PROTECTING AND SUSTAINING HEALTH

Lipetzky Committed to Thriving Public Health

For the last 30 years, Kim Lipetzky, a public health nutritionist for Fargo Cass Public Health, has dedicated herself to the betterment of the overall health and wellness of the community she serves.

Lipetzky, a wife and mother of two and a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutritional science, is involved in many initiatives that serve infants through seniors in an attempt to make sure that the community has unfettered access to healthy food and an environment that supports active living to cut down on preventable diseases and improve the health of generations to come.

“We are associated with all of the ‘Alives’ in the area,” said Lipetzky. She is referring to StreetsAlive, SchoolsAlive, ChildcareAlive, and FaithCommunitiesAlive to name a few. “There is no way I could do my job without the fabulous partners throughout the region working together to help improve public health.”

Lipetzky is referencing the partners at Clay County Public Health, Dakota Medical Foundation, Extension Services, local universities, Metro COG, along with all of the community entities like school and faith leaders eager to join Lipetzky on their shared public-health mission.

Words by Janelle Brandon

“I’m really excited about serving on the steering committee of the Cass Clay Food Systems Initiative,” said Lipetzky. “The goal of this initiative is to increase access to safe, nutritious and affordable healthy food for our residents by strengthening the local food system.”

This includes working with a variety of individuals like producers and distributors to get healthy foods into various markets such as convenience stores and concession stands, as well as promoting the production and consumption of locally grown food. Lipetzky is also involved in the process of forming the Cass Clay Food Systems Advisory Commission which is made up of elected officials and food systems experts. This 11 member commission will work to address policies and systems impacting our local food system.

“We do have emerging food deserts in our community,” she said. “A food desert occurs when urban neighborhoods or rural towns don’t have ready access to fresh, healthy and affordable food. In town this is sometimes measured as being within one mile of a grocery store or market that provides healthy food choices. Currently, we have ethnic markets in some of these areas to help fill this gap but there is still work to be done to build a sustaining infrastructure for healthy food options.”

With the rise of urban agriculture, Lipetzky has worked with community volunteers and organizations on projects like the One Vegetable One Community promotion which works to unite the community around growing and preparing a single vegetable (beets in 2015) and begin conversations about our food. Other community events include community gardening workshops, grower/buyer networking meetings, and the One Million Square Feet of Gardens Challenge.

Because diet and physical activity are closely linked with overall health, Lipeztky has worked with several partners to develop a fun initiative called the FM Walk This Way program.

“Starting at the end of March and going through May 19, we encourage residents to get out and start moving as the weather turns nicer,” said Lipetzky. “We have a series of 13 walks at different locations throughout the community. The walks are free and anyone can attend.” [AWM]