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Hello David,
As a health center, we are big fans of all things health-related, including eating healthy. Eating healthy requires healthy food, and one of our favorite places to get this food is Kimberton Whole Foods. This month when you shop at the Kimberton in Wyomissing, you can round up in support of BCHC.
Speaking of healthy eating, our Social Determinants of Health Program is growing through an agreement with Food Traveller, LLC. You can read more about this, and more, in this month's newsletter.
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We are ecstatic to be February's Rounding Up at the Register partner for Kimberton Whole Foods in Wyomissing!
Kimberton Whole Foods is a locally owned grocery store with a commitment to local farming and organic food. The staff at the Wyomissing store are always helpful and kind and the products they offer never disappoint.
When you shop there this month, don't forget to round up for BCHC!
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You are invited to celebrate the ways BCHC is making an impact on the health of our community. We will be honoring Kevin Murphy, President of Berks County Community Foundation, with the Civitas Award
Picture Berks Healthy includes a children’s art contest, with students in schools in the Reading School District creating pictures of what a healthy community looks like to them. The artwork will be posted online prior to the event (stay tuned!) and a selection of pieces will be on display at the event.
This year we are also going to have a friendly contest among our staff. BCHC staff are going to set up tables to educate and entertain attendees on various health topics. When you attend, you can vote for your favorite table. The winning staff members will receive a prize!
You don't want to miss this event!
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Meet our new Behavioral Health Consultants | |
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Morgan Driggs is a graduate of Immaculata University, with a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Kutztown University, with a Bachelor of Sciences in Psychology. Prior to coming to BCHC, Morgan worked with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and those with co-occurring disorders. Morgan is a Licensed Professional Counselor with the Pennsylvania Department of State, a National Certified Counselor with the National Board for Certified Counselors and a Certified Domestic Abuse Advocate with Safe Berks.
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Joanaliz Nieves is a Bi-lingual Licensed Professional Counselor and is also a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Family. Joanaliz completed Kutztown University’s three-year CACREP Master’s Program in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling Program, designed to meet the educational requirements for both the LMFT and LPC licenses. She also earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Kutztown. Joanaliz has worked with a wide array of community agencies within the mental health field, servicing children, families, couples, and individual counseling. Her key areas of focus are working with culturally diverse populations with an emphasis on the Latinx community, survivors of trauma, families and their children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder, Depression, and Anxiety.
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Morgan will rotate between BCHC’s 1110 Rockland St. and 838 Penn St. locations while Joanaliz will split her time between those two locations as well as 1040 Liggett Ave. Helen Wooten, BCHC’s Director of Behavioral Health, said, “I am excited for Morgan and Joanaliz to join our Behavioral Health team. Having them here enables us to help more patients and make a greater impact on the health of the community.” | |
Update on Future BCHC Location at 354 Penn St.
From the Alvernia University website:
The Wyomissing Foundation pledged a $300,000 grant to fund Alvernia University’s collaborative venture with Berks Community Health Center (BCHC) to address the increased need for primary care services in downtown Reading by establishing a new state-of-the-art, comprehensive health center location in the former American House on 354 Penn Street.
“The Wyomissing Foundation’s continued commitment allows us to take yet another step forward in the Reading CollegeTowne initiative through this synergistic approach to community health with our partner BCHC,” said Alvernia President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. “This grant will be instrumental in equipping the new health center with cutting-edge technology and resources, allowing our students to engage in hands-on experiential learning alongside the established healthcare professionals at BCHC while serving our community.”
Read the rest here: Wyomissing Foundation commits $300,000 grant to Alvernia University | Alvernia University
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BCHC Awarded Advancing Health Literacy Grant
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Photo via City of Reading livestream. | |
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From the Berks Weekly:
The Awardee Reception spotlighted the dedication and contributions of the organizational partners: Berks Community Health Center, Berks Counseling Center, FaithCare, Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center, Reading Community Pharmacy, and Reading Hospital Tower Health.
Residents and stakeholders gathered to celebrate the commendable accomplishments of these organizations, recognizing their unwavering commitment to advancing health literacy within the community.
Read the rest here: City of Reading honors health champions at Advancing Health Literacy Awardee Reception (berksweekly.com)
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New Reading-Pagoda Sign Unveiled Outside BCHC's 838 Penn St. Location | |
Social Determinants of Health | |
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Today our Social Determinants of Health team picked up our first order of healthy fruits and veggies from Farm Traveler LLC. This is part of our Food RX program which provides our diabetic patients with healthy food options and recipes to utilize those food choices. The goal is to educate and empower our patients to eat healthy, thus lowering their A1C. We are excited to be able to provide this service for our patients.
Learn more about our Social Determinants of Health Program here:
Social Determinants of Health - Berks Community Health Center (berkschc.net)
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Our staff are wearing red on Fridays in February in honor of American Heart month. | |
Low Vision Awareness Month
and
Age-Related Macular Degeneration Month
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Many people with AMD may not notice symptoms right away until the disease progresses or affects both eyes. Vision changes due to AMD may include:
🕳️Difficulty seeing in the center of vision, needed for reading, cooking, or driving.
⛈️Trouble seeing in dim light.
🌫️Straight lines (such as light poles) start to appear wavy, blurry, crooked or missing/
👁️🗨️ Fading and/or changes in the appearance of colors.
😔Difficulty recognizing familiar faces.
Learn more by clicking here.
BCHC offers optometry services to promote healthy vision.
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Thanks for reading!
May your day be healthy and happy,
Your friends at Berks Community Health Center
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