b'Brandi ChawagaFinding creative ways to bring health to the communityBrandi Chawaga She describes community wellness as promoting has always beenhealthy living and its benefits to the greatest interested in a number of people in need.career in health.Most of her day, she says, is spent in planning I thought I wantedprograms and building community relations. to be a nurse, sheWhat I love best about my work is coming up says, but I didnt with creative ways to bring health and wellnesslike blood and guts.to a community, she says.Then, during college,Keeping first-time mothers and their babiesshe became inter- safe is an important program that Ms. Chawaga ested in wellnesssupervises. Under the Nurse-Family Partnership, and discovered that she liked teaching groupsnurses visit new moms and their babies at home of people about its benefits. Wellness, she says,to make sure they are safe and healthy and have means having a lifestyle that includes physicalthe support services they need. One of the best health (nutrition and physical activity), mentalparts of Ms. Chawagas job, she says, is getting health, and spiritual health, which can mean to see healthy, happy babies.faith-based beliefs and a connection to nature. Her career continued to evolve after graduateShe says that one of her greatest accomplishments school. Her experience teaching in a low-incomeat Einsteins physician practice in Norristown school helped her to realize the great need has been creating a rooftop garden. The plants in-for wellness and the importance of communityclude peppers, onions, green beans, tomatoes, support. This set her on a career path that and strawberries. was outside the traditional classroom and in I started the garden to find a way to connect the community. patients to healthy food, she says. The garden Today, as director of community wellness offers an easy way for doctors to encourage for Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, their patients to add more fruits and vegetables Ms. Chawaga works with hospital staff andto their diets. Patients are given recipes and can community partners to help people improve take vegetables home from the garden to make their health. healthy meals.10'