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Mercy Health
Being diagnosed with diabetes or another chronic disease is a life-changing event that can trigger a wide range of emotions and raise a host of questions and concerns. For some, this news comes as such a powerful blow that they can feel as if their life will never be the same again.
In order to move forward in the healthiest possible manner following a chronic-disease diagnosis, patients need education about their disease and how to manage it successfully, ongoing support and resources to help keep them on a healthy path, and reassurance that they can still enjoy a long, fulfilling life despite their diagnosis.
Mercy Health’s Starting Fresh program offers all of these elements and more, empowering participants with the information and skills they need to take control of their chronic disease and reclaim their lives.
According to Susan Zirkel, Community Health Program Coordinator for the Healthy Connections Department at Mercy Health, Starting Fresh is a free, five-week program that delves into a different aspect of chronic disease management every week. “We discuss what the disease is, the role of nutrition, the use of medications, the importance of monitoring your health information, the emotional aspect of having the disease, and much more.
There’s also a lot of discussion about exercise, but we don’t make it intimidating.
The core idea is that every person can find a way to move and become more active—even if they have to do it sitting in a chair at first—and that baby steps lead to much bigger things,” Zirkel explains.
The current version of Starting Fresh, which is supervised by Zirkel and run by Starting Fresh Assistant Mia Ortega, is an offshoot of a 2014 program based at Mercy Health – Franklin Avenue Medical Center, which helped patients with chronic diseases like diabetes and featured a food bank where participants could get fresh produce. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic forced the food bank to shut down because people were precluded from entering the building. The program was then revamped in 2020 with the classes conveniently offered via Zoom rather than in person.
“Switching to Zoom classes was a bit bumpy at first, but once it gained momentum, we found that a lot of our participants really liked that format because they didn’t have to deal with transportation issues or conflicts with other obligations. For example, a grandmother who watches her grandkids while their mom works can take part in the program without having to leave home and find someone else to watch the kids,” Zirkel comments.
Though the primary focus of Starting Fresh is on diabetes and prediabetes, the fact that the program is not aligned with any insurance company allows the facilitators to adjust the classes as needed to address any other chronic diseases that participants might have.
Starting Fresh classes are held on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Zirkel notes that participants who complete the program also receive a complimentary three-month membership to the Wayman D. Palmer YMCA. “At the end of the fifth week, the class meets in person at the YMCA where they can meet the staff, do some exercises if they want, and take a tour of the building. This facility was chosen to receive a large amount of Peloton equipment, so their workout room is really phenomenal,” she adds.
Though weekly produce pickups aren’t feasible for participants since Starting Fresh has transitioned to Zoom, they still receive fresh produce during the third and fifth week of the program. Until very recently, participants would come to the parking lot at Mercy Health – Franklin Avenue Medical Center, and the staff would then bring out the produce. However, that system was just changed for the better. “We recently partnered with a subscription produce delivery service called Produce Perks who will be sending out produce boxes directly to participants twice during the program. In addition to fresh, seasonal produce, the boxes will include other items to help participants adopt healthier eating habits, such as produce guides, recipes, cutting boards, vegetable peelers, olive oil, and spices. Also, the week after the program ends, they’ll receive an entire meal kit. We’re pretty excited to bring this aspect into Starting Fresh,” Zirkel says.
Upon completion of the program, participants will also receive a graduation certificate and educational materials, including a durable plastic MyPlate, which provides a visual representation of what a meal plate should look like when filled with appropriate portions of fruits and vegetables.
Perhaps most important, Starting Fresh participants can also get the ongoing encouragement they need— and further strengthen the bonds they developed with other participants and the facilitators—by joining the program’s monthly support group. The support group meetings, held every third Thursday of the month from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., also via Zoom, will feature a different guest speaker each month, with presentations covering a wide range of health-related topics, such as heart health, understanding Medicare, healthy holiday choices, foot care, advanced care planning, and many others.
Anyone who would like to participate in the Starting Fresh program can enroll with a doctor referral, by phone at 419-251-2463, or by email at StartingFresh@mercy.com. ✲
