Midwest Dairy partners with various wellness thought leaders who lean on checkoff to provide research-based resources, information, and intelligence that they can bring back to their respective healthcare patients. Checkoff offers more than a flyer; we have partnered with many amazing healthcare facilities to meet their patients in new interactive ways and elevate their resource options.
Family Care Health Centers
Midwest Dairy partnered with Family Care Health Centers (FCHC) in St. Louis to provide educational handouts and videos. FCHC is a network of community health centers that provides comprehensive healthcare services to residents of the St. Louis area. These centers offer a wide range of medical, dental, and behavioral health services to individuals and families, focusing on providing care to underserved and uninsured populations. FCHC provides healthcare services to over 9,600 clients per year.
Through this partnership, FCHC was provided four patient education handouts and six patient education videos. Dairy-related nutrition education included the following topics: lactose intolerance, transitioning from whole to lower-fat milk, gut and immune health, and general nutrition. The Nutrition Team at FCHC was especially excited to receive the videos as they sought new patient education content for their waiting room.
St. Charles County Public Health Department
Midwest Dairy also partnered with another Missouri-based provider, the St. Charles County Public Health Department (SCCPHD). Serving one of the most populous counties in Missouri, SCCPHD is responsible for protecting and improving the health and well-being of its 400,000 residents. SCCPHD provides healthcare services to over 19,200 clients per year.
SCCPHD was eager to adopt new material, including our Milk Transition and the Good Nutrition Made Easy handouts for their client population. The Nutrition & WIC Coordinator at SCCPHD expressed how often they provided education on these topics and how these materials would serve as a reminder of good practices.
Roseland Community Hospital
Midwest Dairy’s continued partnership with Roseland Community Hospital allowed us to reach their patients interactively through their community baby shower checkoff, connected with 50 attendees to educate them about nutrition and the benefits of dairy. Jillian Q, RDN, presented to the group and gave the new and expectant moms information and tips about ensuring they and their children get the nutritional benefits dairy offers. She discussed how to consume dairy even if they experience lactose intolerance, what dairy foods they should introduce to their babies, and when. Each attendee left the event with a package of materials that included dairy foods to consume and other healthy tips.
St. Bernard Hospital
St. Bernard Hospital, located on the Southside of Chicago, partnered with Midwest Dairy to talk about nutrition, how dairy can fit into patients’ meals, and how to introduce their children and themselves to healthier lifestyles. Moms from the Pediatric Clinic and the OBGYN clinic at the new Ambulatory Center joined the class.
Again, Jillian Q, RDN, taught this class and focused on showing patients how to eat healthy and stay true to their cultural backgrounds. Jillian showed the moms how to make a baked potato recipe that would provide a one-stop meal for busy families, gave them tips for grocery shopping, and showed them the benefits of dairy and how to consume dairy even if they were lactose intolerant. Each participant went home with a bag of ingredients to make a potato bar and additional recipes and handouts that included a list of the closest grocery stores, WIC offices, and food pantries. The handouts also included grocery lists, health tips, and other items.
Twenty-five people attended the event, and the hospital is excited to do more work with Midwest Dairy and continue to provide their patients with quality dairy wellness education and nutritional information.