Healthfirst hosts final Bronx 'Diabetes Education Series' event for residents to lead healthier lives

Healthfirst, one of New York's leading not-for-profit health insurers for over 2 million people, hosted a community event focusing on diabetes prevention and management at the Saint Barnabas Hospital Health & Wellness Center on World Diabetes Day. Andrea Polvere, the culinary educator at SBH Teaching Kitchen, instructed a live cooking demo teaching residents about healthy, culturally relevant recipes to help them reimagine ways of eating that manage their diabetes and reverse a pre-diabetes diagnosis. November is Diabetes Prevention Month. Approximately one in ten adults in New York City live with diabetes, but the Bronx has the highest rates, with 15% of residents living with the disease. Among Bronx residents living with the disease, adults with poorly controlled diabetes and diabetes-related amputations are the highest in the city, according to NYC Health data. These figures didn't appear out of thin air. Historically, the Bronx has been plagued by socioeconomic issues ranging from disinvestment, racism, poverty, nutrition access, food insecurity and environmental injustice according to Data for Progress. "We've been very focused on providing community resources— things that the community needs to in order to live its most productive and happy life," said Miguel Centeno, Healthfirst's vice president of community engagement. "Health insurance is a very important part of that, but it's also very important for us to educate the community over and above the need for them to have health insurance." Centeno added that previous attendees shared how "extremely appreciative" they were to learn about diabetes prevention and management. "We also go to great lengths to make sure that the information that we convey is culturally and linguistically relevant as well… to make sure that people can understand what we're sharing," he said at the event. In addition to the diabetes education series, Healthfirst recently hosted a Faith Leaders Mental Health Forum, promoting collaboration between faith leaders and healthcare professionals to help reduce stigma around mental health. Tavion Williams, 26, attended the event on behalf of the organization he works for as an outreach coordinator. "I feel like this workshop has gave me the right knowledge to move forward and better my lifestyle and eating habits… I think people should just be able to come to these workshops just to learn more about what certain foods and drinks do to your body," Williams said. Colleen Channer, a Queens resident originally from Jamaica, attended the workshop with her church group with the personal goal to start a weight loss journey. "I'm not pre-diabetic, but I am a registered nurse so from time to time, I do want to make sure I'm taking care of my body as I believe I'm calling to the ministry, and the work of the ministry is not for the weak," Channer said. Channer participated in the first cooking demo and applauded the event for teaching residents how to be mindful of what you are putting in your bodies, healthier recipes and living a healthy life with diabetes. She's also passionate about endocrinology and understanding how people manage their diabetes. This was Channer's first time learning about the diabetes rates in the Bronx, and she shared a personal story of watching her grandmother deteriorate from the disease. "I always say, if you eat like a diabetic, you will never become diabetic. Watching her go through that at the ending of her life, it really made me more aware and wanting to take control of my health," she said.