HHC Hospitals Host Farmers Markets to Promote Healthy Eating
Jun 16, 2011
Farmers markets will offer fresh fruits and vegetables this summer at several hospital campuses of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), making healthy food available in communities where residents don’t always have access to fresh produce at reasonable prices.
The markets will operate starting this month until November, with one market, at Coney Island Hospital, opening this Friday. Another market, at Queens Hospital Center, is open year-round. The markets in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens offer an assortment of regionally-grown produce and support HHC’s efforts to keep communities healthy, particularly helping to prevent obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.
“These farmers markets provide healthy and affordable dietary options for patients, employees and the local community in neighborhoods where fresh fruits and vegetables are not easily found,” said HHC President Alan D. Aviles. “At HHC we promote healthy eating, along with regular checkups and exercise, to help people stay physically fit and to control the chronic diseases that affect many of our patients. It’s part of a citywide and nationwide effort to improve the eating habits of children and adults.”
According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 56.8 percent of New Yorkers are overweight or obese, 28.3 percent have high blood pressure and 9.7 percent are diabetic. The City has launched several efforts to help New Yorkers improve their health and physical fitness, including campaigns to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and to urge New Yorkers to take advantage of free exercise programs around the city and “Make NYC Your Gym,” as well as efforts to increase access to healthy and affordable food in underserved communities.
First Lady Michelle Obama has taken on fighting childhood obesity as a cause and recently helped announce a new food plate, replacing the food pyramid, that provides a graphic depiction of the five food groups essential for a balanced and healthy diet: grains, protein, fruits, vegetables and dairy.
The farmers markets are hosted in partnership with Harvest Home and Greenmarket. Shoppers can pay for their fresh fruits and leafy greens using EBT cards (food stamps), Health Bucks, Green Checks, Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) coupons.
Markets are hosted by Metropolitan Hospital Center in Manhattan; Jacobi Medical Center, North Central Bronx Hospital, and Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx; Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn; and Elmhurst Hospital Center and Queens Hospital Center in Queens.
Here is a list of farmers markets at HHC hospitals:
Manhattan
Metropolitan Hospital Center: Market located at 99th Street and Third Avenue. July 8 – Nov. 18. Fridays 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Bronx
Jacobi Hospital Center: Market located at 1400 Pelham Parkway. June through Mid-November. Now open. Tuesdays 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
North Central Bronx Hospital: Market located at Mosholu Parkway North and Jerome Avenue. July 6 through mid- November. Wednesdays 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Lincoln Hospital: Market located at 149th Street between Morris and Park Avenues. July 5 – November. Tuesdays and Fridays 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Brooklyn
Coney Island Hospital : Market located on Ocean Parkway between Avenues Z and Shore Road. June 17 – November. Fridays 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Queens
Queens Hospital Center: Market located at 82-70 164th Street. All year round. Thursdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Elmhurst Hospital Center: Market located at 41st Avenue between 80th & 81st Streets. July 12 – November. Tuesdays 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
About HHC
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlusHealth, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nychhc.org/hhc or find us on facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.