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Finding Funding for Smoke-free Efforts in NC
The North Carolina Alliance for Health’s mission is to advocate for policies that promote wellness and to reduce the state’s incidence of tobacco use and obesity. It was one of the driving forces behind the passage of North Carolina’s smoke-free bars and restaurants law. Pam Seamans jumped on board as the coalition...
Focusing on food equity priorities in Joplin, MO
Joplin, Missouri is a place of hope. Three years after an EF5 multiple-vortex tornado cut a one mile swath through the city, the area is being reborn through the collaborative efforts of hundreds of organizations and thousands of volunteers who have proven resilient and committed. However, in spite of many outreach efforts, many families in the Joplin area are experiencing food insecurity. In...
Focusing on Unhealthy Behaviors in Muskegon County, Michigan
When the 2010 County Health Rankings were released, Muskegon County’s Healthy on the Shore coalition was already in the planning stages. But the information in the Rankings — where the Michigan county ranked 64th in health outcomes and 70th in health behaviors, out of 82 counties — helped reinforce the need for the task force, focusing on improving unhealthy behaviors in the area.
Fostering a Culture of Health and Wellness in Hernando, Miss.
The 2011 County Health Rankings classified Desoto County as the healthiest county in Mississippi for health outcomes and the fifth-healthiest county for health factors, with lower unemployment rates, higher education rates and greater access to healthy food compared to the rest of the state.
Fostering Wellness Among Youth in Madison County, Tennessee
When the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce first decided to get involved with improving health and wellness in Madison County, Tennessee, officials weren’t sure where to begin or how to determine which issues to tackle. But when chamber president Kyle Spurgeon saw the 2010 County Health Rankings, he saw that the area’s health conditions could be directly tied in to its economic prowess.
From public goods to private and profitable property
The idea of collective action for the common good has slowly given way in this country to private and for-profit … by design. If we’re going to improve health and health equity for everyone, we have to understand the shift away from the things once considered sacred public goods (i.e., public schools, transportation, infrastructure, and investment in all communities). In this episode, we talk with author Donald Cohen, who recently published The Privatization of Everything: How the Plunder of Public Goods Transformed America and How We Can Fight Back, to find out how we got here and how we can return to a mindset of social solidarity.
Fruit and vegetable program exposes kids to healthy food choices
Children in South Dakota are diversifying their palettes and biting into an array of fresh produce through an educational program designed to increase their awareness of and interest in healthier eating options. Founded in California, the Harvest of the Month Program includes short, engaging, kid-friendly presentations that expose children to the history, health benefits, and taste of more...
Ganhua Lu (MS, PhD)
Getting Kids and Families in Shape in Cambria County, Pennsylvania
For years in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, nonprofit organizations such as the Windber Research Institute have strived consistently to improve local and regional health conditions. So when the county ranked in the bottom tier in the 2010 County Health Rankings, officials were disheartened — but grateful to have a third-party data source to validate their own observations to the community.