Health and Wellness Outreach Initiative

White Crane Wellness Center provides disease prevention and health promotion programs for older persons to empower them in taking control of their health and to help them remain healthy and active in their own communities. Their Health and Wellness Outreach Initiative brings "culturally and linguistically appropriate" health and wellness services directly to at risk, underserved, low-income minority, immigrant, and refugee elderly. The program brings together a team of medical professionals and collaborating partners to provide physical and mental health education workshops, health screenings, vaccinations, workshops, and fitness classes including weight training, Tai Chi, aerobics, and gentle yoga.

White Crane's health outreach model strives to reduce the incidence of risk factors for preventable disease, to motivate and educate seniors to take control of their health, and to make primary health care services accessible to vulnerable elders.

Through this program, White Crane provides holistic health services to Russian, Romanian, Korean, Japanese, Bosnian, Chinese, Polish, Assyrian, Laotian, East Indian, African-American, and Vietnamese persons at more than 20 senior housing and social service sites throughout Chicago. More than 6,000 older adults from 12 ethnic groups receive services.