John Liantonio, M.D., a 2nd-year family medicine resident, and Christina Cook, a certified fitness trainer, are doing a nutrition activity with kids from the Salvation Army Eliza Shirley Shelter House. The kids identify foods on the flash cards and label them according to one of the five food groups (grain, protein, vegetable, fruit or dairy).
Drexel's Family Medicine Residency Program is partnering with the Salvation Army Eliza Shirley Shelter House – for women and families at 13th and Arch – to put on a health and wellness program once a month. Residents and faculty host the monthly sessions with the assistance of a nutritionist and a fitness trainer, incorporating physical activities, games and age-appropriate information to teach children and their mothers more about fitness and healthy eating.
"The children in our country are facing an obesity epidemic and Philadelphia is particularly hard hit, especially in our lower income families," says David Berkson, associate professor and director of the Family Medicine Residency Program. "These monthly sessions will provide the training ground for a variety of school-age children to teach them the value of good nutrition and the benefit of exercising."
Department of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine faculty guiding the effort are: Annette Gadegbeku, assistant professor; Julie Yeh, assistant professor; and Berkson. The resident physicians are Stefanie Thomassin, Ami Khatri, and Deanna Erb.
About Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine has established some of the most highly innovative and rigorous academic programs available today, incorporating the University's expertise in engineering and technology into traditional medical training. The College of Medicine is home to one of the nation's leading centers for spinal cord research; one of the foremost centers for malaria study; and a highly regarded HIV/AIDS program with extensive NIH-funded research in prevention and therapeutic interventions. Drexel University College of Medicine has been designated a Vanguard National Center of Excellence in Women's Health by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and is highly respected in numerous other specialties including cardiology and pain management.