Community Outreach

Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) was developed by Stanford University’s Patient Education Resource Center. This six-week evidence based program is a fun and practical course that helps people with chronic conditions and their caregivers overcome daily challenges and maintain an active and fulfilling life. Appropriate for individuals managing arthritis, congestive heart failure, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease and more.

A CDC-recognized diabetes prevention lifestyle change program can help you build healthy new habits that last a lifetime. When you join a lifestyle change program, you will learn, laugh, share stories, try new things, and build new habits—all while lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes and improving your health.

Eight session workshops that emphasize practical strategies to reduce fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. This class uses a variety of activities to address physical, social and cognitive factors affecting balance and falls.

The American Heart Association offers the following video to learn about hands-only CPR.

A 24-week exercise and education program for older women and men at risk for, or who have osteoporosis. The program is offered in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Health. Participants increased their balance and level of physical activity.

Six consecutive week series of 2-hour sessions that will provide caregivers with the skills, knowledge and techniques needed to provide care to a person, most often a loved one, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or any progressive dementia.

Educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well your personal vehicle “fits” you for optimum safety.

Dash Diet

DASH, which stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.” Learn to reduce your blood pressure by eating foods that are low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods.

Tips for Healthy Aging

A monthly program focusing on the nutritional needs of older adults. Program includes education, recipes, and resources to keep you eating well and fit.

Hackensack Meridian Health partners with many different community organizations who share the mission of reducing New Jersey’s cancer burden and improving health outcomes. Free screening and education programs are held regularly for our communities on the most common forms of cancer.

Thriving & Surviving Cancer

Developed by Stanford University, this six-week evidenced-based cancer survivor workshop will cover relaxation techniques, managing fatigue, making action plans, problem-solving, dealing with emotions, poor sleep patterns, physical activity, and pain management. Discussions will include living with uncertainty, making treatment decisions, dealing with family, friends, and health care professionals.

Fresh Start Smoking Cessation

Freshstart, developed by the American Cancer Society, is offered in four one-hour sessions and will teach participants the skills to deal with not smoking, while also addressing other issues such as physical addiction and psychological dependency. Program helps smokers to identify their “triggers” or reasons for smoking, and deals with the stress that can often accompany the process of “quitting” their smoking habit.

Stop Smoking with Hypnosis

Hypnotherapy is effective in alleviating unwanted habits and developing positive behaviors and lifestyle changes. In this program you will enjoy a relaxing session of group hypnosis. You are guided in deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and delightful imagery to eliminate unwanted habits and gain motivation to overcome old barriers to success.

Smoking and Vaping Cessation  

Smoking and vaping cessation may be difficult, but you are not alone. Our team of tobacco and vaping treatment specialists are here to help you break the habit. Meet with your treatment specialist in person or virtually.  This program will help participants create and stick with a customized quit plan, provide information about nicotine replacement therapy and other quit aids, help participants develop skills to manage cravings and offer the support you need to be successful. 

Tobacco Quit Center:

We offer bedside and community-based treatments in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic counties. Services include in-person and group tobacco counseling, nicotine replacement therapies, and text messaging support. Please call (551) 996-1632, text (201) 655-1024, or email QuitCenter@hmhn.org for more information.

Hackensack Meridian Health provides individualized screenings from medical professionals and counsel from nurse educators who provide information about their results and referrals for follow-up care when necessary. Early detection is the best prevention. We offer a variety of free or low cost preventive health screenings including:

• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol
• Glucose
• Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Stroke risk assessments
• Memory
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Bone density
• Colorectal cancer
• AngioScreen™: a heart and vascular screening designed to provide you with information about your risk for heart attack and stroke. Find an AngioScreen event near you. 

Wellness on Wheels

Our mobile health van allows us to provide a variety of services and preventive health screenings on the go.

Interested in scheduling the mobile health van for your community group or business? Hackensack Meridian Health can work with you to customize a program to meet your specific needs.

Submit Your Request Today to coeventinquiries@HMHN.org

Three special friends - a friendly dog, energetic bunny, and intellectual cat- joined together to form The Pawsitive Action Team. Together they teach children ages three through 10 how to eat healthy, stay safe, be fit and act responsibly. Along with a health educator, Doctor Bernard, Hopscotch or Picatso can be scheduled for your school, youth group or club for a fun and memorable learning experience. The team also makes appearances at community events.

Nutrition with Doctor Bernard - Grades Preschool-4

Focuses on staying healthy by eating the right foods using the MyPlate teaching resource.

Safety with Doctor Bernard - Grades Preschool-4

Teaches children how to stay safe and avoid injury during sports, play time and in your community. Topics include seatbelt safety, helmet safety, being prepared for an emergency and calling 911.

Moving and Grooving with Hopscotch - Grades Preschool-4

Children learn the importance of keeping their body healthy and strong through physical activity, proper sleep and hygiene.

Responsible Behavior with Picatso - Grades 1-4

Focuses on examples of responsible behavior, treating others with respect and recognizing bullying and what to do if it happens to them.

Take Vape Away

The “Don’t Get Vaped In” curriculum, developed by Tobacco Free for a Healthy NJ, teaches about the dangers of vaping and offers resources to quit. The 45-minute program can be delivered in a class, an assembly or other meeting type for students in grades 6-12.

My Healthy Heart and  Lungs

Designed for students in third through fifth grade, this program teaches the importance of keeping the heart and lungs healthy, understanding asthma, the dangers of smoking, and more. Our nurse educators will help you educate your students through fun and creative hands-on activities.

Community of LifeSavers 

Hands Only CPR training to students in grades five through twelve. When ordinary people are equipped with the skills to perform CPR, survival rates can double or even triple. 

Safe Sitter with CPR 

For boys and girls ages 11 to 14, Safe Sitter graduates are prepared with the knowledge they need to stay home safely, care for younger siblings, or babysit. Course content includes Infant and Child CPR, choking, injury prevention and management, behavior management, safety for the sitter, child care essentials and babysitting as a business. 

Safe @ Home by Safe Sitter

Prepares students in grades 4–6 to be safe when they are home alone, including how to prevent unsafe situations and what to do when faced with dangers.

Community Outreach for Asthma Care and Health (COACH) 

Asthma education and assisting “at risk” families meet the needs of their children with asthma are the hallmarks of the C.O.A.C.H. Program (Community Outreach for Asthma Care and Health). The team is comprised of nurses and community health workers who provide asthma education to providers and patients alike. The focus of this education is to foster compliance with asthma therapies by developing an asthma treatment plan which is doable for the family. At home visits educate the child and caregivers and assess the home for asthma triggers. The team provides  items essential for trigger remediation such as; vacuums, dust mite covers, fragrance-free pest control and cleaning products. Case management is provided and assistance with follow-up appointments and referrals to appropriate services.

A.I.R. (Asthma Information and Relief) Express Mobile Care Unit

The A.I.R. Express program is now in its 14th year of operation at Hackensack University Medical Center. Air Express provides asthma education and screening and education on lung health to residents and school aged children regardless of their ability to pay.

Healthy Eating and Cooking Demonstrations

This program is designed for all ages ( tailored to the age group) and children will learn the benefits of eating healthy, while making it fun. Easy kid friendly recipes will be shared

Veggiecation® 

A culinary-nutrition education program that introduces children to the wonderfully delicious and nutritious world of vegetables. This is done by incorporating unique and kid-friendly vegetable preparations into fun activities and exciting experiences.

MyPlate

This science based interactive lesson features informative, animated lessons about the five food groups. It has follow-up activities that challenge children to sort foods into the correct food groups and create a balanced meal all in an interactive game.

Rethink Your Drink:

What type of drinks do children grab when they are with their friends or at lunch time?  In this program children learn about the sugar content of popular beverages. 

Bike and Helmet Safety

When it comes to hitting the road, safety is top priority. Our trauma coordinators offer a free program to teach students the importance of helmets and bike safety.

Child Passenger Safety Programs

Free programs such as interactive booster education programs for kindergartners, provide child passenger safety lectures to any group, and free car seat safety checks at Jersey Shore University Medical Center on the first Tuesday of each month (3 p.m.-7p.m.) in collaboration with the New Jersey State Police.

Drinking and Distracted Driving

For high school students to prevent distraction related and substance related fatalities and injuries on our roadways. Presenters from the health and law enforcement fields join together with those whose lives have been impacted by a preventable loss to provide best practice measures in the area of drinking, drugged and distracted driving prevention. 

Pedestrian Safety Program

Free interactive program for children in kindergarten and first grades that will help them to exercise caution at intersections, learn how to properly cross the street at a crosswalk, and master other important walk safe techniques.

Stop the Bleed: Grades 9 through 12 and professionals

When serious injuries are suffered, the first few minutes immediately following the incident are often the most critical. STOP THE BLEED  teaches bystanders life-saving techniques such as how to apply a pressure bandage and use a tourniquet.

Our board certified physicians, dieticians, and nurses are available to speak with your group or organization on important health issues affecting children.

We continue to introduce new programs and expand current one ones, please let us know if you have a request for a topic that is not listed.

Interested in scheduling one of our children’s programs? Hackensack Meridian Health can work with you to customize a program to meet your specific needs.

Submit Your Request Today to coeventinquiries@HMHN.org