YMCA leaders and public health advocates from across Tennessee will gather at Booker T. Washington State Park this month to discuss ways they can continue to identify opportunities to strengthen and grow the statewide movement for greater health and well-being for all. The Y’s Healthier Communities Learning Institute, to be held in Chattanooga Nov. 9-11, is made possible thanks to presenting sponsor Cigna with additional support from the Centers for Disease Control and the Surgeon General’s walkability initiative.
The event will bring together teams from Tennessee communities participating in the YMCA’s Pioneering Healthier Communities (PHC) initiative. Launched nationally in 2004, PHC is a capacity building effort aimed at better equipping communities to support healthy eating and active living for residents. The initiative takes a cross-functional approach by forming teams of civic and other community leaders who work together to find effective ways to make it easier for people in their communities to make healthy choices. Tennessee YMCAs introduced Pioneering Healthier Communities in 2006, and the effort has since expanded to nine communities. This marks the third time since 2006 that a statewide Healthier Communities Learning Institute has been held to bring those communities together to learn from one another and hear from the state’s leading health experts.
While there have been some modest improvements in the number of “overweight” Tennesseans in some recent reporting years, “obesity” rates continued to climb in 2015. The CDC reports Tennessee currently has the ninth highest rate of obesity at 33.8% of adults, up from 31.2% in 2014.
“Since bringing PHC to Tennessee, we’ve had success raising awareness about the urgent need to improve our state’s health status and to start removing some of the barriers people face when trying to start and maintain a healthy lifestyle—from cost to healthy food options and places to be active,” said Ted Cornelius, YMCA of Middle Tennessee Vice President of Health Innovation, “but there’s so much more work to do, and this learning institute will help our teams learn from one another’s successes and explore new opportunities to improve their communities’ health and well-being.”
During the learning institute, PHC teams from a half dozen Tennessee communities will discuss the positive impact they’ve made thus far and brainstorm new ways to sustain and expand their efforts to support healthier lifestyles for residents. They are also scheduled to hear remarks from some of Tennessee’s top leaders including Deputy Governor Jim Henry and Deputy Commissioner of Transportation Toks Omishakin.
“Like the YMCA, Cigna serves our diverse communities across Tennessee with a passion and focus to improve the health and well-being of Tennesseans,” said Greg Allen, president for Cigna in Tennessee. “We know addressing health disparities means more people in our state can live healthier lives, and that makes for more vibrant communities. By sponsoring the YMCA’s Healthy Learning Institute, we are excited to play a role in bringing people together to share best practices and partner on tackling this important health issue.”
For a conference agenda and more information about good potential coverage and visual opportunities, please contact Ted Cornelius at (615) 566-0064 or email tcornelius@ymcamidtn.org.