August / September 2009

About Us

Home > > >

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2009

Community Wellness Program Creates New Initiatives For Families

Saint Anthony Hospital recently revamped its Community Wellness Program to more strategically meet the needs of the community through a comprehensive set of services in four target areas. At its core, the program promotes healthier prenatal outcomes, sound developmental outcomes for young children, positive family functioning and, overall, healthier communities.

“ When we reviewed our current Community Wellness Programs last year, one of our main goals was to ensure that we are providing the best and most needed resources to the community,” says Jim Sifuentes, Vice President, Mission and Community Development. “Our community is always changing, and it’s important that we remain as flexible as possible.”
With that in mind, Saint Anthony Hospital has taken the best of already-existing programs, such as prenatal classes, and added timely and essential new services.

The four initiatives of the Community Wellness Program include:

Healthy Beginnings, a newly renamed and expanded initiative that includes prenatal classes, post-partum and early childhood supports (including a New Moms Club), parenting education, developmental screenings, referrals, and follow-up case management.
School Wellness, a response to the increasing concern about childhood obesity and interest in improving schools’ health and wellness practices. It is an outgrowth of the popular “Mission Nutrition” health education curriculum that Saint Anthony Hospital staff members have already been implementing in community schools. In addition to the variety of health and wellness educational services available to students and their families, the program supports schools in identifying and implementing systemic changes related to health and wellness.
Public Benefits and Referral Service, which provides information and assistance in accessing critical public health benefits and safety-net resources, particularly to Spanish-speaking patients. Individuals can learn about the benefits they’re entitled to, including the All-Kids (public health insurance) Program, Medicaid, WIC, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Mental Health Services, which addresses the growing need for no-charge bilingual counseling for a range of adult mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and marital conflicts.

Leslie Fiedler and Paula Casas, LCSW, the program coordinators, believe an exceptional element of the revised Community Wellness Program is that it is aligning itself more closely with the needs and the population of the specific neighborhoods that Saint Anthony Hospital serves.

Says Paula, “For example, we just started the New Moms Club, a bilingual group that gives first-time moms the opportunity to get peer support, learn on an informal basis and widen their circle of friends.” Paula says that in many cases, participation in support groups can help ward off depression and isolation and decrease the normal anxieties of being a new parent.

The staff of the Community Wellness Program includes: Leslie Fiedler, Co-Coordinator; Paula Casas, Co-Coordinator; Janet Cervantes, Administrative Assistant; Yolanda Rodriguez, Community Resource Educator; Martha Montes, Community Resource Educator; Samuel Graham, Community Resource Educator; Dolores Vaca, Teacher; Melissa Segovia, Therapeutic Educator; Altagracia Guzman, Public Benefits Coordinator; and Arturo Carrillo, Clinical Social Worker.