More than 100 million Americans suffer from a chronic disease, which are responsible for 7 in 10 deaths in the U.S. each year. Park Rx America began as a community health initiative that aims to prevent and treat chronic disease and promote wellness by prescribing and linking patients to their local parks. Now, their searchable park database links parks to clinic Electronic Health Records, and can be used by healthcare and public health professionals to share with patients in their community.

Learning Objectives

After completing this recording, you will be able to

• Describe the current epidemic of chronic disease, including physical and mental health diseases, and research about spending time in nature as beneficial for health
• Review the planning, development, and implementation of Park Rx
• Explain how health care and public health professionals can prescribe parks and utilize existing online databases for patient education
• Learn about the Park Rx program in the Greater Portland, Maine-area