New Partnership between Walgreens and Miami-Dade Parks Empowers Active Older Adults to Make Healthy Choices
(MIAMI, October 21, 2014) - On October 2, the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department and Walgreens launched a new partnership with a health-fair style Healthy Choices Clinic designed to make health and wellness a priority in communities throughout Miami-Dade County. Leveraging the familiarity, convenience and accessibility of Miami-Dade Parks in neighborhoods throughout Miami-Dade County, the partnership will hold 32 Healthy Choices Clinics, hosted by Miami-Dade Parks and presented by Walgreens.
Each week for the next 31 weeks the Miami-Dade Parks and Walgreens partnership will provide a Healthy Choices Clinics at one of 14 Active Older Adults Recreation Hubs. All locations will have at least two clinic visits, and some will have three visits, during the Miami-Dade Parks Active Older Adults Program season, which runs from September through May. Each clinic will offer free blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol screenings, along with flu, pneumonia, and shingles immunization shots to adults’ age 55 and older. A registered pharmacist will also be present to answer questions regarding medications.
The next Healthy Choices Clinics by Walgreens will be held at Deerwood Bonita Lakes Park, 14445 SW 122 Avenue, Miami, FL on Thursday, October 23, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. While admission is free there may be a charge for some immunizations, depending on insurance coverage. For additional information, locations and dates of future clinics please call (786) 372-9701.
This is the latest in a series of ongoing community health-driven activities initiated by Miami-Dade Parks including Fit2Play, a fully-supervised after-school program with activities focused on fitness, nutrition and wellness; Fitness Zones, free outdoor gyms, comprised of exercise equipment permanently placed in a park for exercise, making it easier for residents of ages 14 and above to include a fitness regimen in their daily routine; and the Active Older Adults Program which is evidence-based and targets adults 55 years of age and older, with partner support from the Health Foundation of South Florida, local health care providers and government/social service in presenting health and wellness fairs at its various Active Older Adults Program hubs on a monthly basis. Some of the evidence based programs require participants to be 55 years or older.
Miami-Dade County Parks will host Healthy Choices Clinics at these park locations and dates:
Continental Park, 10000 SW 82 Ave., Miami - Call Joe Fernandez, (305) 274-9666: October 9, February 5 and May 14
Country Village Park, 6550 NW 188 Terr., Miami - Call Linda Baker, (305) 622-2594: October 16, February 12 and May 21
Deerwood Bonita Lakes Park, 14445 SW 122 Ave., Miami - Call Brandon Davis, (305) 234-1660: October 23, February 19 and May 28
Goulds Park, 11350 SW 216 St., Miami – Call Victor Jenkins, (305) 255-2399: October 30 and February 26
Gwen Cherry Park, 7090 NW 22 Ave., Miami - Call Bobby Johnson, (305) 694-4889: November 6 and March 5
Highland Oaks Park, 20300 NE 24 Ave., Miami - Call Helder Valle, (305) 932-2164: November 13 and March 12
Westwind Lakes Park, 6805 SW 152 Ave., Miami - Call Mercy Morgan, (305) 388-4771: November 20 and March 19
M.L.K. Jr. Memorial Park, 6000 NW 32 Court, Miami - Call Ariel Vance, (305) 633-2044: December 4 and March 26
North Trail Park, 780 NW 127 Ave., Miami - Call Yuliet Gomez, (305) 207-2420: December 11 and April 2
Ruben Dario Park, 9825 W. Flagler Street, Miami - Call Katina Barnes, (305) 222-2194: December 18 and April 9
South Dade Park, 28151 SW 164 Ave., Miami - Call Lasonja Davis, (305) 247-9453: January 8 and April 16
Tropical Estates Park, 10201 SW 48 St., Miami - Call Mike Trompeta, (305) 226-5782: January 15 and April 23
West Perrine Park, 6805 SW 152 Ave., Miami - Call Julia Banks, (305) 235-2053: January 22 and April 30
Arcola Lakes Senior Center, 1301 NW 83 Street, Miami - Call Linda Baker, (305) 694-2728: January 29 and May 7
About Walgreens:
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2014 sales of $76 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to be America’s most loved pharmacy-led health, wellbeing and beauty enterprise. Each day, in communities across America, more than 8 million customers interact with Walgreens using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens’ scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with online and mobile services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 8,207 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens’ digital business includes Walgreens.com, drugstore.com, Beauty.com, SkinStore.com and VisionDirect.com. Walgreens also manages more than 400 Healthcare Clinic and provider practice locations around the country.
About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department: Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award, winner of the 2013 Florida Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award and the 2009 Florida Governor’s Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/.
Miami-Dade County Parks is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department’s efforts to further develop Miami-Dade County’s world-class parks system for residents and visitors. Its mission is to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable Miami community by ensuring the implementation of the Parks Open Space Master Plan and the development of year-round park and recreation programs for local children, adults and people with disabilities. For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit www.liveaparklife.org.
To request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or sign language interpreter services (7 days in advance), call (305) 755-7848.