North America

Farmers Market Promotes Healthy Eating in New Jersey

Farmers Market Promotes Healthy Eating

New Jersey farmers have come together with Rutgers University, Johnson & Johnson and the City of New Brunswick to offer a fresh produce market that offers a number of benefits to the community.

The New Brunswick Community Farmers Market provides local residents with access to fresh, healthy produce at an affordable price. In addition, nutrition education and cooking demonstrations are provided by community-based organizations such as Elijah’s Promise and health educators from academic and health institutions such as hospitals. “The goal is to help influence healthy choices and have a long-term positive impact on the health of residents,” says William Hallman, Director of the Food Policy Institute at Rutgers. “And, it’s a place where local farmers, artisans and craftspeople can sell their goods, and people can taste new foods, learn new recipes and buy the ingredients to make them at home.”

Developing Leaders in Nursing

An 18-month leadership development program is helping nurses advance their skills, improve patient outcomes and strengthen leadership capabilities. The Maternal-Child Health Leadership Academy was created through a partnership between Sigma Theta Tau and Johnson & Johnson.

Since 2004, nurses from 30 American states have completed the leadership program, which is designed for nurses who work with childbearing women and children from birth to 5 years of age. The program prepares nurses to lead interdisciplinary health care teams focused on improving maternal-child health outcomes and shaping evidence-based practices.

Recent programs include: New Beginnings, a support group for postpartum women whose babies are treated for drug withdrawal; Breastfeeding Support for a prenatal clinic; and Parenting Infants with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Impact on Quality of Life.

Based on the success of the U.S. model, the program is exploring expansion into other regions experiencing the need for nurse leadership to improve maternal and newborn outcomes.