With New Community Garden and Food Pharmacy, Tampa General Hospital and the City of Tampa Advance Health and Wellness Among Area Residents

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Jan 29, 2024, 15:41 ET

TGH CEO John Couris and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor Celebrate Opening of Community Garden and Food Pharmacy as Part of TampaWell Initiative

TAMPA, Fla. , Jan. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking a significant milestone in the TampaWell initiative, Tampa General and the City of Tampa officially welcomed residents to enjoy the benefits of healthy eating with support from a brand-new community garden and food pharmacy. John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor were joined by community leaders and area residents to cut the ribbon on the new TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy, both conveniently located at TGH Family Care Center Healthpark, which serves one of the most food insecure neighborhoods in the region.

John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor were joined by community leaders and area residents to cut the ribbon on the new TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy, both conveniently located at TGH Family Care Center Healthpark i, which serves one of the most food insecure neighborhoods in the region.

"We're on a mission to transform the health and wellness of our community. Healthy foods and regular physical activity play a pivotal role in both the prevention and the treatment of chronic health conditions, but not everyone has access to these essentials," said Couris. "With this new community garden and food pharmacy, we're working to ensure that residents of this community can benefit from nutritious foods, contributing to better health and a greater quality of life."

TampaWell was activated by Tampa General Hospital in 2022, in partnership with the City of Tampa. It was the start of a wellness revolution in Tampa Bay with the goal of making Tampa the ultimate wellness destination in the United States. TampaWell embodies the mission of TGH to empower communities and transform lives, focusing on preventive health care efforts that are proven to reduce chronic disease and hospital readmissions. It also supports the city's most at-risk residents by addressing underlying social factors that impact health.

"Today it's clear that TampaWell is more than a vision for our city, it is a reality. With the new community garden and food pharmacy, we are effectively increasing access to fresh and nutritious foods in areas where we can have the most meaningful impact," said Mayor Castor. "We are grateful to Tampa General and our partners in the community for making these transformations possible."

The TampaWell Food Pharmacy and Community Garden is built on the concept that "food is medicine." With fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the adjacent community garden, patients have greater access to nutritious foods and the opportunity to learn how to grow healthy produce in a sustainable way. Patients at the TGH Family Care Center Healthpark who are diagnosed with prediabetes, diabetes, hypertension or obesity may request a referral from their primary care providers to select nutrient-rich foods from the food pharmacy, free of charge.

"With this community garden and food pharmacy, we can do more than treat patients for their symptoms. We're working to change behavior and help establish new lifestyle routines that can potentially reduce and reverse chronic health conditions," said Adam Smith, executive vice president and chief ambulatory care officer at Tampa General Hospital. "With greater access to nutritious foods, our patients can more effectively improve their overall health."

The TampaWell Food Pharmacy and Community Garden is made possible with the collaboration and support of community partners, including the Feeding Tampa Bay Food Rx Program and the Tampa YMCA Veggie Van Produce Prescription Program. Eligible patients will also have the opportunity to participate in the Tampa YMCA's evidence-based health initiatives, Diabetes Prevention Program or Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring, as appropriate, as well as community-based nutrition and healthy eating classes.

The Food Pharmacy and Community Garden is just one of the many programs offered by TampaWell to connect residents in the region with resources for health and wellness. The TampaWell smartphone app, launched in 2023, is a free resource through which residents can explore wellness events and activities across Tampa Bay, access tips for a healthier life and find motivation to reach goals. In addition, the app tracks physical activity and monitors community-wide progress.

The TampaWell initiative is modeled after the Wellness Valley, an internationally acclaimed effort in the Romagna region of Italy that describes itself as "the first worldwide district of wellness and quality of life" in existence. Wellness Valley draws on some 250 public and private stakeholders in the region to support and amplify its mission of focusing on preventive health rather than the treatment of chronic disease.

TampaWell is a collaboration of more than 80 local organizations, including community groups, businesses, social services agencies and health care providers. While Tampa already has a good foundation for promoting wellness – including a young and growing workforce, a good economic environment, and a solid infrastructure of fitness facilities and programs – data reveals that many area residents can benefit from greater access to health and wellness resources. Roughly 29% of adults in the city are sedentary, about 27% are obese, and 36% have hypertension. TampaWell, together with its partners in the community, is working to address the gaps and improve access to essential services and programs. The goal is to create a culture of sustainable wellness and improve the overall health of the community.

The TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy is next to the TGH Family Care Center Healthpark, located at 5802 North 30th Street, Tampa, Florida.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News and World Report's 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women and top 25 in Florida in the 2023 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes TGH North which is comprised of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties, 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.