Page 17 - St. John's Healthcare Foundation_Annual Report 2016

YOU ARE

EMPOWERING OTHERS

H ealth begins with wellness and the opportunity to take charge of our own health. That is the focus
of the Health Ministries and Community Outreach programs and services. Your investment
makes it possible for St. John’s Hospitals to provide essential health and wellness services at no or
low-cost to our community’s residents – from infants to the elderly, and all ages in between – who
have limited access to resources. Today several St. John’s Hospitals Health Ministry programs
offer education and support so that community residents can learn how they can best prevent

DEEP disease and manage chronic health conditions.
It is estimated that one in ten people in Ventura County have diabetes, and that one out of every four are
undiagnosed. Contributing to this growing public health issue is the increasing number of overweight or obese
children and teens, which has more than doubled in the last generation. In order to address this issue, in 2016
St. John’s introduced its new Diabetes Empowerment & Education Program (DEEP). DEEP is a comprehensive
program that offers health screenings, counseling and referral to medical services, and a series of educational
workshops in Spanish and English. A total of 29 people attended this first series. More than half were Spanish
speaking. A supportive peer environment helps participants to gain knowledge and skills so that they can make
healthy lifestyle choices and take control of their diabetes. Private donations and a generous grant from the
California Wellness Foundation helped to seed this important program.

SENIOR WELLNESS PROGRAM
Senior residents can stay fit and flexible through participation in fitness classes and a walking program. Glucose
screening and blood pressure checks help participants track their health status. Last year screening results showed
significant health improvements for the more than 60 seniors who participated in the walking adventure virtually
every week. We are grateful to the City of Oxnard for their continued support of the walking program.

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