Irvine, Calif.-based St. Joseph Hoag Health has wrapped up its 2015 "Shop with Your Doc" events just in time for Thanksgiving.
The health system hosted six "Shop with Your Doc" events in Southern California throughout mid-October and November during which St. Joseph Hoag Health physicians, nutritionists and weight-management coordinators visited Ralphs grocery stores to help customers purchase items on their grocery list and answer specific dietary questions.
Sixteen St. Joseph Hoag Health experts volunteered some of their off-the-clock time to participate in the events over the course of four weeks. During the events, they handed out
snacks and food samples and provided health advice to nearly 2,000 customers, many of whom also had the physicians walk around the store with them to help chose healthy groceries.
This is the second year St. Joseph Hoag Health hosted the "Shop with Your Doc" events, according to Richard Afable, MD, president and CEO of St. Joseph Hoag Health.
"Our physicians and dieticians had the idea for the events last year so we decided to give it a try," says Dr. Afable. "There was such an incredible response that we decided to do it again in 2015, and the enthusiasm from our clinicians and the community members was even greater this year than the first time around."
Dr. Afable notes the "Shop with Your Doc" events were just the latest in a series of efforts the health system has made to combat this public health crisis and improve population health.
"We see this campaign as evident that there is great opportunity to directly interact with people in places where they work and live and shop," says Dr. Afable. "We're always looking for new ways to further expand upon what we think has been a very successful first step to improve healthy lifestyle choices."
Going forward, Dr. Afable says St. Joseph Hoag Health will be looking to see how the system can expand their efforts to directly interact with the community in other venues — such as in restaurants and workplaces — and via mobile technology.
To learn more about the "Shop with Your Doc" events, click here.