When you hear “health park” what images immediately pop into your mind?
Emergency department. Hospital beds. Bloodwork. The color blue. Long white corridors lined with picturesque artwork.
Those would all be normal things to think of; but, at
MyMichigan Health Park Bay, at least one other image should come to mind: a garden.
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Albert Caloia works his plot in the community garden at MyMichigan Health Park Bay.A garden isn’t what you’d normally think of in regards to any type of medical facility; however, the
community garden has become a staple feature at MyMichigan Health Park Bay over the last five years.
“Our purpose is ‘Creating Healthy Communities - Together,’ so having that access to a garden to have fresh vegetables is helping to improve the health of our community all together,” says Jenny Ratajczak, Practice Manager at MyMichigan Health Park Bay.
The community garden is located on the northeast corner of the Health Park property, at 3051 Kiesel in Bay City. Any member of the community can apply for one of the 10x10 garden plots – regardless of whether they are a MyMichigan Health patient – at no cost.
“You can plant whatever you want in your garden. We provide mulch, straw, and water; there's a shed with tools, and you can come and go as you please 24/7,” says Rebekah Pike, Registered Nurse at MyMichigan Health Park Bay, who also has a plot in the garden.
Pike says as part of her job she does Medicare wellness visits and, in talking with her patients, the need for this community garden was clear.
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Left to right: Rebekah Pike, Registered Nurse at MyMichigan Health Park Bay; Jenny Ratajczak, Practice Manager at MyMichigan Health Park Bay; Shelby Kuch, Receptionist at MyMichigan Health Park Bay.
“I talk with the patients and I get to know their lifestyle, what our population needs, what's available in our community, and this was a need in our community,” she says. “Not everybody lives in a place where they have their own yard or garden, so this is a nice resource we are able to provide to anybody that’s interested. We have the resources and the availability to share with them so they can carry out their dreams and continue without those limitations.”
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Albert Caloia shows off some of the fruits of his labor from his plot in the community garden at MyMichigan Health Park Bay.When the community garden was first established five years ago, the goal for it was simple: increase access to fresh produce for community members.
“A lot of our patients are diabetic, so we were trying to think of a way to make it healthier and easy for them to get good vegetables,” says Shelby Kuch, Receptionist at MyMichigan Health Park Bay and one of the garden’s ambassadors.
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“Our purpose is creating healthy communities together, so having that access to a garden to have fresh vegetables is helping to improve the health of our community all together,” says Jenny Ratajczak.The nutritional benefits of the garden have extended far beyond just the people who have a plot in the community garden, though. Adorned with shelving that is used for excess produce, the community garden provides access to fresh fruits and vegetables for any patient or community member who may be passing by.
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Since its inception, the community garden at MyMichigan Health Park Bay has truly embodied the word “community.”“We hear people say, ‘I love sweet potatoes, I love zucchini; but, they don't always have them in the grocery store.’ So, this is providing that access. Sometimes, people don't want a whole bag of potatoes - just one or two because it's one or two people living at home – and this provides that too,” says Pike.
Kuch adds that recently a large bin of sweet potatoes was put out and they were all nearly gone within the day, demonstrating the community need and appreciation for the shared produce.
While the nutritional benefits of the community garden alone are impressive, it also provides another undeniable benefit to the gardeners: a positive impact on their mental health.
“We have benches out there with cushions and umbrellas and they'll sit out there. I'll watch out the window while I'm working. For hours they're there talking or gardening and creating that relationship. They’re smiling, they're more cheerful and positive. It does create better mental health,” says Pike.
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Andrea Nowak tends to her plot in the community garden at MyMichigan Health Park Bay.Ratajczak adds, “To see the smiles on everyone’s faces is super exciting and it’s rewarding for the staff to see that out the back window, watching the garden grow and seeing the people out there daily. The impact on mental health is wonderful because it's visible. You can see their smiling faces and they’re making friends.”
Pike says the community that is created in the garden is special because it’s diverse. It’s made up of single individuals, couples, and family groups. You can see children in the garden with their parents as well as elderly individuals tending their plots.
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“I've had some older ladies reach out to say, ‘Hey, I don't necessarily want a plot, but I just want to help out’ or ‘I have some bulbs I'm separating. Can I come and plant them in your pollinator garden?’” says Rebekah Pike.
“We have different backgrounds, different education levels, different ethnicities, and so it's a good mixture of people utilizing the garden,” she says.
Kuch adds that many of the gardeners have created such wonderful friendships that they help each other care for their plots when they are out of town for a few days.
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“You can plant whatever you want in your garden. We provide mulch, straw, and water; there's a shed with tools, and you can come and go as you please 24/7,” says Rebekah Pike.
Since its inception, the community garden at MyMichigan Health Park Bay has truly embodied the word “community.” Before anyone planted a single tomato, local residents rallied around its creation and even students from the ISD and John Glenn High School helped build it. Today, that sense of community can be seen in the gardeners who look out for each other’s plots, at the shelving where excess produce is carefully placed for anyone to take, in the students from Delta College who come out for community service hours, and in local residents.
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While the nutritional benefits of the community garden alone are impressive, it also provides another undeniable benefit to the gardeners: a positive impact on their mental health.
“I've had some older ladies reach out to say, ‘Hey, I don't necessarily want a plot, but I just want to help out’ or ‘I have some bulbs I'm separating. Can I come and plant them in your pollinator garden?’” says Pike.
Between the nutritional benefits, the community camaraderie, and the mental health benefits, one thing has been clear: time in the garden is just what the doctor ordered.