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Author: Taya Jarman

The HEAL Cities & Town’s Campaign Recognizes Health Policy Achievements of Maryland Cities

Posted on by Taya Jarman

For Immediate Release

June 24, 2019

The HEAL Cities & Town’s Campaign Recognizes Health Policy Achievements of Maryland Cities

Ocean City, Maryland, June 23, 2019 — For the seventh consecutive year, the Institute for Public Health Innovation’s (IPHI) HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living) Cities and Towns Campaign has recognized Maryland municipalities for their achievements adopting HEAL policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments.

The annual award ceremony is held in conjunction with the Maryland Municipal League Summer Conference in the Town of Ocean City. The annual conference is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of HEAL Campaign members and connect with new municipalities interested in joining the Campaign. The Campaign provides technical assistance at no cost to municipal leaders to help them create healthy and prosperous communities by adopting HEAL policies and practices. Cities and towns join the HEAL Campaign by passing a HEAL Resolution that outlines HEAL policy and practice goals to create communities where all people can make healthy choices to eat nutritious food and be physically active.

Each year, the Campaign recognizes cities and towns that advance to higher Campaign recognition levels by achieving their healthy eating and active living goals. This year’s honorees included:

  • The City of New Carrollton received Silver recognition for implementing a healthy vending initiative and developing two new community gardens for City residents.
  • The City of Bowie, The City of Greenbelt, and The City of Laurel received Platinum HEAL Recognition, the highest HEAL achievement award. Cities and towns that advance to the Platinum level have attained Gold status and are able to provide evidence that their healthy eating and active living work reaches across government departments and is being evaluated and monitored.

Following the event, the HEAL Campaign will continue to engage with new cities and towns and provide technical assistance to all 66 current HEAL Campaign members in both Maryland and Virginia. For more information about the Campaign or how to join, please visit: www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org.

About the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign:

The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign provides free technical assistance to local government leaders to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments. HEAL is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation, in partnership with the Maryland and Virginia Municipal Leagues and funded by Kaiser Permanente, founding partner.

About Institute for Public Health Innovation: 

The Institute for Public Health Innovation develops multi-sector partnerships and innovative solutions to improve the public’s health and well-being across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.  Our work strengthens health systems and policy, enhances conditions that promote health, and builds community capacity to ensure equitable health opportunities for all. IPHI is one of over 40 public health institutes across the country and a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes.

 

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Signs Bill Raising Tobacco Sales Age to 21

Posted on by Taya Jarman

Huge Victory for Maryland Youth!

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Signs Bill Raising Tobacco Sales Age to 21

 

We did it! After months of hard work from the Tobacco 21 campaign and its partners, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed a bill that raises the legal age for purchasing tobacco products to 21 years of age.

Thanks to you and our partners in this fight, the American Lung Association, along with American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and the American Heart Association, Maryland now becomes the 13th state to ban the purchase of tobacco products to young people aged 21 and under.

The Tobacco 21 effort in Maryland was funded in part by a grant from the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI), a collaborative funding initiative established by Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. The Healthy Montgomery TCI is a partnership between the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), Trinity Health member Holy Cross Health, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Healthy Montgomery Steering Committee, and numerous other government and community partners. TCI seeks to promote healthy behaviors and prevent chronic disease.

Young people in Maryland will now have a better chance of staying off tobacco products for good. Studies show that the younger you start, the longer you keep at it – 95 percent of adult smokers began before age 21.

It is clear that our efforts are contributing to stamp out smoking for teenagers and young adults under 21 throughout this nation. This week, Texas announced it is getting closer to raising the age for tobacco purchase. Walmart also announced it would raise the age limit across all its stores nationwide.

The Transforming Communities Initiative looks to continue combating tobacco use and curbing obesity to improve health in Maryland and throughout the nation.

 

Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) is an innovative, collaborative funding initiative established by Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Grant recipients, in collaboration with a community coalition(s), implement and support evidence-based and innovative policy, systems and environmental change strategies to reduce obesity, promote tobacco-free living, and address social determinants. TCI leverages health system funding, community partnerships, local match dollars, capital loan dollars, and national technical assistance resources to improve community health.

Seven Maryland and Virginia Municipalities Receive Grants For Policy and Environmental Changes that Promote Healthy Eating and Active Living

Posted on by Taya Jarman

For Immediate Release

April 29, 2019

Washington, DC – Through its Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Cities & Towns Campaign, the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) and Kaiser Permanente, founding partner, has awarded a total of $45,125 to seven Maryland and Virginia municipalities to implement policies that promote access to nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity. The awardees include:

  • Town of Bel Air, MD – Improving bike safety and connectivity by designing priority cycling routes and installing signs and pavement markings.
  • Town of Bluefield, VA – Installing a ¾ mile, 10 Station Fit Trail System in a local park.
  • Town of Edmonston, MD – Connecting local bike lanes with the Anacostia Trails Area and local parks.
  • Town New Carrollton, MD – Increasing access to a local park by improving water drainage and reducing flooding along a popular pedestrian path.
  • City of Frederick, MD – Improving access to affordable, nutritious food by enhancing local community gardens, urban agriculture, and urban farming.
  • Town of Lawrenceville, VA – Improving walkability by increasing sidewalk connectivity and implementing walking programs and events.
  • Town of Middleburg, VA – Enhancing active living opportunities by building sidewalk extensions, implementing wayfinding signs, and developing a Walk Middleburg pamphlet and mobile app.

Since 2012, the Institute for Public Health Innovation has partnered with the Maryland Municipal League, the Virginia Municipal League, and Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States to provide technical assistance and training to local governments to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting healthy eating and active living (HEAL) policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments. The HEAL Campaign for the Mid-Atlantic has 66 members across Maryland and Virginia.

In 2015, the HEAL Campaign launched the inaugural funding opportunity by awarding HEAL grants to ten local governments in Maryland and Virginia. This year marked the second opportunity for member cities and towns to apply for HEAL grant funding. All funding will be used to support an adopted HEAL policy that uses a policy, systems change, and/or environmental approach to increase access to healthy, affordable foods and opportunities for physical activity in communities across Maryland and Virginia. Funding was generously provided by HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign founding partner, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States.

About the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign:

The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign provides free technical assistance to local government leaders to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments. HEAL is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation, in partnership with the Maryland and Virginia Municipal Leagues and funded by Kaiser Permanente, founding partner.

For more information, visit the HEAL website at  www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org  and contact HEAL Program Manager, Sydney Daigle at [email protected],

About Institute for Public Health Innovation: 

The Institute for Public Health Innovation develops multi-sector partnerships and innovative solutions to improve the public’s health and well-being across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.  Our work strengthens health systems and policy, enhances conditions that promote health, and builds community capacity to ensure equitable health opportunities for all. IPHI is one of over 40 public health institutes across the country and a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes.

For more information on IPHI, see  www.institutephi.org, and follow IPHI on Facebook and Twitter @InstitutePHI.

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Institute for Public Health Innovation Announces HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign Grants Program with $40,000 Available in Funding

Posted on by Taya Jarman

For Immediate Release

15 February 2019

 

Institute for Public Health Innovation Announces HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign
Grants Program with $40,000 Available in Funding

 

Washington, DC – Through its HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) is offering a total of $40,000 to local governments in Maryland and Virginia to implement policies that promote access to nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity. Up to ten communities will receive funding through a competitive application process that will open on February 15, 2019.

The HEAL Cities & Towns Small Grants Program will support local governments to implement policies that increase opportunities for healthy eating and active living in the community or government workplace. Implementation grants between $1,000-$10,000 will be awarded to current HEAL Campaign members. These grants support the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign’s goal to support local leaders’ efforts to create communities where residents and employees can eat better and move more. These grants are intended to provide resources for cities and towns to implement an adopted HEAL policy in their community and increase access to nutritious food choices and/or opportunities for physical activity. Grant recipients will have approximately nine months to complete grant-funded activities. All supported efforts must directly impact incorporated cities, towns, or counties in Maryland or Virginia.

“We are thrilled to support local governments to move beyond policy adoption to implementation,” said Mid-Atlantic Campaign director, Sydney Daigle. “We know that policy change is necessary to combat chronic disease, but that is just the first step. The goal of this grant program is to support cities, towns, and counties to implement the HEAL policies that they’ve adopted so they can be successful in their efforts to create healthier community environments.”

The full Request for Proposals is available at: www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org/grants. Funding is provided by HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign founding partner, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the conditions that shape health for our members and the communities we serve, and we know that access to healthy, fresh foods and places for physical activity has a positive impact on health,” said Celeste James, Executive Director of Community Health, Kaiser Permanente. “We work with a range of partners to champion good health and to advance creative solutions, and we are pleased to support municipalities across the region in improving policies and practices that support health.”

Applications are due to Sydney Daigle ([email protected]) on or before March 15, 2019. 

 

About the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign

The Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Cities & Towns Campaign is an initiative to support local elected officials and their staff to create communities where all residents can make healthy choices about physical activity and nutrition. Since 2012, the Institute for Public Health Innovation has partnered with the Maryland Municipal League, the Virginia Municipal League, and Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States to provide technical assistance and training to local governments to adopt policies that improve their communities’ nutrition and physical activity environments.

For more information about the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign, please visit www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org

 

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For more information, contact:

Sydney Daigle

Program Manager

Institute for Public Health Innovation

[email protected]

(240) 253-1036

 

Twenty-Eight Mini-Grants Awarded to Montgomery County Public Schools to support Local School Wellness Councils

Posted on by Taya Jarman

28 Mini-Grants Awarded to Montgomery County Public Schools to Support Local School Wellness Councils

 

Through the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI), IPHI is partnering with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to provide technical assistance and funding to create and maintain a healthy school environment through the formation of local school wellness councils (LSWC). LSWCs are comprised of a group of school staff, administrators, parents, and others who work together to identify goals and create and implement action plans to enhance student health and wellbeing.  Through this partnership, over $26,000 in mini-grant funding was awarded to 28 schools during the 2018-2019 school year.  Grant funding is being used to support student access to healthy foods, nutrition education, increase physical activity, develop school gardens, and enhance initiatives to support mental health. To date, MCPS is the only school district in the state of Maryland to dedicate a Director of Student Wellness Initiatives to support this important work.

Since 2016, IPHI and MCPS have partnered to support LSWCs.  A TCI-funded School Wellness Coordinator (SWC) working with MCPS has supported Wellness Champions by providing resources, connections to community partners, individualized technical assistance, and guidance regarding the implementation of school action plans.  Last year, a cohort of 15 pilot schools were recruited and provided with resources and technical assistance from the SWC.

Based on evaluation findings, the project has made significant progress to improve opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating in schools and enhance the school climate to support health and wellness.  Sample actions facilitated by LSWC’s to improve wellness included: providing extra recess time, offering fitness classes, implementing walk to school days, implementing flexible seating, providing mindfulness lessons, providing vegetable gardening, offering cooking lessons, and implementing strategies to promote healthy snacking. In the past year, over 46 schools have formalized LSWCs.

For more information on the TCI, visit www.institutephi.org/heatlhymontgomerytci

IPHI Leads Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Training for Project HOPE

Posted on by Taya Jarman

IPHI Leads Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Training for Project HOPE

 

On December 3-4, 2018, IPHI facilitated a 2-day workshop on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) with state and local leaders in early childhood education in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The workshop supported Nemours Children’s Health System Project HOPE: Harnessing Opportunity for Positive Equitable Early Childhood Development, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to assist state partners in strengthening their early childhood education systems to promote equity. IPHI adapted their existing curriculum to the needs of state partners in Oklahoma. Content included an overview of definitions and concepts related to EDI utilizing a public health lens, in-depth exploration of a multi-level framework for understanding and undoing structural racism and other forms of oppression, strategies for equitable engagement of partners by analyzing power dynamics, and action planning for the participants to begin integrating equity concepts and strategies into their workplans. IPHI will conduct similar workshops in 2019 with partners in other state-level coalitions that are participating in Project HOPE.

 

Thirteen HEAL Cities & Towns Recognized at 2018 Virginia Municipal League Conference

Posted on by Taya Jarman

Thirteen HEAL Cities & Towns Recognized at 2018 Virginia Municipal League Conference

The City of Hampton, Virginia — On October 1st, 2018, the HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign for the Mid-Atlantic welcomed three new members and recognized the achievements of eleven Virginia cities, towns, and counties at the annual Virginia Municipal League’s (VML) Conference in Hampton. The annual VML Conference is an opportunity for municipal officials to gain peer support, build skills and knowledge, and learn about opportunities to enhance their communities.

The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), in partnership with the Virginia Municipal Leagues and with support from Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. The Campaign provides technical assistance at no cost to municipal leaders to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting healthy eating and active living (HEAL) policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments. The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign for the Mid-Atlantic has 65 members across Maryland and Virginia.

Cities and towns join the HEAL Campaign by passing a HEAL Resolution that outlines HEAL policy and practice goals to create communities where all people can make healthy choices to eat nutritious food and be physically active. This year, the HEAL Campaign welcomed three new Virginia HEAL municipalities for passing a HEAL Resolution: The Town of Scottsville, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Manassas.

Each year, the Campaign recognizes cities and towns that advance to higher Campaign recognition levels by achieving their healthy eating and active living goals. This year’s honorees included:

Bronze Recognition:

  • The City of Roanoke was awarded Bronze Recognition for initiating a workplace wellness program for City staff including health and wellness workshops, walking groups, stress reduction strategies, and an enhanced employee health fair.
  • The City of Fairfax (also a new HEAL member) was awarded Bronze Recognition for launching Farm to Fairfax, the City’s producer-only farmers market.

Silver Recognition:

  • The Town of Ashland was awarded Silver Recognition for accomplishments related to workplace wellness programs for Town staff. The Town initiated point-based monetary rewards for employees who participate; reimbursements for gym memberships; and, an annual family subscription to the Town’s pool.
  • The City of Falls Church was awarded Silver Recognition for establishing a healthy vending program in its Community Center and developing a City-wide urban agriculture program beginning with a community garden at City Hall.
  • The County of Greensville was awarded Silver Recognition for engaging the County’s Community Health Action Team that works to bring effective health-oriented programs to rural communities. Their work has helped launch community events and provided funding for an upgraded river nature trail, EBT card use at the local farmers market, and a playground at a children’s park. They were also recognized for their financial support of their local YMCA’s Diabetes Control Program.

Gold Recognition:

  • The Town of Big Stone Gap was awarded Gold Recognition for providing free nutrition classes at their Tourist and Information Center, providing free exercise classes like weekly Zumba classes, and taking the million-mile challenge as a town – which aims to have residents collectively walk one million miles in a year.
  • The Town of Bluefield was awarded Gold Recognition for initiating a smoke-free public parks and recreation areas, holding an annual 5K run, and establishing a straw bale community garden for residents downtown.
  • Town of Dumfries was awarded Gold Recognition for accomplishments related to workplace wellness like establishing a staff garden and issuing pedometers and stand-up workstations to town staff.
  • The Town of Wytheville received Gold Recognition for creating walking trails and maps to promote walking in their downtown, providing a free, daily, nutritious snack to children at the municipal swimming pool, and installing handicap-accessible exercise equipment along an existing outdoor walking path.

Platinum Recognition:

  • The City of Hopewell and Prince George County received Platinum HEAL Recognition, the highest HEAL Achievement award. Cities and towns that advance to the Platinum level have attained Gold status and are able to provide evidence that their healthy eating and active living work reaches across government departments and is being evaluated and monitored.

In addition to its awards ceremony, the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign hosted a panel presentation, “Building Healthy Economies through Healthy Communities.” The presentation featured HEAL Campaign leaders from The City of Charlottesville, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Richmond. The presentation was attended by over 40 participants, including both current HEAL Cities and Towns and attendees interested in learning more about the Campaign.

About the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign:

The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign provides free technical assistance to local government leaders to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments. HEAL is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation, in partnership with the Maryland and Virginia Municipal Leagues and funded by Kaiser Permanente, founding partner.

For more information, visit the HEAL website at www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org and contact HEAL Program Manager, Sydney Daigle at [email protected].

About Institute for Public Health Innovation: 

IPHI creates partnerships across sectors and cultivates innovative solutions that improve health and well-being for all populations and communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, particularly those most affected by health inequities. IPHI’s work enhances the environments and conditions in which people live, age, work, learn, and play; strengthens health service systems and public policy; and builds organizational and community capacity to sustain progress.  IPHI is one of over 40 public health institutes across the country and a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes.

For more information on IPHI, see www.institutephi.org, and follow IPHI on Facebook and Twitter @InstitutePHI.

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Maryland Cities and Towns Demonstrate Commitment to Healthy Eating Active Living

Posted on by Taya Jarman

Maryland Cities and Towns Demonstrate Commitment to Healthy Eating Active Living

Ocean City, Maryland — On June 12th, 2018, the HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign for the Mid-Atlantic welcomed three new members and recognized the achievements of seven Maryland cities and towns at the annual Maryland Municipal League’s (MML) Summer Conference in Ocean City. The annual MML Summer Conference is an opportunity for municipal officials to gain peer support, build skills and knowledge, and learn about opportunities to enhance their communities.

The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), in partnership with the Maryland Municipal Leagues and with support from Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. The Campaign provides technical assistance at no cost to municipal leaders to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting healthy eating and active living (HEAL) policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments. The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign for the Mid-Atlantic has 65 members across Maryland and Virginia.

Cities and towns join the HEAL Campaign by passing a HEAL Resolution that outlines HEAL policy and practice goals to create communities where all people can make healthy choices to eat nutritious food and be physically active. This year, the HEAL Campaign welcomed three new HEAL municipalities for passing a HEAL Resolution: the Town of Chesapeake Beach, the Town Mount Air, and the City of Glenarden.

Each year, the Campaign recognizes cities and towns that advance to higher Campaign recognition levels by achieving their healthy eating and active living goals. This year’s honorees included:

  • Silver Recognition:
    • The Town of Mount Airy was awarded Silver for two accomplishments related to workplace wellness and improved marketing of town walking circuits and trails.
  • Gold Recognition:
    • The City of Laurel received Gold Recognition for attaining three new HEAL goals, including workplace wellness initiatives like walking meetings, hosting a community health fair, and purchasing and stocking high-tech healthy vending machines.
    • The Town of Rock Hall was awarded Gold Recognition for accomplishments related to launching a morning walking program for a local school’s faculty, staff, and students; forming an interdepartmental workplace wellness committee; and the construction of a new playground.
  • Platinum Recognition:
    • The Town of Bel Air, the Town of Capitol Heights, the Town of Colmar Manor, and the City of Frederick received Platinum HEAL Recognition, the highest HEAL achievement award. Cities and towns that advance to the Platinum level have attained Gold status and are able to provide evidence that their healthy eating and active living work reaches across government departments and is being evaluated and monitored.

In addition to its awards ceremony, the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign held a networking reception for over 40 HEAL municipal leaders. This peer-to-peer learning opportunity allowed for robust discussions on the successes and challenges related to implementing complete streets, workplace wellness, and healthy vending policies and integrating health components into comprehensive plans.

About the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign:

The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign provides free technical assistance to local government leaders to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments. HEAL is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation, in partnership with the Maryland and Virginia Municipal Leagues and funded by Kaiser Permanente, founding partner.

For more information, visit the HEAL website at www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org and contact HEAL Program Manager, Sydney Daigle at [email protected],

About Institute for Public Health Innovation: 

IPHI creates partnerships across sectors and cultivates innovative solutions that improve health and well-being for all populations and communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, particularly those most affected by health inequities. IPHI’s work enhances the environments and conditions in which people live, age, work, learn, and play; strengthens health service systems and public policy; and builds organizational and community capacity to sustain progress.  IPHI is one of over 40 public health institutes across the country and a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes.

For more information on IPHI, see www.institutephi.org, and follow IPHI on Facebook and Twitter @InstitutePHI.

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Community Food Access: Reducing Food Insecurity and Obesity through the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative

Posted on by Taya Jarman

Healthy Montgomery Webinar Series – 
Community Food Access: Reducing Food Insecurity and Obesity through the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative

Part 1: October 4th | Part 2: October 16th 

2:00 – 3:00 PM EST 

This two-part webinar highlights innovative efforts in Montgomery County, MD that are changing how we think about food insecurity and obesity.

Part 1: Hear about the multi-faceted approach of the Montgomery County Food Council and its partners to implement the Montgomery County Food Security Plan, including creating a Food Assistance Resource Directory, a comprehensive list of hunger relief resources, and emergency food providers in Montgomery County.

Part 2: Learn about the Primary Care Coalition’s work with a group of partners to implement a screening and referral process for food-insecure clients within safety-net healthcare clinics.

About the Series: Healthy Montgomery is Montgomery County, MD’s official community health improvement planning process. Our webinar series focuses on real-world examples demonstrating how a collective impact approach improves community health. We collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including government, non-profit, hospital, and community partners. We aim to achieve optimal health and well-being for all Montgomery County residents. This series was created with support from the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative grant.

Part 1: Montgomery County Food Council – Best Practices Implementing the Food Security Plan 

Click Here to Watch a Recording of Part 1.

Download the Webinar Slides here. 

About the Webinar: 

The Montgomery County, MD Food Security Plan was created through the collaborative efforts of over 300 community stakeholders and outlines a 5-year data-driven strategy to reduce the 70,000+ County residents at risk for hunger by 22%. This webinar highlights key successful strategies of the Plan’s Year One implementation, offering examples of effective partnerships between local government, nonprofits, residents, and businesses that leverage local resources to: enhance data collection and analysis through community-based metrics; increase the capacity, efficiency, and connectivity of food assistance providers; create screening and referral pathways within and across sectors to improve access to benefits and other available resources; and more thoroughly understand the unique food access barriers of subpopulations at risk of food insecurity, such as college students and foreign-born residents.

Speakers:

Mark Hodge, Montgomery County DHHS

Vice-Chair, Steering Committee; Policy Committee

Mark is the Assistant Chief Operating Officer in the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). He has worked in various roles in MCDHHS for the past 17 years including Deputy Health Officer, School Health, Immunizations, Refugee Health, and TB before recently taking on this new role. Additionally, Mark is proud to have been on the Montgomery County Food Council for nearly 4 years and is overseeing the implementation of the Montgomery County Food Security Plan for DHHS in collaboration with the Food Council. In his spare time he likes to spend quality time with his kids, exercise, travel, and discuss politics with his husband who happens to be a State Senator.

Amanda Nesher

Food Security Programs Manager, Montgomery County Food Council

Amanda manages and coordinates the implementation of the Food Council’s Food Security Plan initiatives, which aim to build a Montgomery County in which all people have access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food, with dignity. Amanda brings considerable experience in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, she worked as the Legislative Associate for anti-hunger nonprofit MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, where she advocated to protect and strengthen the federal nutrition safety net, with particular emphasis on the food security needs for veterans and military families. She previously worked as a corporate attorney at the offices of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP before relocating to Israel, where she worked as a Legal and Strategic Advisor for the Office of the Prime Minister. Amanda has an LL.M. from Columbia Law School in New York and a B.A. in Law from Cambridge University in England.

Thomas Tippett

Performance Analyst, Office of the County Executive, Montgomery County CountyStat

Thomas Tippett is a Performance Management and Data Analyst within the Offices of the County Executive of Montgomery County Maryland. He has been a member of the County’s Performance team for three years and has focused on supporting community development, housing programs, and the County Executive’s Food Security Strategy. Thomas has a background in Enterprise Resource Planning and Information Systems.

Jenna Umbriac

Director of Programs and Policy, Manna Food Center

Council Member, Montgomery County Food Council

Co-Chair, Montgomery County Food Council Food Recovery and Access Working Group

Jenna Umbriac is a registered dietitian and Director of Programs and Policies at Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg, MD. At Manna, Jenna directs the weekend food assistance program, Smart Sacks, community food education, and designs policies to ensure Manna is providing a safe and healthful food supplement.  She works to provide regionally produced and nutritious food to Manna’s participants through donor education and partnerships with local farms and farm markets. In addition to her work at Manna, Jenna serves on the Montgomery County Food Council and co-chairs the Council’s Food Recovery and Access working group. Jenna has a M.S. in nutrition from Bastyr University and a B.S. in biology from Loyola University Maryland.

Part 2: Food Is Medicine – Reducing Barriers to Accessing Healthy Food in Vulnerable Communities

Click Here to Watch a Recording of Part 2.

Download the Webinar Slides here. 

About the Webinar: 

The Primary Care Coalition and community partners share highlights from the “Food is Medicine” program – a systems approach to food security screening and referral between safety-net health care clinics and food and nutrition service providers. Webinar speakers include Ben Fulgencio-Turner, Director of Coverage and Connections at the Primary Care Coalition and Lucia Zegarra, Director of Health Programs at Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research.

Speakers:

Ben Fulgencio-Turner

Director of Coverage and Connections, The Primary Care Coalition

Ben Fulgencio-Turner is the Director of Coverage & Connections at the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County (PCC). He develops and manages partnerships between health care providers, local government, and community organizations, aiming to address non-clinical determinants of health.

Mr. Fulgencio-Turner’s previous work and studies centered on health access and community engagement, including work at a safety-net clinic in Washington, DC and community organizing in New Orleans. He received a Masters in Public Policy with thesis work examining the impact of local policy changes on health access.

Lucia Zegarra

Director of Health Programs, Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research

Peruvian native, Lucia Zegarra, has been involved in community development projects from a very young age. From leading youth and environmental groups in Peru to developing and facilitating bilingual support groups for the homeless in DC, Lucia has become a strong advocate for peer support as a sustainable complement of formal health care services and prevention of disease.

After working as a quality control manager at a Microsoft call center in California, she arrived in the DC area to pursue her passion for science. Here, she obtained a B.S. in Biological Sciences at UMBC while working at the phylogenetics lab in the university. Hoping to make a difference in women’s lives, Lucia had become a certified domestic violence counselor in Los Angeles and later a certified breastfeeding counselor in DC, using the latter as a way to help minority populations achieve healthier lives. She is the recipient of a Hispanic Heritage Award sponsored by Governor Martin O’Malley’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs for being a “Leader on the Rise.”

About the Transforming Communities Initiative:

Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) is an innovative, collaborative funding initiative established by Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Grant recipients, in collaboration with a community coalition(s), implement and support evidence-based and innovative policy, systems and environmental change strategies to reduce obesity, promote tobacco-free living and address social determinants. TCI leverages health system funding, community partnerships, local match dollars, capital loan dollars, and national technical assistance resources to improve community health. The Healthy Montgomery TCI is one of six grant recipients funded by Trinity Health across the country.

The Healthy Montgomery TCI is a collaborative partnership comprised of Holy Cross Health, the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services(DHHS), the Eat Well Be Active Partnership, and numerous other government and community partners. It is funded nationally by Trinity Health, one of the country’s largest healthcare systems. Funding is also provided by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and the Healthcare Initiative Foundation.

For more information on the Healthy Montgomery TCI, please contact Senior Program Manager Evelyn Kelly at [email protected].

TCI School Wellness Coordinator (Contractor)

Posted on by Taya Jarman

TCI School Wellness Coordinator (Contractor)

Background:

IPHI is recruiting a contractor to serve as a part-time Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) Wellness Coordinator to support the development and implementation of school wellness councils in Montgomery County, Maryland. Trinity Health, one of the country’s largest health systems, awarded partners involved in the Healthy Montgomery community health improvement process funding to implement a range of public health strategies to reduce obesity and promote tobacco-free living, and address social determinants that impact health outcomes. The local collaborative includes Trinity Health member Holy Cross Health, the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and the Eat Well Be Active Partnership (EWBA) of Healthy Montgomery. Initially, strategies focused on policy, systems and environmental changes that offer long-term benefits for community health improvement and preventing chronic disease, with a specific focus on under-resourced and low-income communities in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Long Branch and Takoma Park. The strategies targeted vulnerable populations who are disproportionately impacted by health conditions related to poor diet, inactivity, tobacco use, and related social determinants, and who experience documented barriers to healthy living.

Nature of Work: The role of the School Wellness Coordinator is to provide technical assistance to Local School Wellness Councils (LSWCs) in order to ensure schools are aligned with the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Wellness Regulations. The School Wellness Coordinator will provide training and resources to Local School Wellness Council Champions and other LSWC members and partners to increase wellness council functionality. The School Wellness Coordinator will provide direct, hands-on assistance to schools as they write and implement their Wellness Action Plans and will monitor implementation and provide ongoing support to ensure sustainability. The Coordinator will also conduct outreach to schools to offer support, share tools, broker partner resources and will work with assigned schools on areas of interest for the schools and/or areas identified as needs by the Director of School Wellness.

Duration: This is a part-time, temporary position (18-20 hours a week), August 2018 through June 30, 2019.

Reports to: Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) staff and MCPS Director, Student Wellness Initiatives

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Coordinator will receive guidance and direction from MCPS and IPHI in carrying out the following:

  • Provide remote or in-person technical assistance to schools as directed and in coordination with the MCPS Director of Student Wellness Initiatives.
  • Support the development of a toolkit.
  • Prepare, organize and manage a mini-grant process.
  • Coordinate communication about overall program, resources, and available support via monthly newsletters to schools and relevant partners.
  • Assist with event planning to enhance roll-out of district-wide wellness support.
  • Participate in weekly check-in calls with MCPS Director of Student Wellness Initiatives (or other designated MCPS staff) and IPHI staff.
  • Conduct relevant trainings for LSWC Champions as needed.
  • Assist with tracking the implementation and accomplishments of LSWCs across MCPS.
  • Organize and prepare reporting requirements for various funders, including monthly and annual reports.
  • Other duties related to this position as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:  A college or advanced degree and at least five years of work experience (paid or volunteer), with two years of experience in a related field(s) such as nutrition or food systems, physical activity, healthy living and wellness, community organizing, public health, or nursing. Preference for individuals with work experience in a school setting. References required and a background check.

  • Excellent organizational and project management skills.
  • Experience in developing and conducting trainings and provide technical assistance and/or coaching individuals or small groups.
  • Excellent relationship building, written communication, presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Experience working with diverse communities.
  • Ability to collaborate with and build positive relationships with diverse stakeholders.
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
  • Demonstrated professional and political aptitude.
  • Strong-problem-solving skills with an ability to think creatively, reflect, and share knowledge.
  • Knowledge and experience collecting and managing social media, Google docs).
  • Bi-lingual candidates encouraged to apply.

COMPENSATION:  Hourly rate is $32.00. This is an 18-20 hour per week commitment, with some flexibility based on meeting attendance, trainings, and travel. The work will occur primarily during school hours and after school and may require occasional evening and weekend meetings. The scheduling of work hours is flexible. IPHI will also offer reimbursement for local travel to and from work activities. This is a 11-month contract position, beginning August 1, 2018. As a contract position, this position does not include fringe benefits.

JOB LOCATION: The Contractor/Coordinator will be assigned office space as well as a computer and other supplies at an MCPS location.

TRAVEL: Local travel throughout Montgomery County is required for this part-time contractor position.

The Institute for Public Health Innovation values a diverse, respectful, and collaborative work environment. We establish and maintain trustful relationships with all staff, contractors, funders, partners, and communities. We believe that hard work, a focus on quality, and a passion for the public’s health are required to improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. IPHI looks to all staff and contractors to contribute to the effective implementation of programmatic activities.

BENEFITS

None

LEVEL OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

None

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL

Professional

MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIRED

4-year degree

HOW TO APPLY

http://www.institutephi.org

Please submit a cover letter and resume to: [email protected]. IPHI will not accept resumes without cover letters. Please place “Wellness Coordinator Contractor” in the subject line of the email when applying. Applications will be accepted through July 24th, 2018. No phone calls, please. Due to the large number of applicants expected, only successful candidates will be contacted.