Photo Caption: Rinehart Clinic’s Art of Eating class participants touring Moon River Farm in Nehalem

At Rinehart Clinic in Wheeler, Oregon, we have learned that helping our patients take a broad and interactive approach to wellness makes a big difference. Combining a supportive environment with tools for health, such as fresh food (and free classes), leads to group and individual successes. The Rinehart Clinic understands success looks different for each person and so must our educational offerings!

What started four years ago as a summer-long veggie class transformed into a comprehensive effort to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and now has grown into a broader Community Wellness program. Many of our participants see multiple health benefits from lowered A1C, lower blood pressure, healthier eating habits, weight loss, and even improved mood.

By offering a wide range of classes – from nutritional education to movement and mindfulness – our goal is to offer something for everyone. We place an emphasis on creating supportive group classes and helping make it easier for people to have access to healthy foods and exercise. The classes often can create social networks, which we know play just as important of a role in health and wellness as recorded screening numbers.

Each year, we try new approaches and check in with our participants to see what they are interested in learning. Their input has helped our Community Wellness program evolve and grow.

Here is a sampling of the Community Wellness classes and workshops we have held over the past four years: 

• Mindfulness Meditation, taught by one of our social workers, focusing on mindful approaches to eating, managing stress, and more;
• Blood Sugar & Nutrition, taught by our Certified Diabetes Educator;
• Intro to Fasting, taught by our Naturopathic Physician, covering the health benefits of fasting;
• our ever-popular Art of Eating, a hands-on class showcasing local farm-fresh vegetables, recipe sharing, and encouragement for healthy eating habits.

Over the past year, as the pandemic unfolded, it changed how we hold our classes as we moved to Zoom. In 2021, our hope is to continue Zoom offerings and eventually be able to offer some classes in person again (when we can safely do so).

These group classes are a critical part of Rinehart Clinic’s Community Wellness program, and thanks to grant funding and great community partners, we are also able to pair the classes with healthy foods. For instance, our Art of Eating participants not only get to sample and learn ways to cook fresh vegetables during class, but they also get a big bag of farm-fresh produce from Nehalem’s Moon River Farm to take home each week. And (depending on the season), some class participants receive vouchers they can use to buy healthy foods at the Manzanita Farmers Market or the Manzanita Grocery & Deli (the Little Apple).

As another addition to the program in early 2020, we started the Prescription for Exercise Program, partnering with the North County Recreation District (NCRD). As part of primary care appointments, providers could write prescriptions for exercise with patients receiving a 10-visit pass for swim or fitness. We hired a Wellness Navigator, Alisa, to help coordinate first steps into NCRD.  We saw a lot of positive results, have a solid partnership in place and will look to resume this program later in 2021 as we adjust to these changing times.

We appreciate all our partners who make this Wellness Program possible–Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization, Manzanita Farmers Market, Manzanita Grocery & Deli, Moon River Farm, and North County Recreation District. We are also fortunate to have a staff team whose varied backgrounds and interests allow us to offer such a range of classes. And lastly, the success is not possible without those in the community who participate and share this experience and wellness journey with us!  

During 2021, we will continue many of our popular classes. And NEW, coming in March: a book study/discussion group called “How to Be Sick” led by Sara, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, focused on mindfulness, particularly for those facing chronic health conditions.

To register for classes or learn more about Rinehart Clinic & Pharmacy, visit our website, Facebook page, or sign up for our monthly newsletter.

AUTHOR: Denise Weiss, Registered Nurse and Quality Director at Rinehart Clinic

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