Leaning on community partnerships, Chester County Hospital’s CHEC Point program provides health evaluations to those in need.
Michele Francis (right) talks through the evaluation results with a CHEC Point Program attendee.
Across Penn Medicine, community partners are an integral part of providing the best possible care for our patients. They enhance and support service to all members of our community — a vision to which Michele Francis, MS, RD, director, Community Health and Wellness Services at Chester County Hospital (CCH), has dedicated her career.
“Community partnerships really allow us to extend our arms out into the neighborhoods and to the people who need it most,” Francis shared. “We don’t have the resources to be everywhere and do everything, which is where these partnerships come into play. They can provide access and extend the resources we do have.”
Among the many programs Francis and her team coordinates is the Community Health Evaluation (CHEC) Point Program, which launched in 2021. This program was created by Chester County Hospital and has been providing monthly community-based health screenings and education supported by valued community partners, including West Chester University, Filet of Soul Culinary Institute, and the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center.
The primary funding behind the CHEC Point Program has been a United Way Grant that Francis’ team stewards. The grant covers the costs for the program’s monthly health screenings and the educational material provided.
Filet of Soul Culinary Institute, a partner of the Melton Center, prepares the healthy, free meals provided to CHEC Point Program attendees.
As for the food, that’s in the hands of the professionals. Chefs at the Filet of Soul Culinary Institute prepare and serve healthy meals at no cost to CHEC Point participants. “These meals help reinforce some of the education participants receive around nutrition and exemplify how delicious nutritious and healthy meals can be,” Francis added.
At the March event, the meal consisted of cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes, collard greens, and Jamaican marinated baked chicken drumsticks.
There’s also West Chester University, which helps staff the event (while also giving students valuable experience in the community). The students run the blood pressure screening table and are supported by CCH clinical staff.
Finally, there’s the location. Thanks to the Charles A. Melton Arts and Education Center – a longtime partner of Chester County Hospital – the CHEC Point Program has a location in which to host the program and serve the community.
Francis stated, “This program has helped build trust in our community and deepened our relationship with other agencies that are dedicated to addressing the health needs of underserved populations.”
There are two components of the quarterly CHEC Point Program events:
- Health Screenings and Education: Community members are screened for blood pressure, weight, and body mass index (BMI). Every other month, attendees can also be screened for total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and glucose. The hospital has partnered with Lancaster General Health (LGH) for this component. Additionally, a bilingual nurse from LGH has also attended events to help with language barriers. Participants discuss their results on-site with a healthcare professional, and health resources and education like the My Health My Plan brochure are available.
- Free Meal: Program participants are treated to a free, healthy, and delicious meal prepared by Filet of Soul Culinary Institute.