The City of Evanston Human Services Commission is scheduled to vote Monday on a health monitoring program for residents of the city’s 5th Ward census tract.
The one-year Evanston Pathways to Wellness program will be funded with $400,000 from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act grant.
Health Commissioner Ike Ogbo said in a memo that the pilot program is aimed at improving the health outcomes of Evanston’s most vulnerable populations.
“This initiative targets diabetes, hypertension, and obesity in controlled studies designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of our interventions, with the ultimate goal of establishing sustainable programs with continued funding. ” says Ogbo.
According to Ogbo, residents of census tract 8092 have higher rates of chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes and asthma, and a lower life expectancy than the citywide average.
Under the program, 150 residents of a census tract will receive a device that monitors their health data and sends that information to their health care provider to be shared with their primary care physician.
Ogbo said the system is designed to “improve health outcomes, reduce emergency department visits, promote patient car ownership, and reduce healthcare costs through proactive management of chronic diseases.” He said that it has been done.
Half of the group will also receive additional support, including in-person fitness classes, meal preparation courses and nutrition education, nurse check-ups and referrals, and individual medical support disease education.
Ogbo said the effectiveness of the program will be monitored by the director of evaluation research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
This proposal is recommended for adoption by Ald. Bobby Burns (5th place).
