Taking It To the Next Taking It To the Next LevelLevel

Working for Policy and Working for Policy and Environmental ChangeEnvironmental Change

Healthy SI Delta NetworkHealthy SI Delta Network

Healthy SI Delta NetworkHealthy SI Delta Network

Current goalCurrent goal::Reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity Reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity

and mortality by expanding and mortality by expanding cardiovascular disease prevention cardiovascular disease prevention programs in this regionprograms in this region

Our challenge--Our challenge--

Institutes of MedicineInstitutes of Medicine

It is unreasonable to expect that It is unreasonable to expect that people will change their behavior people will change their behavior easily when so many forces in the easily when so many forces in the social, cultural, and physical social, cultural, and physical environment conspire against such environment conspire against such change.change.

Our challenge--Our challenge--

Look beyond prevention programming to Look beyond prevention programming to

making our communities places making our communities places where it is easy to live a healthier where it is easy to live a healthier lifestylelifestyle

What we are doing now…What we are doing now…

Increasing START walking pathsIncreasing START walking paths Implementing CATCH in schoolsImplementing CATCH in schools Working with schools on Wellness Working with schools on Wellness

Policies and Committees, School Health Policies and Committees, School Health IndexesIndexes

More emphasis needs More emphasis needs to be placed on to be placed on environmental and environmental and policy changespolicy changes

Why make this shift?Why make this shift?

More impact on more peopleMore impact on more people Opportunity for lasting impact Opportunity for lasting impact Considered Best PracticeConsidered Best Practice Endorsed by leading institutionsEndorsed by leading institutions Policy and environmental approach is Policy and environmental approach is

becoming the standard for fundingbecoming the standard for funding

Many reports on making Many reports on making communities healthiercommunities healthier

Leadership for Leadership for Healthy Healthy Communities---RWJFCommunities---RWJF

Local Government Local Government Actions---IOMActions---IOM

Recommended Recommended Community Community Strategies---CDC Strategies---CDC

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Focus is on…Focus is on…

Improving access to Improving access to and consumption of and consumption of healthy foodshealthy foods

Decreasing access Decreasing access to calorie dense, to calorie dense, nutrient poor foodsnutrient poor foods

Increasing physical Increasing physical activityactivity

Recommended Food Policy Recommended Food Policy and Environmental Changesand Environmental Changes

Increase access to Increase access to healthy foods healthy foods through grocery through grocery stores stores

Promote fruits and Promote fruits and vegetables in a vegetables in a variety of settingsvariety of settings

Increase access to Increase access to free, safe drinking free, safe drinking waterwater

Recommended Activity Recommended Activity Policy and Environmental Policy and Environmental ChangesChanges

Reduce use of PE Reduce use of PE waivers in schoolswaivers in schools

Promote recreational Promote recreational physical activityphysical activity

Make biking and walking Make biking and walking more viable transportation more viable transportation optionsoptions

Enhance safety in activity Enhance safety in activity areasareas

Establish joint use Establish joint use agreements to increase agreements to increase access to school facilitiesaccess to school facilities

Where do we go from Where do we go from here?here?

Look at what other communities are Look at what other communities are doingdoing

Assess our communities—how well do Assess our communities—how well do they support healthy lifestyles?they support healthy lifestyles?

Look for more opportunities to change Look for more opportunities to change environment and policyenvironment and policy

Include policy makers in your coalitionsInclude policy makers in your coalitions

Other communitiesOther communities

Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness InitiativeInitiative

ACHIEVE Communities (NACCHO)ACHIEVE Communities (NACCHO) ENACT website includes data base of ENACT website includes data base of

other communities who have other communities who have implemented each strategyimplemented each strategy

ENACT Assessment ToolENACT Assessment Tool

Planning assessment Planning assessment and Implementation and Implementation ToolTool

Has identified policy Has identified policy and environmental and environmental strategiesstrategies

Assessment by Assessment by sector: school, sector: school, worksite, healthcare, worksite, healthcare, community, etc.community, etc.

Breakout SessionsBreakout Sessions

We will discuss how to We will discuss how to Strengthen your coalitionStrengthen your coalition Become more engaged in policy and Become more engaged in policy and

environmental changesenvironmental changes

Provide input on state level policy Provide input on state level policy changeschanges

Policy work takes Policy work takes time time lots of people working lots of people working

together together

MakesMakes a significant impact. a significant impact.