We are a team of people who represent a wide variety of organizations in the public and private sector, including government agencies, health care providers, and community organizations. Our shared…
Work to eliminate food deserts.
Expand local garden projects, small farms, farmers’ markets and gleaning programs.
Increase participation in nutrition assistance programs.
Use evidence-based nutrition education programs.
Educate health care professionals and cross-functional hospital teams in nutrition education and about access to healthy food.
Expand current public policies to assure inclusion of healthy foods, such as increasing state food-purchasing program to include fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to low-income Arkansans.
Visit the Progress Tracker to learn about this Priority Area’s objectives.
The Access to Healthy Foods priority is led by Emily English of Arkansas Children’s and Janie Ginocchio of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care. Their team features members from the following groups: American Heart Association, Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Farmers Market Association, Arkansas Hospital Association, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Arkansas State University, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozeman College of Public Health and Winthrop Rockefeller Institute.
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Develop programs, provide support, and build awareness that breastfeeding is the optimal way of providing infants with nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.
Encourage adoption of Baby-Friendly guidelines as outlined by The CDC Guide to Strategies to Support Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies.
Develop awareness and encourage limitations on the marketing practices of infant formula.
Ensure support for breastfeeding within child care centers.
Generate breastfeeding support within the community.
Create breastfeeding campaigns that recognize the cultural diversity of communities.
Work with employers to develop worksite lactation support programs.
Visit the Progress Tracker to learn about this Priority Area’s objectives.
The Breastfeeding priority is led by Jessica Donahue, RN, of Baptist Health Expressly for You and Becky Sartini, DNP, RNC-NIC of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Their team features members from the following groups: Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Hospital Association, and the Arkansas Minority Health Commission.
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Help employers establish effective wellness programs for their worksites.
Help employers reduce the health care costs of obesity-related conditions.
Create a more effective worksite by educating employers about the business case for worksite wellness.
Increase the number of worksite wellness programs and employee participation in those programs.
Visit the Progress Tracker to learn about this Priority Area’s objectives.
The Healthy Worksites priority is led by Christina Clark of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Jackie Bracey of TRS Wellness. Their team features members from the following groups: American Heart Association, Arkansas Heart Hospital, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Children’s, Baxter Regional Medical Center, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension, CHI St. Vincent’s, Lung & Cancer Association, St. Bernards Healthcare, Nabholz, Arkansas Hospital Association, City of North Little Rock, and Pulaski County.
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Reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in worksites, public places, and recreation.
Reduce consumption of SSBs in schools.
Use policy incentives and disincentives (such as limits on time SSBs are available, size of containers and/or product mix) that will impact sugar-sweetened beverage purchases.
Eliminate use of SSBs in licensed day care centers.
Visit the Progress Tracker to learn about this Priority Area’s objectives.
The Sugar Sweetened Beverage Reduction priority is led by Carole Garner, MPH, RDN, LD, with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. Her team features members from the following groups: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Department of Education, American Heart Association-NWA, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas Hospital Association, Beaver Water District, Delta Dental of Arkansas, Midwest Dairy, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
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Implement Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities.
Generate a culture of and demand for healthier foods.
Visit the Progress Tracker to learn about this Priority Area’s objectives.
The Nutritional Standards in Government, Institutions and the Private Sector priority is led by Dr. Jenn Conner of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension. Her team features members from the following groups: American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention, Arkansas Department of Health, and Baptist Hospital.
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Provide mandatory, evidence-based nutrition education to improve the health of children attending early child care centers through college.
Increase participation in federally-funded school meal programs.
Increase access to fresh, affordable, healthy foods.
Create learning environments with easy access to healthy choices.
Visit the Progress Tracker to learn about this Priority Area’s objectives.
The Nutritional Standards in Schools: Early Child Care through College priority is led by Patty Barker of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, and Kellie Simpson, President of the Arkansas School Nutrition Association. Their team features members from the following groups: Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas School Nutrition Association, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension, University of Arkansas, Arkansas Farm to School, and others.
Want to find out how you can help? Contact us!
Want to learn more about HAA or get involved with one of the nine priority areas? Send us your contact information and we’ll be in touch.