Community Outreach

BAPTIST HEALTH addresses community health needs by implementing health promotion and prevention interventions to the uninsured, under insured, and under served populations in our primary service areas.

Baptist Health Community Outreach provides community health services through focusing on:

Health Education/Awareness
Risk Factor Identification/Screenings
Public Policy/Environmental Change
Culturally Competent/Appropriate Care
Consumer Empowerment

In 2005, BAPTIST HEALTH scored 35.8 percent, which is significantly greater than its competitors, for Best Community Health program in the National Research Corporation Quality Image Profile. BAPTIST HEALTH programs are funded primarily through our operational budget. As our vision says, our ultimate objective is to improve the health status of the community.

The following are 19 energetic initiatives that demonstrate BAPTIST HEALTH's community involvement.

P.A.R.K. is an innovative after-school and summer program for at-risk youth. It strives to give young people skills and the confidence to succeed in school and life. BAPTIST HEALTH serves 175 students after-school snacks Tuesday–Friday and during the summer BAPTIST HEALTH provides hot lunches Monday–Friday.

BAPTIST HEALTH Community Wellness Center initiative began with the primary mission of providing health promotion and prevention activities to medically underserved, uninsured and underinsured individuals. The wellness centers are community-based partnerships with churches with the goal of creating a healthier community. The services the wellness center offer include health education, care coordination, immunization, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar screenings and community referrals. Open Weekly.

BAPTIST HEALTH Community Immunization Program administers free childhood/school-aged immunizations in underserved communities. The month of August has been designated as Back-to-School month. Immunizations are offered in church-based settings and on the Mobile Health Unit. Also, preschool physical are offered during the month of August. Click Here for the Immunization Schedule.

Healthy Children's Initiative is an obesity initiative that targets children and adolescents to improve their health status through good nutrition and physical activity. The program activities include: Fast Guide - a booklet which enables an individual to select healthy choices at a Fast Food restaurant; Project Fit - is a cardiovascular health and lifetime fitness education program which include state-of- the-are fitness equipment. The fitness equipment is placed permanent on the school campus. BAPTIST HEALTH has four sites, two each in Little Rock and North Little Rock School Districts; and Type 2– We're On To You - is a diabetes education and awareness program for middle school students which empowers them regardless of their diabetes risk to make healthy eating choices and to be physically active.

Sister to Sister: Move More, Eat Better is an initiative designed to encourage women especially African-American women, to maintain a healthy weight by becoming more physically active and eating better. Arkansas ranks fourth in the country in the percentage of adults who are overweight, and African-American women are more likely to be overweight. BAPTIST HEALTH implemented this program because there is not a program in the area that targets African-American women and it is offered free.

Southeast Pulaski County Hometown Health Coalition is a community driven project dedicated to improving th quality of life and health of its communities through planned meetings/projects/programs. The communities include College Station, Hensley, Higgins, Sweet Home, Woodson and Wrightsville.

BAPTIST HEALTH Mobile Health Unit serves as a setting for health screenings, health education and first-aid (emergent care) services.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day is a national program dedicated to giving young people job shadowing experiences. BAPTIST HEALTH provides students the opportunity to shadow health care professionals in various departments on Groundhog Day.

Hispanic Initiative focuses on health promotion and prevention activities which targets the Hispanic community including community building activities i.e. free English as a Second Language classes (ESL).

Reading Initiative: BAPTIST HEALTH Community Outreach leads, support and/or participates in an initiative that promotes reading to children in public schools with emphasis in the underserved population i.e. the NBA "Read to Achieve" program and Volunteers in Public school reading day.

Community Walking Program is an incentive walking program which provide participants at the community level with skills and tools needed to plan and track their daily walking habits, and to make more steps a permanent part of their lifestyle. The program also includes healthy eating classes and mail-based health tips.
- Click Here to download the Community Walking Program Registration Form
- Click Here to download the Community Walking Program Monthly Walking Log
- Click Here to download a list of upcoming Classes and Events for the Community Walking Program

Meatless Tuesday follows Meatless Monday which is a national public health campaign to help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some forms of cancer, which are four of the leading causes of death in America. Meatless Tuesdays are a healthy start to the week after Sunday dinners, turn into Monday's leftovers. The program overall goal is to get the participants to reduce their consumption of saturated fat by at least one day of the week. This program targets the residents of southeast Pulaski County in conjunction with the Southeast Pulaski County Homtown Health Coalition.

Watershed Initiative provides health screenings and health education programs to an underserved population including in-kind donation of resources.

Arkansas Baptist College Initiative provides free health assessments, coordinate medical services, and other resources to a small African-American college/student population.

BAPTIST HEALTH Community Clinic - First Presbyterian Church provides basic healthcare to homeless individuals in a soup kitchen setting. In addition, the clients are provided with additional resources i.e. water bottles during the summer months and knit caps and gloves in the winter months. Funded by a grant from Bank of America.

Women's Health Initiative provides health education, screenings and serve as a resource to lead and disseminate information. Target audience: uninsured, underinsured and underserved.

Senior's Health Initiative provides health screenings and education to seniors in community based setting i.e. the Park Plaza mall walkers program.

Men's Health Initiative provides health education, screening activities and develops literature that is male specific to increase their utilization of health services.

Community-Based Prenatal Classes is an initiative that provides free classes and serve as a resource to low-income pregnant women. The classes are taught in a church-based setting monthly. Some of the topics include: taking care of yourself, early/regular prenatal visits to your doctor, nutrition and physical fitness, childbirth preparation, breast feeding and more. Special baby gifts are given as door prizes at the end of each class.