This clinic-based, health-promoting community focuses on patient leadership and engagement with the mission to engage patients of all ages as active agents of their own health and well-being, and as citizens of the Como Clinic community.
The Project features a democratic model of planning and decision making led by a group of about ten citizen patients and three health care professionals, including a program manager who works one day per week to coordinate the project’s activities.
Activities to date include physical activity, food and nutrition, building resilience, and emotional health. Most are led by patients while others feature outside leaders (such as local chefs for some cooking classes) who are assisted by patients, including:
- End of life workshops led by a patient leader
- Book discussion and TED Talk groups on a variety of topics (mindfulness, care giving, disease prevention, end of life issues): 8-27 participants per discussion
- Cooking classes that engage patients in preparing meals
- Yoga classes taught by a clinic patient
- A clinic garden is planned that would be planted, tended, and harvested by patients and staff members
- Walking club with 4-8 participants per walk
- Annual Healthy Grilling Event: 250 healthy meals served to patients and staff
- Poetry and health groups (led by a staff physician with a passion for poetry)
- Interactive workshops on “political stress” and how to talk with loved ones across the political chasm
- Biking outings and workshops
The group promotes activities/events through clinic monitor slides, a newsletter, a Facebook group, posters in elevators, flyers in the lobby, and provider referrals. The group also disseminates learning “gems” from events through several of these channels.
What’s next?
- Health Assessment and Goal Groups: After piloting a self-assessment and goal setting process, the group is working on an online health assessment available to clinic patients, followed by goal setting visits with providers and invitations to join health goal groups.
- Dissemination: Two other HealthPartners clinics have launched health clubs, and a HealthPartners headquarters group has developed a manual for dissemination and a funding plan being presented to HealthPartners leadership.
- Evaluation is underway, with the first steps being process evaluation of patient participation levels and recognition of the clubs by clinic patients.