Program brings wellness tools and screenings to the Buffalo area

Niagara Falls resident Melody Burow has lost more than 50 pounds in recent years.

She used the typical weight loss strategies of changing her diet and increasing her physical activity, but the knowledge and resources she gained through the Independent Health Foundation’s Good for the Neighborhood program helped her also helped.

Good for the Neighborhood hosts community health fairs across Western New York to empower families in underserved neighborhoods to eat well, be more active, see their doctors when needed, and conduct smoke-free living by connecting them with the tools and resources important for good health. .

At these free events, adults can have their blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure tested, have their body mass index calculated and speak with health and wellness professionals. Activities are offered for children and families, community health resources are available and each participant receives a bag filled with fresh produce.

Launched in 2006, Good for the Neighborhood is one of the longest-running programs of the Independent Health Foundation, the community outreach arm of the regional health insurance company.

Most related events take place in the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, but the foundation also hosts programs in Lackawanna, Akron and East Aurora.

Nearly 2,600 Western New Yorkers participated in the program last year, through 26 events held at nine sites in Erie and Niagara counties, according to data from the Independent Health Foundation.

“We just want to be the voice of the participants and the neighborhoods that need it,” said Raby Ba, a project specialist with the Independent Health Foundation who manages the program.

Burow has been participating in Good for the Neighborhood events since her son, now 26, was a child. She learns something new every time, she says, and it’s that knowledge that keeps her coming back.

At a recent Good for the Neighborhood event at the Packard Community Center in Niagara Falls, Burow learned about the use of test strips to check for fentanyl in drugs.

“Health and community knowledge are very important,” she said.

Burow said her son, who is disabled, often accompanies her to events so he can connect with the community and learn about resources available to help.

Last year, Burow was one of 650 Western New Yorkers who received a free health screening through Good for the Neighborhood. Wegmans pharmacists check participants’ vital signs and perform blood tests. Results are ready within minutes and pharmacists explain the results to participants and encourage them to follow up with a primary care provider if necessary, Ba said.

Pharmacists can also answer questions about medications and common illnesses and conditions.

Ba remembers a time when pharmacists would immediately send a participant to the hospital because his cholesterol level was extremely high.

“It was a situation that saved his life,” Ba said. “That’s why we strongly encourage health screenings, because we know many people don’t have health insurance, can’t afford it, or think they’re fine.”

For people who don’t have health insurance, Independent Health’s enrollment team can also answer questions about signing up for insurance and help them find a plan they can afford, said Ba.

Programs also seek to address limitations in transportation, access to healthy foods, and other social determinants of health and well-being.

“When you’re working and you’re trying to see a doctor, sometimes it’s hard to get there because of schedules,” said Independent Health Pharmacist Josh Sawyer. “I also think that given social determinants of health, like travel or child care, sometimes it’s difficult to see a health care provider.”

Sawyer said he usually gets the most questions at events about diabetes medications and how to manage blood sugar conditions. Other frequently asked questions concern medications for mental health and high blood pressure.

Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity are more prevalent in the low-income communities targeted by the program.

“We see disparities in these conditions,” Sawyer said, “so getting into some of these harder-to-reach areas tends to be a great way to get messages out.”

Good for the Neighborhood has eight events scheduled. throughout Western New York this summer. The next event is July 18 at the Akron Senior Center, followed by a health fair at the Westside Community Center in Buffalo on July 25.

For a complete list, visit goodfortheneighborhood.com/calendar.