Connecting health providers, patients, and community resources through effective health programming in low-income communities: The canyon ranch institute life enhancement program

An evidence-based program aimed at low-income, underserved adults, the Canyon Ranch Institute Life Enhancement Program (CRI LEP) demonstrates that integrating community health care organizations and community resources to help patients prevent chronic disease can have significant positive impacts on overall health and wellness of the patient participants, families, and community. The CRI LEP, a partnership between a local health care delivery organization, other community resources to serve patients, and Canyon Ranch Institute, is currently offered in New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Arizona, and is tailored to the cultural, linguistic, geographic, and health specifics of each community. Core teams of professionals in integrative health, nutrition, fitness, pharmacy, behavioral health, and spirituality provide 36 hours of community-based participatory and hands-on group sessions, fitness instruction, live cooking demonstrations, social support, a nutritionist-guided grocery store trip, and at least four one-hour one-on-one health consultations per participant. Evaluation from multiple cohorts indicates healthy changes in depression (NY-32%/MO-43%/AZ-45%), stress (NY-47%/MO-16%/AZ-19%), systolic blood pressure (NY-7%/MO-4%/AZ-20%); reductions in the number of mentally and physically unhealthy days in the previous month (NY-66%/MO-23%/AZ-35%), and other improvements in behavior and physical and mental health. On a civic engagement scale, participants report becoming more engaged with community organizations and in addressing community issues. CRI LEP partners have also witnessed increased neighborhood availability of fresh foods, as well as the development of a health literacy center, a farmers' market, abd a health literacy nutrition program in a local grocery store. Up-to-date data available from five ongoing program sites will be presented.