Jennifer Manley
Jennifer.Manley@state.ma.us
617-624-5006
DEVAL L. PATRICK
GOVERNOR
TIMOTHY P. MURRAY
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
JUDYANN BIGBY, M.D.
SECRETARY
JOHN AUERBACH
COMMISSIONER
Patrick Administration Announces $1 Million in Wellness Grants for Cities and Towns
Mass In Motion grants to foster healthy activities and nutrition throughout state.
Related Information:
BOSTON — The Patrick Administration has taken the next major step in its Mass In Motion health campaign by awarding 10 grants totaling more than $1 million to help communities throughout Massachusetts promote nutrition and physical activity at the local level.
“I am thrilled that we are able to help these cities and towns make an investment in creating healthier communities,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “These programs will help Massachusetts residents make healthy choices and build a stronger Commonwealth, which is exactly what Mass In Motion is all about.”
The Municipal Wellness and Leadership grants, competitively awarded for two years to 12 communities, will support the development of strategies for improving community health and reducing chronic disease. The city of Everett, for example, will use some of its first-year grant funding of $60,000 to facilitate planning for a “Bike to the Sea” bike and walking path. The city of New Bedford will conduct a community-wide assessment and develop a comprehensive strategy to promote healthy eating and active living. Likewise, Springfield will use some of its funding to develop a plan of action to reduce overweight and obesity among its residents. A summary of each funded community’s plan for the grant is listed below.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner John Auerbach said a key aspect of the grant program is the involvement and leadership of local communities’ top elected officials.
“We know that when executive-level municipal officials are engaged in the work of creating healthy activities and nutrition, needed community-wide changes are more likely to be successful,” said Commissioner Auerbach. “Mayors, Selectmen and city and town managers can bring teams together, foster partnerships and lead change. Those skills are incredibly important when undertaking initiatives that cut across many areas of government and civic life.”
Funding for the grants was made possible by an unprecedented public/private partnership between DPH and all of the leading health-funding foundations in Massachusetts, including: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, the Boston Foundation, the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, the Metrowest Health Care Foundation and the Tufts Health Plan Foundation.
“These grants would not have been possible without the generosity and public health leadership shown by these foundations,” said Commissioner Auerbach. “Their partnership is a critical component to the success of the Mass In Motion initiative and an example of their commitment to promoting the health and wellbeing of the residents of Massachusetts.”
About Mass In Motion
Mass In Motion is the most comprehensive effort to date addressing the serious problem of overweight and obesity in the Commonwealth.More than half of adults and one-third of middle and high school students are either overweight or obese — conditions that place those residents at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain kinds of cancer. Mass In Motion is a multi-faceted effort to promote a broad range of wellness activities for residents, businesses and communities.
In addition to the grants announced today, the Mass In Motion campaign has resulted in the enactment of a number of significant public policy initiatives in the five months since the initiative was launched. These policies include regulations requiring calorie posting and menu labeling at chain restaurants in the state, and the promotion of Body Mass Index calculations for all schoolchildren in Massachusetts. A comprehensive web site (www.mass.gov/MassInMotion) in both English and Spanish was also launched providing Massachusetts residents information on how to eat better and increase their physical activity. The campaign has also provided funding to more than twenty public and private employers across the state to implement workplace wellness programs at their organizations.
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Summary of Municipal Wellness and Leadership Grant Awards
City of Everett
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this implementation grant is a municipality, the City of Everett. The city plans to work with existing partners to (1) create physical places for additional recreational opportunities, such as the proposed Bike to the Sea (2) promote healthy eating by banning Trans Fats in all Everett restaurants, and (3) encourage healthy behaviors by creating systems changes (e.g. creation of farmers markets, safe walking routes to school) in the community.
City of Fall River
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this implementation grant is the City of Fall River. At a January 2009, quarterly meeting, the Healthy City Fall River Design Team began the process of outlining an Action Plan for the next five years. This period will be focused on policy, systems and environmental changes in four areas: 1) Food Supply and Nutrition, 2) Built Environment and Transit, 3) Workplaces and Medical Settings, and 4) Schools and Recreation. In each of these areas, efforts will be made to create either sustainable changes in policy and practice that can influence healthier choices or structural changes in the physical environment that will make the healthier choices the easier choices. The goal of each of these changes is to increase the amount and intensity of physical activity, such as walking, throughout the life course of those who live or work within the City, and to improve the quality of the City's food supply and access to more nutritious foods on the part of significant sectors of the population. The outcome of all of these measures, taken collectively, is an expected reduction in the rate of obesity and its medical consequences.
City of Fitchburg
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this planning grant is a municipality, the City of Fitchburg.
Fun 'n FITchburg addresses the increasing problem of obesity and the subsequent risk for chronic disease, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke via environmental and policy changes that increase access to healthy foods and active living. This initiative targets low-income and/or minority youth and their families. The City of Fitchburg is the lead agency and will subcontract with the Montachusett Opportunity Council, through its Nutrition and Wellness component to assist in carrying out grant activities. Statistics classify Fitchburg as a low-income community with a high Hispanic population and at a high risk for obesity. Using the RWJF Active Living by Design 5P model for the program structure, the first year will focus on preparation of the community assessment, promotional campaigns, and development of comprehensive plan of interventions that support policy, system and environmental change policies. The second year's activities include promotion, policy advocacy, programs and projects that support the plan. A diverse network of community partners with expertise in the areas of community assessment, community gardens, farmers markets, local parks and recreational activities health care, media, and advocacy have agreed to advise and support, Fun ‘n FITchburg.
City of Gloucester
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this planning grant is a municipality, the City of Gloucester. The City of Gloucester will create a unique public private partnership, Get Fit Gloucester, under the management of the Community Development Department and in close collaboration with the Mayor and the Public Health Department. The partnership will include representation from a wide variety of stakeholders including experts in health, business, recreation and transportation. Get Fit Gloucester will assess the assets and needs of schools, public spaces, neighborhoods, food establishments, work places, health centers and other locations where residents can be better supported to eat healthier and move their bodies. Specific at risk populations have been identified (i.e. low-income, youth, fishing families, and immigrants). Get Fit Gloucester will develop a comprehensive action plan including policy, systems and environmental strategies. The plan will be adopted by all partners and ratified by the Gloucester City Council.
Towns - Lee, Lenox, and Stockbridge
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this planning grant is a municipal entity, the Tri-Town Health Department. The Health Department will work with regional community partners that have diverse expertise in various areas of wellness; building on already in-place structures, and built environment models; assessing sustainable policy, systematic and environmental change and strengthening community-wide accessibility to healthy opportunities to effectively reduce overweight and obesity.
City of New Bedford
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this planning grant is a municipal entity, the City of New Bedford Board of Health/ Health Department. The city will establish and mobilize a diverse community partnership. The city will conduct and analyze a municipal-wide assessment and develop a comprehensive action plan that emphasizes policy, systems and environmental change strategies to support healthy eating and active living in the city.
City of Revere
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this planning grant is a municipality, the City of Revere. The city in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital, Revere CARES’ Food and Fitness Task Force and other community partners will conduct a community-wide assessment and based on the assessment findings develop and implement an action plan. and revise an interim logic model that was previously produced by the Food and Fitness Task Force.
City of Springfield
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this planning grant is a municipality, the City of Springfield. The City of Springfield proposes, in Year 1 of the grant, to create a wellness and leadership coalition/partnership comprised of key policy decision-makers and community stakeholders. This coalition/partnership will be responsible for creating a Plan of Action for Springfield that strengthens, policy, system and environmental change strategies to reduce obesity/overweight among its residents and to support healthy eating and active living in Springfield. The Springfield Plan of Action, to be implemented in Year 2, will be based on a thorough citywide assessment/environmental scan of existing policies and supports, Springfield's assets, and Springfield residents' attitudes, knowledge and behaviors towards healthy eating and active living
Town of Weymouth
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this planning grant is the municipality of the Town of Weymouth in partnership with the Weymouth Wellness Team (WWT). The WWT through its Mass in Motion Advisory Planning (MIMAP) Subcommittee will assess (1) existing nutrition and physical activity related policies and environmental supports, (2) community assets that can help improve the existing policies, systems and environments and (3) community resident’s attitudes, knowledge and behaviors towards healthy eating and active living. The WWT has identified partners and stakeholders for this initiative and will collaborate with them, using the Strategic Prevention Framework to create an action plan with emphasis on policy, systems and environmental change strategies to support healthy eating and active living in the municipality.
City of Worcester
Proposal Summary
The applicant for this planning grant is a municipality, the City of Worcester. On nearly all measures of demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status and chronic disease that affect or result from overweight and obesity, Worcester faces more challenges than the state as a whole. City management has made clear that public health division leadership and staff must focus their attention and their efforts on policy change as well as core services despite budget cuts. The Department’s leadership and partnership with municipal and community agencies, give it the capacity to implement the activities in the work plan and achieve the goals and objectives for policy and environmental changes that will support healthy eating and active living.
Mass in Motion Funded Communities Contacts
Everett
Matt Laidlaw
Communications
phone: 617 394 2270
fax: 617 381 1150
email: matt.laidlaw@ci.everett.ma.us
Fall River
Henry Vaillancourt, M.D.,M.P.H.
Director of Health & Human Services, City of Fall River
phone: 508 324 2404
fax: 508 324 2429
email: Hvaillancourt@fallriverma.org
Fitchburg
Steve Curry
Director, Board of Health
phone: 978 345 9582
fax: 978 342 9692
email: scurry@ci.fitchburg.ma.us
Gloucester
Sarah Buck Director, Community Development Department
phone: 978 281 9781
fax: 978 281 9779
email: sbuck@ci.gloucester.ma.us
Lee, Lenox & Stockbridge
Peter J. Kolodziej
Director, Tri Town Health Department
phone: 413 243 5540
fax: 413 243 5542
email: tritownhealth03@adelphia.net
New Bedford
Marianne B. de Souza
Director of Public Health
phone: 508 991 6199
fax: 508 991 6291
email: Marianne.DeSouza@newbedford-ma.gov
Revere
Sylvia R. Chiang
Food & Fitness Manager
phone: 781 485 6161
fax: 781 485 6044
email: srchiang@partners.org
Springfield
Helen Caulton-Harris
Director, Springfield Department of Health & Human Services
phone: 413 787 6456
fax: 413 787 6458
email: hcaulton@springfieldcityhall.com
Weymouth
Valerie Sullivan
Community Health Program Coordinator
phone: 781 340 5008
fax: 781 682 6112
email: vsullivan@weymouth.ma.us
Worcester
Derek Brindisi
Director, Division of Public Health
phone: 508 799 8471
fax: 508 799 8572
email: brindisid@ci.worcester.ma.us