"If people want to go run at the track or walk on the sidewalk but don't have the infrastructure, we have not made it accessible. The role of the city is to make health accessible."--Mayor Chip Johnson, Hernando, Mississippi
Across the country, a growing number of local elected officials understand that health begins at home--in the places where people live, work and go to school. At a time of growing concern about the rise of preventable chronic disease, these officials understand it is their responsibility--working alongside residents, neighborhood organizations, businesses and other leaders--to help make their communities healthier.
Championing Change: Elected Officials Act Locally to Make their Communities Healthier, a new brief by Prevention Institute and the American Public Health Association, examines the approaches local elected officials are taking to improve the health of their communities. Through interviews and case studies, it provides tips and lessons from across the country, providing a resource to help local elected officials and their staff members improve health in their hometowns.
Help us spread the word on our new resource! Don't forget to share on Facebook and Twitter. Here are some sample tweets you can use:
- New from @preventioninst: "Championing Change: Elected Officials Act Locally to Make their Communities Healthier" http://bit.ly/HS2sDe
- How can you #MakeTheCase for #Prevention to local elected officials? See @preventioninst new resource: http://bit.ly/HS2sDe
- Want to improve community health thru #prevention? #MakeTheCase to local elected officials! New from @preventioninst http://bit.ly/HS2sDe
- Help LEOs think healthfully, act locally to make the case for #prevention. New resource, webinar from @preventioninst. http://bit.ly/HS2sDe