UNC Family Medicine hosted a Living Healthy Open House for more than 40 alumni of the program! The event was a time of celebration and learning for people in our community who live with chronic disease as well as their caregivers. During the event held last month, Gloria Gilchrist and Gerardo Vazquez Morales, who attended Family Medicine’s Living Healthy classes, shared their stories. Building support through community is key to living healthy.
The group heard from Gloria and Gerardo about the progress they had made in meeting their health goals, and how much the Living Healthy classes meant to them. Prizes were donated by local merchants, and participants learned about other services in the community that may help them manage their own health. Services ranged from mindfulness classes to support for nicotine dependence.
*Living Healthy is an evidenced-based curriculum offered through Family Medicine either on-site or at other locations in the community. The curriculum was developed at Stanford University and is available for people who live with chronic disease and their caregivers. It provides them an opportunity to meet others, learn from one another, and share tools and resources that have been proven effective. Workshops are facilitated by two trained lay leaders over a six week period for 2.5 hours. Classes are generally offered in the Fall and Spring. You can contact Sherry Hay at Shay@med.unc.edu with questions or for more information.