Nathaniel Brown is an Eskenazi Health patient and resident of the near northeast side of Indianapolis. A 64-year-old former long-haul truck driver, factory worker and prison guard, Brown has always loved food, and way too often he’s eaten much more of it than he should.
As Brown added weight, he knew he should reduce his food intake, but it took a recent heart attack for him to find the motivation needed to get off of his destructive path and turn his life around. For much needed assistance, he reached out to Eskenazi Health’s Healthy Me initiative, which is a lifestyle management program offering classes on nutrition and exercise.
Until recently told about it, Brown was unaware that Eskenazi Health and Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County had begun construction of a new state-of-the-art Eskenazi Health Center that will open in 2024 on the east side of Indianapolis near the corner of 38th Street and North Arlington, which is just a few blocks away from where he currently lives.
“That will be perfect,” he said. “I’ve been wanting the opportunity to attend classes in person and a facility that close to me will make it so much easier to be with other people in my situation. This is something really positive for all of us in this community and I really can’t wait for that to happen.”
Since joining Healthy Me seven months ago, Brown has lost more than 40 pounds and his diabetes is now under control. He’s done it by paying attention to nutrition labels and participating in virtual Healthy Me low-impact exercise classes from his home.
Brown is grateful for all Eskenazi Health’s Healthy Me program has done for him, and he believes attending his classes in-person when the new health center becomes operational will help him get in even better shape.
“The classes I’ve attended have been outstanding and the teachers do a really good job of explaining everything,” Brown said. “Going to classes in person with others will inspire me to work even harder, so I really can’t wait for them to get the new Eskenazi Health Center built so I can spend time there and interact with others in the program.”