Recent Stories
February 21, 2016
“I feel so bad when my mom calls me fat.” That message, written by a student and left on Nurse Robbin DeMuth’s desk, was the impetus for creating a Comprehensive Approach to School Wellness grant program at Joyce Kilmer Middle School. “The note was a cry for help,” DeMuth said, “and I knew we had to do something to get and keep our kids healthy.” Shortly after receiving the note, DeMuth found an ally. Speaking at a forum for school nurses, Marissa Davis, Project Manager for New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Trenton (NJPHK-T), encouraged the audience to “dream big, together we can turn our schools of need into schools of opportunity.” “I asked for an exercise bike,” said DeMuth. With Davis’s help and a generous grant from Novo Nordisk, the school was able to get that and so much more: a fitness room equipped with cross-trainers, elliptical machines, treadmills, and […]
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February 20, 2016
Originally posted on mycentraljersey.com by Sheila Cort, NJ Partnership for Healthy Kids The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK), a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, hosted the Building a Culture of Health in New Jersey Conference on Dec. 2 at the Pines Manor in Edison. The conference keynote speaker, Sandra G. Hassink, MD, MS, FAAP, president, American Academy of Pediatrics, spoke about “Childhood Obesity from the Perspective of a Pediatrician: Social Determinants of Health and Civil Rights Pertaining to Food Access and Physical Activity.” “We can’t build a culture of health without raising the value of a child in our society,” said Dr. Hassink. “We need to change the framework of how we think about children. As a pediatrician, I would have never thought that I would treat children with such illnesses as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, and many others that were once only seen in middle-age […]
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February 20, 2016
Click the video below to view highlights of the retreat. Zip lining across the sky is generally not an activity associated with city life. So when Frost Valley YMCA teamed up with the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK) to host its first Healthy Family Retreat in November 2015, more than 80 individuals joined the adventure. Buses full of families and NJPHK team leaders from Camden, Newark, New Brunswick, Trenton and Vineland rolled up the highway and arrived late Friday night at Frost Valley YMCA. Located on over 5,500 acres in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, two hours north of New Jersey, Frost Valley YMCA provides people of all ages and abilities with a variety of enriching, outdoor experiences. After a good night’s sleep, everyone got up early Saturday morning to partake in a variety of healthy activities and experiences. “We initially split the families into three groups that included cooking, gardening and […]
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February 20, 2016
Youth Coach Captain Mike Bobadilla doesn’t hold back in expressing his passion about the Soccer Academy he leads in New Brunswick. Back in 2000, a friend asked him to assist him with a summer youth soccer team and, since that time, it’s been a major part of his DNA. The program started with 30 kids a few times a week in Archibald Park. By the end of the season, the program had grown to nearly 100 kids. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding and resources, the program was discontinued. “In the back of my mind, I knew how vital the program had been in keeping kids off the street and decided to create a summer academy in 2008,” said Captain Bobadilla, who worked on the local police department’s night shift. Called the Bobadilla Soccer Academy, 125 kids were initially recruited for a six-week summer soccer program at Roosevelt School and […]
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February 20, 2016
Discontinued sidewalks, poor sight lines, non-ADA compliant curb ramps, lack of bicycle facilities and speeding traffic are just some of the hazards that children can face as they try to walk or bike to school. Live Healthy Vineland, an extension of the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Vineland (NJPHK-V), the Cumberland Cape Atlantic YMCA and the Vineland Health Department are working with the Vineland Engineering Department and Cross Country Connection TMA to identify such infrastructure flaws in the built environment surrounding Vineland schools. Pinpointing these hazards is an important step in preparing a school travel plan and applying for funding to make walking and biking safer activities. A Safe Routes to School Travel Plan identifies flaws in the existing built environment that inhibit safe bicycling and walking to and from school. Remedies are prescribed, such as the installment of traffic calming devices, construction of sidewalks and bike lanes, or the […]
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February 1, 2016
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. To prevent heart disease and increase awareness of its effects, the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK) is proudly participating in American Heart Month. New Jersey has the 27th highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the country.* Certain factors play important roles in a person’s chances of developing heart disease. These risk factors include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. Some risk factors can be changed, treated, or modified, and some cannot. Many risk factors can be controlled early in life, lowering the risk of heart disease later in life. Other risk factors are passed down through family members (they are hereditary) or are the result of another illness or disease. Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 […]
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December 14, 2015
Originally published by The City of New Brunswick by J. Bradshaw New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK), a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, presented its first “Culture of Health Champion” award, in the category of “Active Living” to the City of New Brunswick during its Building a Culture of Health in New Jersey Conference on December 2 at the Pines Manor in Edison. The award acknowledges Mayor James Cahill and the City of New Brunswick for unprecedented leadership in creating a Culture of Health for residents through innovative and forward-thinking initiatives. New Brunswick is intently focused on the wellness of its residents through many successful programs and partnerships that address the varied challenges behind fostering a healthy community. New Brunswick Ciclovia opens more than three miles of City streets to residents and visitors multiple times per year, bringing this celebration of active living and open streets directly into […]
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December 10, 2015
Originally published in The Sentinel A local pediatrician warned parents about the dangers of children facing the same diseases adults often are diagnosed with. Sandra G. Hassink, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, spoke about “Childhood Obesity from the Perspective of a Pediatrician: Social Determinants of Health and Civil Rights Pertaining to Food Access and Physical Activity” during a program at the Pines Manor in Edison on Dec. 2. “We can’t build a culture of health without raising the value of a child in our society,” Hassink said during the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids’ (NJPHK) Building a Culture of Health in New Jersey Conference. “We need to change the framework of how we think about children. As a pediatrician, I would have never thought that I would treat children with such illnesses as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, liver disease and many others that […]
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December 3, 2015
Campbell Soup Company and Kim Fortunato received the first NJPHK “Culture of Health Champion” award in the business category during the Building a Culture of Health in New Jersey Conference in December 2015. The award acknowledges Kim Fortunato and Campbell Soup Company for the Campbell Healthy Communities initiative; leading in the business sector for addressing food access, active living and equity; and investing in a city-wide healthy corner store initiative that has engaged nearly 40 stores. “Campbell Soup Company has committed to building a Culture of Health, supporting a variety of efforts designed to help make positive changes in the lives of children and families,” said Darrin Anderson, deputy director, NJPHK. “It is an honor to present this award to Kim Fortunato for her oversight of a number of efforts that are creating opportunities for healthier living in Camden and many other areas throughout New Jersey.” “We’re proud to collaborate […]
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November 10, 2015
Newark Head Start programs welcomed a new class of preschoolers in September, many of whom are already facing serious health issues. Among this year’s class of students in Newark’s nine preschools, childhood obesity is the second greatest medical need. Only asthma ranks higher. Liana Rodriguez, Center Director at Early Childhood School-North at Gladys Hillman-Jones is determined to turn that statistic around by working with those who have the biggest influence on children’s eating habits—parents and guardians. Rodriguez turned to Courtney Price, project manager for New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N) for help in educating parents about healthy choices in meal preparation. Price and staff from the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity will present an hour-long interactive nutrition workshop on November 17 at the school. Price hopes that this session will be the first in a series to raise awareness about healthy eating. The workshop will feature food demonstrations, physical […]
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