Please call 734-971-1073 before you visit our food pantries to confirm that they are open on that day.

Fresh-a-Sprout MERCADO DE COMIDA FRESCA GRATIS

The Fresh-a-Sprout market has closed for the season, but it will be back in the spring! All the food offered in the Fresh-a-Sprout market is donated by The Farm at Trinity Health and is FREE to all community members. It is typically held each Tuesday unless there is heavy rain/snow fall and/or thundering and lightning. ​​​​​​​It rotates through our 3 primary clinic locations and runs through the end of produce season.

Despensas de alimentos

Appointments are not necessary and everything is free and open to the entire community- patients and non-patients! See our pantry guidelines.

Please call 734-971-1073 before you visit our food pantries to confirm that they are open on that day.

Packard Carpenter Pantry
2650 Carpenter Road, Ann Arbor

• Monday: 10am – 12pm, 1pm – 4pm
• Tuesday: 1pm – 4pm (Pantry is closed Tue. morning.)
• Wednesday: 8am – 12pm (Pantry is closed Wed. afternoon.)
• Thursday: CERRADO
• Friday: 1pm – 4pm (Pantry is closed Fri. morning. Check in will begin at 12:30pm, please do not arrive earlier than that. Thank you!)

Packard West Pantry
1915 Pauline Blvd., Ann Arbor

• Monday: CERRADO
• Tuesday: CERRADO
• Wednesday: CERRADO
• Thursday: 10am – 4pm
• Friday: CERRADO

Packard Ypsilanti Pantry
200 Arnet St., Suite 110

• Monday: 1pm – 4pm (Pantry is closed Mon. morning.)
• Tuesday: 1pm – 4pm (Pantry is closed Tue. morning.)
• Wednesday: CERRADO
• Thursday: 9am – 12pm, 1pm – 4pm
• Friday: CERRADO

Al visitar nuestras despensas, por favor tenga en cuenta las siguientes pautas:

• One person per household is welcome to shop one PH pantry location weekly.
• Los compradores deben ser mayores de 18 años.
• Shopping guidelines: 1 meat item/household, 1 dairy item/household
• Los suministros disponibles se basan en lo que se puede obtener a través de nuestro socio, Food Gatherers. No podemos atender solicitudes dietéticas específicas.
• Por favor, sé paciente y considerado con los demás que esperan usar la despensa. No se tolerará ningún comportamiento grosero o inapropiado.
• Los clientes son acompañados a la despensa por orden de llegada.
• En caso de que las circunstancias necesarias lo requieran, la despensa puede cerrar sin previo aviso.

Si está experimentando inseguridad alimentaria que no se aborda con nuestras operaciones de despensa actuales, por favor informe a nuestro personal.

Download pantry guidelines.

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Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons trans fat free margarine
• 4 slices (about 3 ounces) reduced-sodium, chopped deli ham
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced green pepper
• 4 corn tortillas (heated)
• 4 teaspoons salsa
  

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, hot pepper sauce, black pepper, and cheese.
2. Heat the margarine in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the ham and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Remove the ham from the pan.
3. Add the onions and green peppers to the hot pan, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the ham back to pan.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add the eggs to pan. Gently stir the eggs with a spoon or spatula and continue lightly cooking over low heat until the eggs are cooked and set.
5. Evenly divide the egg mixture into 4 servings. Spoon each portion of the egg mixture into a tortilla and top each with 1 tsp. salsa. Fold the tortilla to close.

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Join the demo here:
https://tinyurl.com/y43n4tm3 

The post “Eat Smart For The Holidays” Cooking Demo appeared first on Packard Health.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced (1 cup)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
• 2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean)
• One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• One 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• One 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

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Twenty years ago Jerry and Julie Walden listened to an articulate and compassionate woman speak at Life Lessons, an integrated cardiac wellness program at St. Joseph Mercy’s Michigan Heart and Vascular Institute. Dr. Jerry Walden, Packard Health founder, recruited her on the spot to join his small clinic.

This month, Karen Koeppe, Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist, and Certified Diabetes Educator, retired from Packard Health after 20 years of service.

To chat with Karen is to understand how countless patients have improved their lives working with her…and to appreciate what Jerry Walden saw so many years ago.

Here are 4 things we admire so much about Karen.  

Essential team player
When a patient comes to Packard, they join forces with a primary provider, maybe a mental health therapist or addiction specialist, and often a chronic disease manager, Karen. Everyone works closely together, communicating, coordinating, listening. It’s not idle talk when a patient exclaims, “That Karen, she’s awesome!” 

Empowering Educator
There could be a sign on Karen’s office door saying “knowledge is power”. That’s what you feel when you step inside. You have the power to understand your chronic disease – and you have the power to make choices. Karen helped patients live the life they chose. As she says, “I put the patient in the driver’s seat.” Knowledgeable, compassionate, motivating, and non-judging, she was the perfect person for the job.

Energetic Can Do-er
Working at Packard Health is a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-it-done endeavor. Karen was great at it. She’s helped Packard achieve and maintain a blue-ribbon certification of care – Blue Cross, Blue Shield Patient Centered Medical Home. She’s shared her knowledge in team presentations on Social Determinants of Health to UM medical students. Maybe you’ve seen her representing Packard at Ann Arbor’s annual CROP walk or at a table after your church service. She’s run down grants to fund home blood pressure monitors, and nutritional supplements for cancer patients. Packard Health Fair? Karen was there to help.

Strong Community Builder 
“What I love about Packard is that right from the beginning it was designed to create community,” says Karen. She was an early adopter and developer of Diabetes Group Medical Appointments, where patients share their experiences, learn from each other, and find hope. And here’s to the Packard Pacers! Karen created the summer walking group (2005-2018) that hiked the trails of County Farm Park, supported each other, adopted healthy habits. and found fun and friendship along the way. Watch video.  

In 2000 Karen joined Packard Community Clinic with Jerry and Julie Walden and 5 part-time providers. Today Packard Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center with comprehensive, team-based programming delivered at 3 office locations, at the medical clinic at the Delonis Center, and in partnership with Avalon Housing. As our longest serving employee, Karen can look way back, but she’s looking ahead and is excited about health and wellness services at Packard long into the future. 

Retirement? Karen will volunteer making phone calls urging people to vote, to have a voice (she’s doing that already!). She’s also looking forward to bringing her special brand of care giving to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. After all, as Jerry Walden said so long ago, “Karen has a passion for helping and healing.”

Congratulations to Karen, a real Packard Health Champion!

The post Packard Health Champion Karen Koeppe Retires appeared first on Packard Health.

Food insecurity has an adverse impact on health. A person without access to good food has a doubled risk of type 2 diabetes, and probably struggles with obesity and hypertension. Food insecurity, chronic disease, and poor health outcomes form a vicious cycle, with constant stress at the very center. This is the life of many of our patients.

Packard Health links low-income patients to healthy food. In this month of Hunger Action, I want to tell you about our efforts, the collaboration of compassionate staff and generous community partners.

• Patients at risk for food insecurity are assisted immediately at their office visit.
• Our 2 food pantries (Main & West) offer a wide selection of nutritious food.
• We help patients enroll in SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
• Our Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator is a key member of our health care team, working with side-by-side with patients and providers.
• Generous Food Gatherers delivers food (including fresh produce) on a weekly basis and stocking of our pantries is done by a team of wonderful volunteers.
• Church of the Good Shepherd-UCC plants 9 raised beds and since 2009 we have received the veggie bounty. In winter we receive cases of fresh citrus.
• Ann Arbor CROP Hunger Walk has selected us over many years as a local recipient for donations. CROP Walk is coming up September 25. Come out!
• Via “Prescription for Health” of the Washtenaw County Health Dept., 60 low-income patients receive $100 in produce at the Ypsilanti Farmers Markets.
• Our food pantry clients receive Good and Cheap:  Eating Well on $4 a Day cookbook thanks to donors who organized a drive and raised the funds.

I’m proud that Packard is helping to fight food insecurity in our community, and very appreciative of all who join in that important work.

In good health,

Ray Rion, MD, Executive Director

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Add More Fruits and Veggies to Your Life

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Get the Low Down on High Blood Pressure   

The DASH diet has just “dashed off” with highest honors as US News 2015 Top-Rated Diet.

 

DASH – “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension” – is an all star. It gets high marks for nutritional completeness, safety, ability to prevent or control diabetes, and its role in supporting heart health.

And of course, it’s proven to control and even prevent high blood pressure. High blood pressure is dangerous and it affects almost one in three Americans.

DO THE DASH

• 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, whole grains, unsalted nuts, legumes, 2-3 servings of low-fat and fat-free dairy products, and small servings of meat, fish and poultry
• High in a mineral mix (potassium, magnesium, calcium) and low in sodium that is associated with blood pressure lowering
• Get going and keep DASH-ing
  • Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH
    Complete details from National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

KAREN’S DASH TIPS & TREATS

Karen Koeppe, Packard Health Registered Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator shares the goods!

Practical Tips to Get in All the Fruits and Veggies

Berry-Banana Blast-Off Recipe

Put a rainbow on your plate at every meal!

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And it’s all good news…

The “Med” Diet reduces risk of stroke and heart attack, and Type 2 diabetes.

Celebrate the Med Diet!

1. For a healthy, tasty treat – It’s Greek to Me Dip recipe

2. Focus on fruits & vegetables (2+ cups veggies/day, and at least 1 fruit)

3. Load up on legumes and beans

4. Eat fish twice a week or more (baked, broiled, or grilled)

5. Emphasize Extra-Virgin Olive Oil -Drizzle & dip it, use in cooking (not baking).

6. Grab a handful of unsalted or lightly-salted nuts every day. Sprinkle in Greek yogurt, on salads, in brown rice/vegetable dishes, or as an afternoon snack. Don’t go nuts – a small handful will do!

It’s also a style of living … 

• Enjoy a walk after your meal – Lower blood sugar and speed digestion

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