REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) is a national program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities. In 2018, Penn State College of Medicine was one of the recipients of the REACH awards to work with the communities of Lebanon and Berks counties.
We actively engage members of the community to plan and carry out proven strategies that are culturally appropriate to prevent chronic diseases, promote healthy behaviors, and address the root causes of racial and ethnic health disparities.
To see our project for Lebanon County, please visit BetterTogetherLebanon.com
REACH creates partnerships to identify the unique needs, assets, and opportunities of each community to implement what works in these areas:
Improving spaces and providing safe places to walk and get active, and promoting physical activities in community events and classes at local recreational facilities (eg: local parks).
Expanding access to affordable and nutritious food (eg: farmers markets), informing parents of breastfeeding benefits and resources, and increasing community awareness of local resources available to them.
Promoting referrals to bilingual preventive services and support collaborations between community health workers and health professionals.
REACH will help provide locally based and culturally tailored solutions to empower our partners to build healthier communities.
Due to CDC requirements, there are certain restrictions on resources and services that we cannot provide. Examples that we cannot support include: