A Growing Program for PinnacleHealth Heart Patients

Currently entering its second summer in operation, the seasonal vegetable and herb garden at

Blog contributed by
  Kimberly A. Fowler, MSN,
RN, CNS-BC, CHFN

PinnacleHealth’s Heart Failure Center will once again give heart failure patients one of the tools they need to stay healthy—fresh produce. From tomatoes and peppers to herbs such as thyme and rosemary, there’s bound to be something to satisfy patients’ taste buds, and eating fresh, non-processed foods helps them maintain heart-healthy diets.

Where We Began
Last summer, the nurses at the Heart Failure Center, along with a local Boy Scout troop, built raised wooden gardens at our PinnacleHealth Community Campus.

One of my favorite parts of the project: It was—and still is—funded entirely by volunteer efforts. This allows us to make fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs available to our heart failure patients who may not otherwise have access due to financial or other reasons. We also have a low-sodium pantry, stocked by voluntary donations, to provide low-sodium and salt-free staples such as canned goods and proteins such as tuna and peanut butter.

Cool Crops

Last summer, the vegetable crop consisted of peppers, tomatoes, onions, red beets and a variety of greens. The herb section of the garden boasted parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano and chives to

give heart failure patients fresh seasoning alternatives for their food, allowing them to reduce sodium intake without giving up flavor.

We had a kickoff class to highlight the contents of our gardens last summer. It’s wonderful to hand out fruits, vegetables and herbs and know we’re helping our patients and their families make a difference in their nutrition habits.

PinnacleHealth’s Heart Failure Program can help you manage your heart disease and live life to the fullest capacity. For more information on the program click here: http://bit.ly/1GhTGq7