In New York City, a groundbreaking initiative, Choosing Healthy and Active Lifestyles for Kids (CHALK), is redefining the role of healthcare in community wellness through its food as medicine model. This program, a collaborative effort between the Division of Community and Population Health at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), is spearheading a unique training program for pediatric residents. Kyle Murray, the Community Program Lead at CHALK, shared with Food Tank that their workshop is a gateway for residents into CHALK’s extensive community work.

Led by Murray and Dr. Ileana Vargas, an endocrinologist from the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, the program offers a monthly 2.5-hour workshop. This workshop, which includes a cooking demonstration, is a mandatory part of the curriculum for every class of pediatric residents at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

The workshop’s curriculum centers around nutrition education strategies and provides pediatricians with tools for motivational interviewing, a client-centered counseling technique focusing on problem-solving. Additionally, it covers culinary medicine and culturally competent medical nutrition therapy. By framing food as medicine and stepping away from traditional nutrition education models, the training aims to enhance the effectiveness of clinical care plans and interventions, ultimately deepening the impact on patient health and community wellness.

Kyle Murray, the Community Program Lead at Choosing Healthy and Active Lifestyles for Kids (CHALK), sheds light on the crucial role social determinants play in health outcomes. Factors like long commutes, low wages, and limited access to healthy food often drive families towards convenient, but unhealthy, ultra-processed foods. This scenario can lead to an increased prevalence of chronic diseases due to a lack of resources, time, or money.

CHALK, a program under the Division of Community and Population Health at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), is addressing these challenges by integrating social determinants of health with individual behavior changes. Murray, in an interview with Food Tank, emphasizes that CHALK’s approach goes beyond the cliché of ‘food as medicine’. By training pediatricians to focus on the social drivers of health and interdisciplinary intervention, CHALK is making sustainable, health-boosting dietary changes more accessible for families grappling with food insecurity and other uncertainties.

The program advocates for achievable dietary improvements, underscoring that significant changes aren’t always necessary for a healthier diet. “Less than 0.5 percent of pediatric patients in the United States consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables daily,” Murray notes, suggesting that even minor alterations can have a substantial impact. He advocates for simple adjustments, like adding more vegetables to traditional dishes, to improve health outcomes.

Beyond clinical work, CHALK actively connects individuals to resources that alleviate their social and material burdens. “Our role is to provide the right tools to address their needs,” Murray explains, ensuring that patients have access to necessary resources when they are ready to make a change.

For over 15 years, CHALK has been an integral part of New York City’s public health landscape, forming a network involving families, schools, healthcare institutions, and community organizations. This network facilitates initiatives like providing fresh produce to food insecure families and conducting health classes in public schools, fostering a sustainable environment for healthy living.

Murray reflects on the impact of CHALK’s work: “This work helped us build trust and rapport with our patients and the wider community. It is a flagship example of our model wherein we provide patients with material and educational connections to strengthen our clinical work.” He acknowledges the gratitude received from the community, but remains focused on addressing unmet needs, highlighting the ongoing commitment of CHALK to improve wellness in Northern Manhattan and beyond.