Healthy Lee is a Community Culture of Healthier Lifestyles
In 2007 Lee Memorial Health System recruited and convened 38 community leaders to help improve the health of our residents and improve the health care delivery system in the community. Executives representing business, education, social services, government agencies, congregations, community and health care organizations started meeting as the Community Health Visioning 2017 Steering Committee. Chaired by a local business CEO, and supported by Lee Memorial Health System, they engaged 4,000 people in surveys, focus groups, and town hall meetings to establish a base line of community health and agree on priorities for improving community health.
Now, 60 members continue to meet and have established an Executive Committee to provide ongoing support to the projects developed in furtherance of 7 goals: Healthy Lifestyles, Primary Care Alternatives to the ED, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Behavioral Health, Public Engagement, Healthcare Workforce Shortage, and Electronic Medical Records. The sustained engagement of community leaders over time has resulted in dozens of successful projects that have begun to transform the health of the community.
[one_third]Healthy Lee History[/one_third] [one_third]Healthy Lee Brochure[/one_third] [one_third_last]5210 Classroom Materials[/one_third_last]
More than half of all health care occurs outside of the formal health care environment of hospitals, doctor’s offices and outpatient clinics. It occurs in the community, in churches, in the workplace and in homes. In order to improve community health, these community partners must be engaged in active participation with best practice programs and services to improve community health including prevention, outreach, education, screenings, and creative partnerships for intervention and care. Creating a culture of healthy lifestyles in Lee County, Florida, can become possible through engaged and committed leadership representing the entire community and aligned behind common goals and a shared vision.
The purpose of Healthy Lee is to create and sustain a community culture of healthier lifestyles; the mission of Healthy Lee is too reduce the risk factors associated with chronic disease.
Five Strategic Goals of Healthy Lee
- Expand Commitment to Healthy Lee
- Improve Nutritional Habits of the People in Lee County
- Increase Physical Activity of the People in Lee County
- Encourage healthy lifestyles and wellness initiatives in the workplace, neighborhoods, and churches
- Influence policy and environmental changes in support of healthier lifestyles
[…] After the first 8 years, results in Lee County include a 29% reduction in deaths from both heart disease and from stroke, 15% reduction in adult obesity, 34% reduction in childhood obesity, 22% increase in those who meet physical activity recommendations. Sally encourages us to accept the Healthy Lee challenge to Choose. Commit. Change. […]
[…] County through education. From Oct. 1- Dec. 29, 2015 participants logged their daily exercise at HealthyLee.com where every step […]
[…] and Executive Committee member of The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Chair of the Healthy Lee Steering and Executive Committees, Trustee and Executive Committee member of the Southwest Florida […]
[…] Swartzman will continue her efforts to reduce health disparities, reduce infant mortality, and promote healthy lifestyle choices here in Lee County. She is committed to serving her community and working collaboratively with community partners to continue to make Lee County a healthier place to live, work and play. […]