10TV: Patient Program at Riverside Methodist Leads to Healthier Lifestyles

We’ve all heard it before: eating a healthier diet is one of the most direct ways we can improve our overall health and wellness. However, for those suffering from certain medical conditions, the need to eat healthier becomes much more dire.

The OhioHealth "Food is Health" room based out of Riverside Methodist Family Practice is a unique program that offers community members the tools and educational resources needed to create a healthier lifestyle.

Laurie Hommema, MD, program director at the Riverside Methodist Family Medicine Residency Program, explains that programs like these are important because though eating well can be simple, it isn’t always easy for some patients.

"I just think in general, you know, we don’t talk enough about nutrition with our patients and really helping them understand what healthy foods are and the access to them,” Dr. Hommema said in a recent interview with 10TV reporter Molly Brewer. “There’s a lot of things marketed as healthy, which really aren’t and can be counter-productive to the patient’s management.”

In OhioHealth’s Food is Health room, those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes patients who screen positive for food insecurity are provided free fruits, veggies and shelf-stable items like beans and whole grain pasta. Patients are even invited to take food home for their families.

“It’s a great topic to work with patients who are considered pre-diabetic, whose blood sugars are high but not high enough to qualify them for the diagnosis of diabetes,” Dr. Hommema told 10TV. “Changing your diet and what you eat can actually reverse that really significantly and patients can completely lose that diagnoses of pre-diabetes.”

Not only does this program benefit patients, but OhioHealth associates also walk away with a positive feeling that they’ve helped patients better manage their medical conditions.

In addition to on-site programs, community members learned all about healthy diets firsthand from OhioHealth physicians at the HOOFit Walk held at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Click here to learn more about HOOFit and sign up for the next walk!