Learn to Take Control of Your Health – A Free OHI Workshop
Do you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or anxiety? If you or your loved one have these conditions, Ocean Health Initiatives, Inc. (OHI), a federally qualified health center, is offering a free six-week workshop directed toward people and their caregivers with any ongoing or long-term health conditions, at OHI’s Toms River location, 301 Lakehurst Road, beginning July 10, once a week, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The program, sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, was created by Stanford University, California, to help people with chronic health conditions get more out of life.
“We like to have couples, patients and caregivers attend because caregivers are often the ones creating new menus and keeping the patient on track so they follow doctors’ orders,” said Israel Arroyo, a patient navigator at OHI who is one of the peer leaders for the Take Control of Your Health workshop.
During the workshop, participants will learn how to manage their symptoms; get started with healthy eating and exercise; communicate effectively with their doctor; and manage fear, anger and frustration, which will make their daily tasks easier.
“Non-compliance among the chronically ill is a tremendous deterrent to living a happier life. I speak from experience and can relate to some of the things people are going through,” said Arroyo.
The workshop has been held for the past three years, in both English and Spanish, Arroyo said.
To register for the workshop, call 732-363-6655, Ext. 8383. Patients and the public can register up to the course date, but is limited to the first 12 people who register. Materials for the workshop are supplied by OHI.
About Ocean Health Initiatives
OHI is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) federally qualified health center (FQHC) with locations at 101 Second Street, Lakewood; and 301 Lakehurst Road, Toms River; and 333 Haywood Road, Manahawkin; and in the Clifton Avenue Elementary School, 625 Clifton Avenue, Lakewood; and the Mobile Medical Unit outside the George J. Mitchell Elementary School, 950 N. Green Street, Little Egg Harbor.
OHI provides comprehensive preventative and primary health and dental care to Ocean County uninsured and underinsured populations on a sliding-fee scale, based on an individual’s or family’s ability to pay. Services include pediatrics, maternal and child health, prenatal, WIC, universal immunizations behavioral health, dental, family medicine, internal medicine, OB/GYN, podiatry and social services.
OHI has a bilingual staff available to assist patients and callers. To become a patient of OHI, call a representative in the Call Center at either 732-552-0377, Toms River, or 732-363-6655, Lakewood. Visit www.ohinj.org. for further information.