FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:   

Marge Sullivan, Palm Healthcare Foundation, 561-833-6333

Melanie Otero, The Waters Pelton Organization, 561-626-0026, ext. 11

Jennifer Martinez, The Waters Pelton Organization, 561-626-0026, ext. 19

West Palm Beach, FL—Non-traditional approaches, collaboration and advocacy to stem the obesity epidemic were the topic of discussion among ninety Palm Beach County healthcare non-profit professionals at the opening of Palm Healthcare Foundation’s three-day grantee retreat on September 19, 2007 in Stuart, Florida. Dr. Deborah Cohen, a Senior Natural Scientist at the RAND Corporation, delivered the keynote speech focusing on how the healthcare industry can stem the obesity epidemic not by traditional counseling, treatment or motivational methods, but by changing work environments, adopting social marketing approaches, and advocating for more regulation of food environments and investment in physical activity environments in local neighborhoods. Dr. Cohen’s talk was followed by a lively discussion among attendees who drew parallels between anti-smoking campaigns and advocacy and what needs to happen to create real behavior change in people’s eating and exercise habits to stem the obesity epidemic. 

Palm Healthcare Foundation reinforced the retreat’s theme through a low-fat menu specially designed for retreat attendees by the Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort & Marina, a “portion control” dinner plate given as a gift to all attendees, and group exercises every morning.  “All Palm Beach County healthcare professionals, in one way or another, are dealing with the consequences of obesity on the rise,” said Suzette W. Wexner, Palm Healthcare Foundation President.  “As a foundation, we stress to our grantees the importance of collaboration to create new and better solutions.  This retreat provided the perfect forum to get the county’s healthcare professionals talking about how we can begin to reverse the obesity trend together as a community.”

At the retreat, the foundation also conducted several general education sessions for grantees focusing on board leadership, program design, and advocacy and policy.  As the leading public healthcare foundation, Palm Healthcare Foundation has distributed grants totaling more than $20 million to over 80 non-profit organizations in Palm Beach County since 2001.

About Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc.
Palm Healthcare Foundation, Inc. was chartered in 2001 as an independent community healthcare foundation. Believing that “Together We Can Do More,” the foundation’s mission is to transform healthcare challenges by bringing together the talents and resources of the community to create innovative solutions that deliver high-impact results. The Foundation’s funding priorities—access to healthcare, healthcare quality and safety, healthcare technology, healthcare policy and healthcare workforce—are designed to empower non-profit healthcare organizations and healthcare professionals to create programs and services that improve the quality of life for Palm Beach County’s underserved citizens.  Since 2001, the Foundation has distributed more than $20 million to over 80 non-profit organizations in Palm Beach County.  To learn more about Palm Healthcare Foundation, please visit www.palmhealthcarefoundation.org.