The hospital-grocery partnership between UPMC and Weis Markets is called “Healthy Susquehanna.

A large hospital system and major grocery store chain have partnered with Baldwin Publishing, a healthcare publishing company, to raise awareness about obesity and heart disease in their North Central Pennsylvania community.

UPMC Health System and Weis Markets recently teamed up with Baldwin Publishing to launch “Healthy Susquehanna,” an educational campaign aimed at raising health awareness in the region.

The Healthy Susquehanna campaign focuses on connecting to the community through social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. The campaign offers health tips and recipes every day to encourage followers in the local communities to improve their diet and adopt healthier lifestyles.

Baldwin Publishing fostered this unique partnership as an opportunity for both organizations to expand their health message and address chronic health concerns in their own backyard.

Baldwin Publishing is working with UPMC and Weis to cultivate engaging health and wellness content that addresses chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Heart healthy recipes will also be shared with the community to encourage a more nutritious diet.

The five UPMC hospitals and Weis Markets retail stores are among the largest and oldest organizations in Central Pennsylvania. UPMC is the largest hospital and nongovernmental employer in the region, and Weis Markets operates 197 stores in Pennsylvania and six neighboring states. They will harness their combined influence in the communities they serve to encourage a healthier lifestyle.

“We share a common passion for wanting to improve the health of our communities,” said Patti Jackson-Gehris, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for UPMC. “Together we can educate our communities on how a healthy lifestyle can improve many common health issues such as heart disease and diabetes, and we want to do it in a fun and engaging way.”

Healthy Susquehanna will post to social media channels daily, making the community aware of accessible healthcare services, health news, healthy activities, tips for healthy living, promotions, and nutritious recipes. There will also be unique content from Weis and UPMC dietitians, including videos on healthy living.

“We’re committed to helping our customers and neighbors learn more about health and wellness, particularly the ways that help them address chronic health conditions,” said Ron Bonacci, Vice President of Advertising and Marketing for Weis Markets. “That’s why we are pleased to be working with UPMC on a project that helps customers shop for products that facilitate a healthier lifestyle.”

For more information, follow Healthy Susquehanna on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.