Quality Care Improvement of
Nutrition and Physical Activity
in Primary Care

Dr. Wendy Slusser's research team has been working at the Venice Family Clinic (VFC), a primary care setting, to address problems of poor nutrition and physical underactivity in predominantly Latino families living in low-income households.  Dr. Slusser is leading this charge, developing interventions for families with infants and toddlers that prevent and treat overweight before kindergarten. 

The first step in this effort was to improve the quality of nutritional care for VFC’s youngest patients, by providing in-service education for the staff on breastfeeding support and lactation management. The current rates of exclusive breastfeeding in the two WIC offices that serve VFC’s mothers are the highest among Public Health Foundation WIC sites. Next, in-service trainings were conducted to teach a standardized approach to nutrition assessment, overweight prevention, and management.  Based on this work, Dr. Slusser has authored a continuing medical education on-line course for Blue Cross Insurance and has trained physicians who serve Medical patients in Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties.  Systems are currently being established to improve overweight pediatric tracking and, through advocacy, Dr. Slusser has ensured that VFC patients have affordable access to a high quality weight management program (Powerplay^TM). 

Based on this groundwork, VFC has been awarded money from Drown Foundation and  a competitive grant from the Salton Settlement Fund to support development of a tracking process for overweight patient referrals and purchase of exercise equipment for the refurbished local park (Virginia Park) in Santa Monica.  Despite the improvements in delivering clinic-based obesity prevention programs, the research team recognizes that current efforts generally lack a strong behavioral change component. 

For additional information, please contact Wendy Slusser, director of the Center's nutrition and prevention of childhood obesity programs.