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 Jenna
I grew up in the small town of Wapakoneta in Northwest Ohio before attending the University of Cincinnati and obtaining a degree in Medical Sciences and a certificate in Deaf Studies. I took 2 gap years, working as a scribe in my local hometown ED and as a rehab helper here at UCMC. Through my gap year experiences and medical school, I have found my passion to be working with people in the Emergency Department and helping people through what is often their worst day. I will be pursing Emergency Medicine, specifically looking to practice at a hospital that serves as a “safety net” and helps underserved people. As a fun fact- I adopted a dog during my 2nd year of medical school, he is a rescue named Murphy who is my little sidekick and joins me on adventures around the city!