Free and Charitable Clinic Association to Launch National Health Improvement Campaign

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 1, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) is launching a health pledge program, Impact15, today across the country as part of a year-long campaign to honor the association's 15-year anniversary.

Impact15 serves as a monthly pledge program to show participants that small changes to lifestyle habits can lead to big health improvements over time. Participants can sign up online at the NAFC's website - www.nafcclinics.org/content/impact15.

"We want to celebrate our 15th anniversary in a way that brings attention not only to the medically underserved in our country but also takes the opportunity to affect health across the country," Nicole Lamoureux, CEO of the NAFC, said. "The purpose of Impact15 is for participants to adopt small changes in their lifestyles that can lead to big health improvements. In the beginning of the year, everyone makes big resolutions and health goals that are sometimes too big to see success, so many people often get discouraged," she said.

Participants are each encouraged to select a health lifestyle habit to change in increments of 15 for 30 days.

"Our goal is for them to establish habits that can become part of their lifestyles," Lamoureux said. "Whether it is a pledge to drink 15 more glasses of water a week, exercise at least 15 minutes daily for a month, smoke 15 fewer cigarettes a month, the options are up to the participants to tailor what best suits their needs."

By keeping pledges within reachable goals, the NAFC hopes that participants will be able to accomplish small victories throughout the year, leading to an overall healthier lifestyle.

"As much as we are there for our medically underserved patients on the reactive side, it is just as important to educate all people on preventive medicine and healthy lifestyle choices," said Lamoureux. "We would love for people to sign up for one month, accomplish their goals and sign-up for new changes the next month."

Impact15 will run throughout 2016 and participation is free. The NAFC asks that when participants make their pledges to please post them to social media using the hashtag #myimpact15. Pledges can be submitted online at www.nafcclinics.org/content/impact15, where the pledge card can also be downloaded.

"We have clinics all across the country and, on top of that, we host one-day large health clinics each year at which we see patients come in with such problems as high glucose levels and high blood pressure, which can be prevented by maintaining proper health habits," Lamoureux said. "We hope Impact15 can start the conversation and action to lead homes across the country to make small changes in their diets and exercise, building a healthier America, one person at a time."

About the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics:

The NAFC is the only nonprofit 501c(3) organization whose mission is solely focused on the issues and needs of the medically underserved throughout the nation and the more than 1,200 Free and Charitable Clinics that serve them. Founded in 2001 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., the NAFC is working to ensure that the medically underserved have access to affordable quality health care and strives to be a national voice promoting quality health care for all.  The organization believes that access to health care should be a right, not a privilege, and it values volunteerism, community ownership, service and collaboration.  

For more information about the NAFC, please visit www.nafcclinics.org. Follow the NAFC on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NAFClinics and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NAFCClinics.