Written by:
Janet Hosey

People living near Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital are discovering a place they can not only learn how to cook and eat healthy, it’s also a place they can find like-minded friends.

“Healthy food access was identified as one of the top needs in our community,” said AK Kritt, community nutrition manager at Swedish Hospital. “Once we talked to people about where are you getting your food? Do you have enough food? The next question is, do you know what to do with that food?”

The Community Wellness Center at Swedish Hospital created a Veggies for Health cooking class, which inspired additional cooking and nutrition classes that drew in a community of people with the common goal of eating healthier and learning to cook healthier.

Learn more about Veggies for Health or register for a class.


“There’s a lot of positive impacts and I think one of the first ones being community and connection and decreasing isolation,” said Emily Ledesma, LCSW, mental health clinical therapist with Endeavor Health.

“I’ve been taught everything I need to do to reduce my A1c numbers so that I’m not diabetic,” said Michelle Fish, a wellness center member. “I didn’t expect to create so many friends. I didn’t expect it to have such an impact on me.”

The experience also helps people feel more comfortable discussing how to manage chronic health conditions with their doctor.

“Having Endeavor Health support these classes, support this space, makes people feel more connected to their care,” Kritt said. “They feel comfortable coming to the wellness center, they feel comfortable talking to us, and that extends into feeling comfortable talking to their provider.”

And bigger things are coming for the Community Wellness Center. Swedish Hospital is in the process of refurbishing a nearby church into a new Community Resource Center, with additional wellness space for classes, room for large groups, and smaller areas for one-on-one meetings.

To learn more about the Community Wellness Center and other programs and services bridging health equity gaps and addressing social drivers of health, visit the Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital Community CARE page (Creating Access to Resources for Equity).

Caring for our community

Endeavor Health is committed to strengthening our community’s health and wellbeing. From improving access to care for the medically underserved to investing in local organizations and initiatives, our mission is to help everyone in our communities be their best.

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