Policies & Programs to Help Build a Culture of Health

Building Culture of Health involves comprehensive strategies to address the many things that contribute to health, opportunity, and equity in communities. In Vicksburg, MS and Buncombe County, NC -- two communities that have been recognized with a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize -- leaders and residents have implemented a broad range of policies and programs to create the conditions for everyone to reach their best possible health.

Learn how residents of Vicksburg, MS are improving how they stay healthy, shape up, educate children and grow the economy. This city of 23,000 in the Mississippi Delta is working hard to make healthier living an easier choice. Groups like Shape Up Vicksburg, the United Way and the Chamber of Commerce have come together to set priorities and focus on core issues like increasing physical activity; raising high school graduation rates; and revitalizing economic growth.

Similarly, Buncombe County, NC, nestled in the Blue Ridge mountain range, is a valley with a blend of urban and rural areas that make up the eclectic county seat of Asheville. With the support of community organizations, community residents, and healthcare, the city is coming together to improve maternal and birth health outcomes—now and for generations to come. By 2027, they plan to eliminate disparities in infant mortality between African American and white babies.

Join us as we host a conversation with Michele Connelly, Executive Director of the United Way of West Central Mississippi and Maggie Adams, Project Manager of Mothering Asheville: Community Centered Health Home who will share examples of the policies and programs that have positively impacted the health and wellbeing of their communities. A discussion group to dig deeper into the content will follow the webinar. 

Want to get inspired? Watch a short video about Vicksburg, MS and Buncombe County, NC and their journeys to becoming RWJF Culture of Health Prize winning communities!