Health care heroes: Reaching people at home

Grab a bunch of recipes. Add one camera, a pinch of inspiration and open your home kitchen to the world.

That’s the formula that the Karen Yontz Center at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center is following to connect and care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Normally, the team at the Karen Yontz Center is focused on providing resources, classes and information to prevent heart disease in women. But to help limit the spread of COVID-19, the center shifted away from serving the community face-to-face and looked for different ways to stay connected.

“A lot of the prevention we have around heart disease is also relevant to the COVID-19 conversation. Now is a great time for experimentation,” said Bethany DeBroux Adams, social media coordinator for the Karen Yontz Center.

Need to stay active? They’ve made Spotify playlists that you can listen to while you walk, run or bike.

Feeling anxious and worried about COVID-19? The team recorded a podcast to address the uncertainty.

What foods should I buy at the grocery store? They made a list of essentials.

For registered dietitian Heather Klug, the next step was logical.

“I always thought it would be cool to have my own cooking show, but this isn’t how I envisioned it,” said Klug.

Armed with a stack of heart-healthy recipes and her smartphone camera, Klug headed to her kitchen. From slicing and dicing to stirring and sautéing, She has started recording a series of Facebook videos showing people how to make tasty and nutritious meals at home.

She hopes that these videos – and all the information compiled by the Karen Yontz Center – has a lasting impact long after COVID-19 subsides and life regains a sense of normalcy.

“This is a new adventure that we’re all going on together,” said Klug. “I hope people use this time to try something new and healthy that they like.”

Read more stories about health care heroes.