Healthy Food Systems & Food Equity | UAMS Northwest Regional Campus

The Healthy Food Systems team provides expertise, guidance, and hands-on training to organizations and schools striving to offer nutritious foods and healthy eating habits. Through multiple programs, the team works to ensure that everyone has access to healthy food.

The Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP)

The Sodium Reduction in Communities Program (SRCP) is a five-year project designed to reduce the amount of sodium consumed in schools and in emergency meal programs that primarily serve the food insecure in Northwest Arkansas. The SRCP team works with 58 schools and all six community meal programs in Arkansas to combat health disparities.

For more information about SRCP, or about contact Bonnie Faitak at BMFaitak@uams.edu.

Funding for SRCP is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Creating Healthy Environments for Schools (CHEFS)

Through Creating Healthy Environments for Schools (CHEFS), Healthy Food Systems staff engage with local school districts to select and implement successful and effective nutrition changes to their food service programs in order to increase access to produce and to lower sugar, saturated fat, and sodium in meals. Through CHEFS, the Healthy Food Systems team will work with six school districts in Northwest Arkansas to help students have access to their best health.

For more information about CHEFS, contact Bonnie Faitak at BMFaitak@uams.edu.

Funding for CHEFS is provided by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Community of Practice

The Office of Community Health and Research at UAMS is launching a community of practice focused on addressing food insecurity in Northwest Arkansas (NWA). By sharing skills and experiences, the NWA community of practice will be a group of organizations and individuals who work together to cultivate new strategies to address recurring problems related to food insecurity in Northwest Arkansas.

To learn more about the Community of Practice, click here.

Farmer picking Bell Peppers — The Farm to Institution team helps bring fresh produce to tables all throughout Arkansas.

Farm to Institution

Our Farm to Institution team works with institutions throughout Arkansas – including hospitals, state entities, schools, childcare centers, distributors, Arkansas farms and more – to ultimately lead to statewide economic development and improve access to fresh, healthy food items for all Arkansans.

For more information about the Farm to Institution Program, contact Emily English at ESEnglish@uams.edu.

Delivering Health

The Healthy Food Systems team is working to reduce Type 2 Diabetes among food insecure families across Arkansas by distributing Type 2 Diabetes food boxes to participants. In addition to providing food, the boxes will contain educational materials designed to help adults manage their Type 2 Diabetes. Additionally, staff will develop a training program for medical students that will help them recognize food insecurity-related issues and chronic diseases.

For more information about Delivering Health, contact Krista Langston at KLangston@uams.edu or Dr. Chris Long at CRLong2@uams.edu.

Funding for Delivering Health is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Supporting Healthy Options at Pantries working boxing up apples. — Partnering pantries are working with Healthy Food Systems staff to give people healthier food options.

Supporting Healthy Options at Pantries (SHOP)

The Supporting Healthy Options at Pantries (SHOP) program engages and encourages pantries to implement changes to their operations in order to empower clients to choose healthy foods for their families.

For more information about SHOP, contact Bonnie Faitak at BMFaitak@uams.edu.

News & Success Stories

UAMS, Farmington Schools creating healthier meals for students

UAMS Community Health and Research (CHR) and Farmington Public Schools are working together to create healthier meals and eating environments for students.

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