Building & Programming
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Healthy Community Center at 1600 E. Long St. on Columbus' Near East Side offers a variety of programs and services to improve the health and wellness of area residents.
Join us today
With so much to choose from and plenty of free, family-friendly options for every age and ability, we don’t think you’ll ever get bored.
You’re welcome to try just one activity or jump right in and sign up for more – we just want you to get started. Your participation doesn’t depend on your ability to pay either. All you need is the desire to get healthier.
Want to create a healthier lifestyle?
Creating new routines can be tough, so the Healthy Community Center exists to make it easier — and more fun — to learn about your health, get moving, make positive changes and stay motivated together.
Bring a friend, meet your neighbors and try all that we have to offer, including:
- Wellness activities
- A healthy cafe
- A teaching kitchen
- Urban gardening partnerships
- Earth-friendly/sustainability education and events
- Conference rooms for community gatherings
- Health education and screening for common concerns such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and healthy aging
Do you have a programming idea?
If you would like to submit a proposal for a class or event that relates to health and wellness, please send an email to hccinfo@osumc.edu. Include your idea, name and related organization (if there is one). The Healthy Community Center will review proposals once per quarter, so you may not receive a reply for up to three months.
- For questions about culinary-based programming, contact Laura Robertson Boyd at Laura.Robertson-Boyd@osumc.edu or 614-292-9664.
- For questions about health, wellness and fitness initiatives, contact Neal Davis at Neale.Davis@osumc.edu.
In partnership with
Our team
Joshua Joseph, MD, MPH
Medical Director
Dr. Joseph is recognized nationally for his work on academic, community, government and industry partnerships to advance health through community-based interventions. He uses his scientific and community engagement expertise to lead the Healthy Community Center. The work of Dr. Joseph and his ACCELERATE Research Group in the Ohio State Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism within the Department of Internal Medicine has been featured nationally and internationally.
Tisha Reid
Director
As the new director, Tisha will help the center team continue to develop and expand a full range of services for better health and wellness on the Near East Side. Before coming to Ohio State in the winter of 2025, Tisha was the Associate Director of Health Transformation Initiatives for Purdue University’s Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering (RCHE). In this role, she served as the Principal Investigator (PI) on a 10-million-dollar CDC project and oversaw the daily organizational management of quality health initiatives for systems/policy change across the state of Indiana.
Laura Robertson-Boyd
Senior program coordinator
Chef Laura brings a wealth of experience in culinary and nutrition education to her role, where she leads the Demonstration Kitchen with passion and expertise. Each week, she hosts engaging Lunch and Learn sessions, providing practical cooking skills, nutrition tips and healthy recipes that inspire our community to eat well and live better.
Feel free to email her at Laura.Robertson-Boyd@osumc.edu or call 614-292-9664 to connect about culinary-based programming.
Neale Davis
Senior program coordinator
Neale is fueled by a drive for transformative change. Overseeing wellness programming at the Healthy Community Center, he’s honed expertise in offering programs to enhance mental, emotional and physical well-being. Neale is committed to elevating community health and wellness.
Reach out to Neale at Neale.Davis@osumc.edu to explore wellness initiatives together and make a lasting impact.
Tiffany Reeves
Operations administrator
Tiffany keeps the heartbeat of the Healthy Community Center running strong. She’s the mastermind behind coordinating all the administrative and operational magic, overseeing and managing our reservation and registration system to keep everything flowing smoothly at the center.
CJ Shooner
Program specialist
CJ is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University. Formerly an AmeriCorps member, CJ runs the garden and sustainability programming at the center, maintaining a beautiful green space and engaging people’s interest in local Ohio plants. They also offer a friendly face to everyone who enters and help members enroll in courses between sessions.
Executive leadership
Andrew Thomas, MD, MBA, FACP
Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Chief Clinical Officer
Chyke Doubeni, MD, MPH
Chief Health Equity Officer