A southeast Arkansas healthcare system is using grant money to help increase its patients' access to healthy foods.

Mainline Health Systems will use the funds to focus on healthy eating habits for people who are expecting.

Work will include showing families how to grow their own fruits and vegetables, and establishing farmers markets that cater specifically to the needs of pregnant women and new mothers.

Health System Registered Dietitian Jane Pelkki said they will teach new moms the basics of eating healthy.

"Eating healthy doesn't have to cost a lot, that it's doable and that there are food assistance programs such as WIC and SNAP, food stamps," said Pelkki. "And we're also going to provide some food to help moms understand what a healthy meal looks like."

Mainline is one of eight health systems nationwide to participate in the National Innovation Incubator program.

It's sponsored by the National Association of Community Health Centers and the global healthcare company, Abbott.

Research shows almost 13% of U.S. households experience food insecurity - or don't have access to an affordable, nutritious diet.

Merrill Warschoff-Press - senior vice president at NACHC - said the facilities play an integral part in improving the overall health of patients, and address social issues that may cause illnesses.

"They reach far beyond the walls of the traditional exam room, not only to prevent illness and treat it, but also to really address the social drivers that may cause poor health," said Warschoff-Press, "so whether it's food insecurity and poor nutrition or even housing, joblessness, mental illness, substance use disorders."

At the end of the six-month pilot program, results will be shared with 1,400 health centers nationwide. That could impact the overall health of more than 31 million patients across the country.

A Virginia community health center is part of a program addressing food scarcity.

The National Association of Community Health Centers' 2024 Innovation Incubator creates ways to expand healthy food access. Tri-Area Community Health Center's Laurel Fork location will have funding and guidance from experts to help them design and test community-based solutions.

Merrill Warschoff Press, senior vice president of partnership, development and innovation for the National Association of Community Health Centers, said the centers are uniquely suited to address local food issues.

"Health centers are highly effective and innovated with integrated models of care," Press explained. "They reach far beyond the walls of the traditional exam room, not only to prevent illness and treat it but to really address the social drivers that may cause poor health."

Food insecurity has grown since pandemic-era programs ended in 2023. Emergency allotments provided SNAP recipients with an added $95 per month for 470,000 families statewide. However, some people are above or below SNAP's qualifying threshold.

Other issues stem from food prices. The Consumer Price Index shows food prices grew between 2022 and 2023 but in recent months, prices have been declining.

A primary goal of the Innovation Incubator is to discover best practices for providing care for millions of people and share them with health centers nationwide. Press noted the methods being worked out can help varying populations.

"There are many health centers who have large populations of patients who come from other countries and are used to certain foods, and have different preferences," Press observed. "Being able to work with them in their own language with the foods that they like and trust is really valuable to improving access to food that'll make a difference in their lives."

Food pantries have been key to reducing food insecurity wherever possible. Virginia food banks saw a 5% to 10% increase in demand at the end of 2022, which is problematic since food banks nationwide are seeing donations decline and reduced commodities from the Emergency Food Assistance Program.

The Delaware General Assembly has approved legislation to allow terminally ill adults access to prescription drugs so if they are suffering, they can choose to die peacefully in their sleep.

Called the End-of-Life Options Act, the bill was approved this week by the state Senate following its passage in April in the House. Legislators have wrestled with this issue for almost a decade.

Judy Govatos, a resident of Wilmington, has battled cancer for much of the same time period. She is currently in remission but when the time comes, she said she wants to "die with dignity."

"At 80, I still have lymphoma, so it's not gone and it's in my bone marrow, and it'll come back, and I'm old, and I'll die," Govatos said. "But I really don't want to do any kind of chemo again. It's just too much. I want quality of life."

Gov. John Carney has not said whether he plans to sign the bill and his office did not respond to a request for comment. Several Republican lawmakers have expressed moral concerns about the bill, questioning the need for it with recent advances in hospice and palliative care.

The bill, backed by groups such as Compassion & Choices and other advocates, allows mentally capable, terminally ill adults to request and self-ingest prescription medication to end their suffering. Two health care providers must certify the person seeking aid has fewer than six months to live.

Govatos thinks many people have unrealistic notions about their life's end.

"If you ask them, 'How do you want to die?' 'I want to be hit by a bus, or die in my bed.' Unfortunately, more than 80% of Americans will die in a hospital or a nursing home," Govatos pointed out. "I don't want to be in either one of those. Having this is the security of knowing that I can leave gracefully."

The measure is supported by three of four Delaware physicians. While the bill passed the General Assembly mostly along party lines, Govatos hopes it will be seen differently.

"What I would like for this, honestly, is that this wouldn't be a right-left, red-blue dogma issue," Govatos added. "This is about having choices at the end of life and to leave life gracefully, saying goodbye and I love you."

Virginia doctors are reminding people how important it is to stay heart healthy in extreme heat.

Temperatures across the U.S. have skyrocketed, and climatologists estimate 2024 will surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record. Virginia's average temperature has gone up almost 3 degrees in the last 20 years.

Dr. Deepak Talreja, clinical chief of cardiology at Sentara Health in Norfolk, said rising temperatures can be hard on your heart.

"The heart muscle is really susceptible to problems from heat, especially when a person gets dehydrated, or when they're not drinking enough fluid and they get their electrolytes off," Talreja explained. "That can cause rhythm problems, changes in blood pressure, and an increase in the risk of passing out."

Enough stress on the body ultimately leads to heart attack and stroke. Drinking water often is key to maintaining good heart health in the heat. While doctors said people should drink eight glasses of water daily, Talreja thinks people should drink 1.5 times that during extreme heat to stay hydrated.

Other drinks high in electrolytes are helpful for hydration but Talreja noted you should check the sugar content. High blood sugar with or without heat is harmful to the heart. He added there are misconceptions about caffeinated drinks in intense heat.

"Drinks with caffeine in them actually act as diuretics, they make you pee more and so, you have to be careful about heavily caffeinated beverages," Talreja advised. "Also, you have to be careful because you want to avoid beverages with a lot of sugar; sodas that cause excess weight, excess blood sugar."

Talreja noted another problem is not planning ahead and being in more heat than you may realize. He recommended anytime you go out, you should grab some water and know where to find a cool, shady spot.


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