News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2015 

HHC Farmers Markets Bring Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to 12 Locations in 2015

HHC Farmers Markets Bring Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to 12 Locations in 2015

New Farmers Markets at HHC Kings County, HHC Gouverneur and HHC East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center for 2015

Markets increase access to fresh produce, and help educate communities about fighting obesity and managing chronic disease with healthy lifestyle changes

Public hospital farmers increase access to fresh produce, fighting obesity and chronic disease

(New York, NY) Dr. Ram Raju, President of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), announced today that HHC will host farmers markets at 12 of its facilities this year, including for the first time at HHC Kings County and HHC East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Brooklyn and HHC Gouverneur in Manhattan, helping to make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible to New Yorkers who need them for healthy diets.

HHC’s farmers markets offer a variety of affordable, regionally-grown vegetables, fruits, fresh juices and flowers in communities where residents sometimes lack access to quality produce at reasonable prices. Numerous payment options are in place to help residents take advantage of farmers markets, and shoppers can take advantage of EBT/SNAP, Health Bucks, Green Checks, Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) coupons.

“Farmers markets directly support HHC’s efforts to build healthy communities and we’re very happy to keep expanding the program to bring affordable food options to more and more neighborhoods,” said Dr. Raju. “Along with regular checkups and exercise, a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables keeps people fit and helps to control or avoid chronic health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.”

Many HHC farmers markets also conduct regular on-site cooking and nutrition demonstrations, providing healthy recipes and eating tips, and highlighting how eating fruits and vegetables can help ward off or control the symptoms of obesity and chronic disease.

Instead of a traditional farmers market, HHC Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan has partnered with GrowNYC to become part of its Fresh Food Box Program, which every week provides participants with a curated selection of six to nine types of the best seasonally available regionally-grown produce, along with recipes and instructions for proper storage.

HHC is also an active participant in the Fruit & Vegetable Prescription Program, under which physicians write "prescriptions" for families to eat more fruit and vegetables. Patients then receive Health Bucks that can be used at farmers markets throughout the City. The program is active this year at HHC Bellevue, HHC Harlem and HHC Elmhurst hospitals.

HHC offers a variety of primary and preventive care services to help New Yorkers control their weight, avoid or manage chronic conditions, and learn about healthy eating and lifestyles. All services are affordable and are available to New Yorkers regardless of their immigration status. Call 311 or see HHC’s website to locate the HHC facility nearest to you.

2015 HHC Farmers Markets

Contact: Ian Michaels, (212) 788-3339

About HHC

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system, the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country, and one of the New York area's largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance, MetroPlus Health Plan, the plan of choice for nearly half a million New Yorkers. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission's John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc or find us on facebook.com/nycHHC or twitter.com/HHCnyc.