Breaking New Ground
Front row (L-R): Natasha Weisenbeck (Seed to Feed Co-Coordinator), Phyllis Miller, Katherine Russell, Beth Bowles, Alechia Evans, Sami Kauffman Back row (L-R): Dave Hochstetler (Seed to Feed Co-Coordinator) and Jon Raber
Elkhart General has taken a grass roots approach, literally, to improving the health of its patients. Elkhart General is breaking new ground by initiating a Learning Garden, an innovative idea that is an opportunity for patients to learn firsthand how fresh vegetables are a critical part of a healthy diet and an important part of disease prevention and healing.
Located next to the Elkhart General associate parking garage, the garden will be the home of a variety of vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers and onions, among others.
Best of all – it will help our patients! The harvested vegetables will be used in food demonstrations for patients of the intensive cardiac rehab program, the bariatric surgery program and the diabetic program. The goal is to help patients learn new, healthy ways to prepare meals.
“Incorporating an actual garden in the curriculum of our health clinics here at Elkhart General provides a hands-on approach to the education of those with chronic illnesses,” says Phyllis Miller, R.N., MPA, Billing & Systems Analyst/Clinical Decision Support. “They learn how easy it is to incorporate fresh, tasty vegetables into meals instead of high-sodium canned vegetables.”
By teaching healthy food options to those participating in the clinics, Phyllis believes it can promote healthy lifestyles, reduce readmissions and decrease unnecessary procedures and costs.
Elkhart General is partnering with Seed to Feed, a program of Church Community Services that works alongside the Food Bank of Elkhart County to address local hunger needs. Using donated gardens and acreage, seeds and services, Seed to Feed provides fresh vegetables over 60 food pantries and hot meal sites in Elkhart County through the Food Bank of Elkhart County. Harvested vegetables from the learning garden not used at Elkhart General will go to the Food Bank.
This first year the Learning Garden will be small and dedicated education for our patients, but next year organizers will be exploring opportunities for additional fresh vegetables.
