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GRANTS AWARDED TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND WELLNESSWe Choose Health – Almost $3.5 million awarded to benefit 60 communities
SPRINGFIELD –The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is awarding almost $3.5 million in We Choose Health grants to communities ready to take on the challenge of reducing heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Local coalitions consisting of community organizations, local health departments, school districts, municipalities, chambers of commerce, hospitals and health providers will receive funding to increase the availability of healthy foods, promote physically active lifestyles, reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and implement other health-focused programs. These coalitions will cover 60 Illinois counties and will impact an estimated three million people.
“Diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, are leading causes of death, disability and rising health care costs in our state and nationwide,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck. “But this is not something the health department, community organizations, government or the health care industry can tackle on their own. It will take all of us working together to help people live healthier lives and reduce medical costs.” We Choose Health is a multi-year IDPH initiative to encourage and support obesity and tobacco prevention in Illinois communities. IDPH received a Community Transformation Grant (CTG) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to work with communities to implement proactive health programs that fall under three categories: Health Eating and Active Living; Smoke-free Living; and Healthy and Safe Built Environment.
Healthy Eating and Active Living 1. Coordinated School Health Model – implement in school districts a model addressing eight components: health education; physical education; health services; nutrition services; counseling, psychological and social services; healthy and safe school environments; health promotion for staff; and family/community involvement. 2. Baby Friendly Hospitals – adopt the World Health Organization initiative to make hospitals a supportive place for mothers who want to breastfeed. 3. Worksite Wellness – establish policies to give employees opportunities to be physically active, eat healthy foods and live tobacco free at work.
Smoke-Free Living 4. Smoke-Free Multi-unit Housing - pursue smoke-free policies in multi-unit housing facilities. 5. Smoke-Free Outdoor Spaces - support further policies that limit smoking in outdoor areas such as parks and campuses.
Healthy and Safe Built Environment 6. Complete Streets - make roads accessible to all users by making it easier to cross the street, walk to shops, and bike to work; allows buses to run on time; and make it safer for people to walk to and from train stations. 7. Joint Use Agreements – increase the number of facilities or areas where people can participate in physical activity through agreements between schools and communities. 8. Safe Routes to School - establish and promote designated pedestrian and bike-friendly routes for children and others to use when traveling to and from community schools.
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Illinois Department
of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments |