Community Partner: Walnut Hills
Walnut Hills is a predominantly Black neighborhood on the East side of Cincinnati with a population of 6,275 residents. Founded in 1804, Walnut HIlls is known for its cultural, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic diversity. Despite its charm, the community faces a high prevalence of diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, obesity, and asthma. Many residents also lack health insurance, have independent living difficulties, and live with disability. Overall life expectancy is 69.4 years, a rank of 41st out of over 50 local neighborhoods assessed. 43.8% of residents are considered low income and have low food access, made worse by the lack of a local grocery store.
Our project with Dr. Francoise Knox Kazimierczuk will focus on decreasing cardiovascular risk factors for pregnant people in several neighborhoods in Cincinnati, including Walnut Hills. This project will center around the Life’s Essential 8 guidelines from the American Heart Association and will consist of weekly sessions with participants during their second trimester. These sessions will center around nutrition, managing weight, and other lifestyle changes aimed at decreasing cardiovascular risk factors. In addition, we are addressing the food insecurity faced by many in the community by partnering with local agencies to provide healthy food options to participants.
About Caroline
I am a proud Cincinnati native and grew up just north of the city in Wyoming, Ohio. After high school, I moved to Cleveland to attend college at Case Western Reserve University where I earned a degree in biology. I have loved being back in Cincinnati for medical school, though, and have enjoyed getting to explore the city as an adult. When I am not at the hospital, you can probably find me playing pickleball at Sawyer Point or having a picnic with friends. I hope that through the Service and Advocacy Elective I can find new ways to advocate and make change outside the walls of the hospital, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Dr. Francoise Knox Kazimierczuk and her team on this project. I am applying to Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residencies this year, and I look forward to finding ways to integrate service into my career.