State Legislature for his civic engagement as an LGBTQ+ community leader, and by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer for his contributions to the African American community in the city of New York.

About Community Healthcare Network
Community Healthcare Network, otherwise known as CHN, is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) that provides critical access to primary care, dental, nutrition, behavioral health, and social services for 80,000 individuals annually in New York City. Across its 14 health centers, CHN cares for individuals of all ages, regardless of ability to pay.

To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Public-Private Partnership Reaches New York City Communities Hit Hardest by COVID-19, 70% of Individuals Vaccinated Identify as Black or Hispanic

New York, N.Y., September 30, 2021 – Community Healthcare Network (CHN), a network of 14 Federally Qualified Health Centers in New York City, and Stop the Spread (STS), a catalytic organization that has corralled private industry partners for Covid-19 response programs, partnered to increase vaccine uptake in New York City neighborhoods with low vaccination rates.

Stop the Spread brought together a network of over 600 partners and accelerated funding from Google.org to bring private sector resources to bear for CHN, a healthcare provider trusted by community- and faith-based organizations in hard-to-reach communities. Together, STS and CHN co-designed and deployed multiple effective vaccine distribution models, and partnered with churches in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx to offer walk-in vaccine clinics and conduct community outreach.

To date, CHN and STS have hosted over 85 community pop-up events with more than 25 community and faith-based partners. Over 30,000 vaccines have been administered through their community focused effort with 70% of vaccine recipients identifying as Black or Hispanic, while city vaccine rates hover at 39% for individuals who identify as Black and 52% for Hispanic/Latino.

In addition, Stop the Spread brought a network of private sector partners to deploy a “Vaccine+” program for additional health care and non-medical services in hard-to-reach neighborhoods. The program, originally launched with St. John’s Well Child and Family Center in LA, utilizes the 15-minute observation period following vaccination to connect individuals to a range of services like on-site health screenings for diabetes, cholesterol and HIV, referrals to primary care, mental health, and insurance enrollment services, and basic needs like access to healthy food.

The Vaccine+ program administered over 1,200 meals to vaccinated New Yorkers in partnership with Bento, a text-messaging platform to reduce food insecurity, and Farm to People, a farmer’s market grocery delivery service. A partnership with Headspace also offered a free month of meditation to help manage increased stress and anxiety during the pandemic.

The Vaccine+ program also coordinated over 250 individual health screenings in partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine’s Clinical and Translational Science Center, the Greater New York City Black Nurses Association and CHN’s HIV Prevention Programs. Additional health services, like referrals to primary care services and the NYC Care program, were provided by Public Health Solutions.

Other CHN and STS efforts include the design of a back-pack vaccine model in which a clinical educator and vaccinator are present at sermons and community events with information about the safety of the vaccine and immediate access to vaccination on site as requested. In addition, partnerships with schools are being cultivated to help protect children and their families as they resume in person learning. The organizations are preparing campaigns for third dose COVID-19 vaccines as community members become eligible as well.

“The energy and expertise of Stop the Spread magnified our ability to bring vaccines to underserved communities throughout New York City,” said Robert M. Hayes, President and CEO of Community Healthcare Network.

“Stop the Spread’s mission has always been to bring the capabilities, speed and flexibility of the private sector to pandemic response efforts. Our partnership with Community Healthcare Network has shown that when the private sector and public sectors work together innovation can flourish,” said Sharon Knight, Executive Director of Stop the Spread.

“It is important to understand the communities we serve, meet them where they are and commit to true engagement. This means respecting the community, collaborating as true partners, understanding their fears, concerns and then providing the highest quality of evidence-based care,” said Dr. Freddy Molano, a leader of CHN’s vaccine pop-up efforts and CHN’s Vice President of Infectious Diseases and LGBTQ Programs and Services.

About Community Healthcare Network
Community Healthcare Network is a not-for-profit organization providing access to affordable primary care, dental, nutrition, behavioral health and social services for diverse populations throughout New York City. CHN serves more than 85,000 individuals a year who would otherwise have little or no access to critical healthcare. CHN is composed of 14 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including two School Based Health Centers (SBHC), and a fleet of mobile health units. To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.

About Stop the Spread
Stop the Spread is a COVID-19 relief nonprofit founded in March 2020 to catalyze the private sector and address shortfalls and fill gaps in our nation’s response to the pandemic. To learn more about STS’s work, access the STS Playbook for Community-based Vaccinations for best practices and downloadable tools for planning, co-designing, and implementing community-based models that advance vaccine and health equity.

With thanks to our partners
Weill Cornell Medicine, Hunter College School of Nursing, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Long Island University School of Nursing, Greater NYC Black Nurses Association, Church of God of East New York, Fort Washington Collegiate Church, New Jerusalem Worship Center, Convent Avenue Baptist Church, Public Health Solutions, Stone Cold Systems, Bento, Farm to People, mPulse, Headspace, Fox Rothschild and many others.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 7, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Caroline Dorsen Inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s Class of 2021 Fellows

 

Community Healthcare Network (CHN) – a New York City network of 14 federally qualified health centers – congratulates its Board Vice President Caroline Dorsen (PhD, FNP), for being inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s 2021 Class of Fellows.

Dorsen currently serves as Associate Dean at Rutgers School of Nursing and Associate Professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, and now ranks as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, a society that honors nursing’s most accomplished leaders in education, management, practice, and research.

Throughout her 20-year career, in addition to her work as an educator and a director of Family Nurse Practitioner practices, Dorsen served as a researcher and a prominent leader in national organizations, informing and influencing nursing education, standards of care, and health policy. Dorsen has shown overall commitment to awareness of health disparities, promotion of health justice, and amplification of the nursing voice, with a distinguishing commitment to the healthcare of people in the LGBTQ+ community.

“Dorsen is a fierce advocate for health equity and nurse practitioner advancement,” says Evelyn Addo-Wallace, CHN’s Director of Advanced Practice Nursing and Medical Director. “Being named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing is a much-deserved achievement.”

“Caroline Dorsen is an invaluable asset to Community Healthcare Network – and to the entire health care community,” said Robert M. Hayes, CHN’s President and CEO.

About Community Healthcare Network
Community Healthcare Network, otherwise known as CHN, is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) that provides critical access to primary care, dental, nutrition, behavioral health, and social services for 80,000 individuals annually in New York City. Across its 14 health centers, CHN cares for individuals of all ages, regardless of ability to pay.

To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.