Building Healthy & Active Communities

Building Healthy & Active Communities

Amy Stringer Hessel, MSWMissouri Foundation for Health

astringerhesssel@mffh.org

About MFH•Created in 2000 to receive Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri’s nonprofit assets

• Our Vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve

• MFH is an independent, nonprofit organization focused on grant making, health policy and capacity building

One area of focus: obesity prevention

12th most obese state Half of Missouri children in poor families are overweight or obese

$1.6 billion adult obesity

Nearly 1 in 2 African American children overweight/obese

WHY ARE WE INTERESTED IN TRANSPORTATION?

Transportation Policy IS Health Policy

• Pollution

• Mental Health

• Safety

• Physical Activity

6

Achieve physicalactivity

recommendations/Meet dietary

guidelines

Community Barriers

Traditional Approach

Traditional Health PromotionOld solution: Only individual responsibility

Community Barriers

ActiveLiving/HealthyEating

Community Design Approach

Better solution: Individual in better environment

Adequate infrastructure=increased activity

GRANTEE PROJECTS

Promotion, Education

Policy,Infrastructure

Model Health Supported:Encouraging Healthy Behavior Through Changes in the Physical Environment

Columbians for Modern, Efficient Transit (CoMET)

GOAL: Triple Columbia’s Transit Service

Connecting with park and existing trails

City of Ozark: Pop. 18,500

13 miles from Springfield, MO

COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES

National and Regional Partners

Regional Partnerships:• California Convergence• LiveWell Colorado• Florida Convergence• Shaping Kentucky's Future• Maine Convergence Partners

hip• Massachusetts Convergence• Missouri Convergence Partne

rship• NH HEAL Campaign• New Jersey Convergence• Northwest Convergence

•Increase options for affordable transportation to parks and open spaces by discounting public transit, altering or expanding school bus routes, and incentivizing ride sharing.•Incorporate physical activity into the planning and design of every physical improvement to the city — from municipal buildings and new parks to streets and sidewalks.•Incorporate pedestrian and bicycle lanes into street development.•Enhance public safety near parks and other public spaces

Federal Initiatives

• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act– Communities Putting Prevention to Work– Community Transformation Grants

• Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative– Integrated, coordinated effort to increase the quality of a

neighborhood’s (1) educational and developmental, (2) commercial, (3) recreational, (4) physical, and (5) social assets

National Prevention StrategyShift the nation from a focus on sickness and disease to one

based on wellness and prevention:

• Building Healthy and Safe Community Environments: Prevention of disease starts in our communities and at home; not just in the doctor’s office.

• Expanding Quality Preventive Services in Both Clinical and Community Settings: When people receive preventive care, such as immunizations and cancer screenings, they have better health and lower health care costs.

• Empowering People to Make Healthy Choices: When people have access to actionable and easy-to-understand information and resources, they are empowered to make healthier choices.

• Eliminating Health Disparities: By eliminating disparities in achieving and maintaining health, we can help improve quality of life for all Americans.

What Next?

• Connect with groups in your region• Preventobesity.net• State convergence partnerships• Prevention Institute

– http://www.preventioninstitute.org/• PolicyLink

– http://www.policylink.org/site/c.lkIXLbMNJrE/b.5136441/k.BD4A/Home.htm

• National Prevention Strategy– http://www.healthcare.gov/center/councils/nphpphc/

strategy/report.pdf