Cumberland County issued the following announcement on July 16.
The Cumberland County Department of Public Health and its partners have been selected to receive a $100,000 grant as part of the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, a program funded by the Aetna Foundation, together with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the National Association of Counties (NACo). The program supports communities that are changing the way they work together across sectors to reduce disparities in chronic disease outcomes.
The project team leading the initiative in Cumberland County includes the Health Department, the Fort Bragg Department of Public Health and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. The team will receive $100,000 to take action to reduce food insecurity and change the food access systems in Cumberland County and Fort Bragg and engage community residents.
The partnership is one of 20 teams across the nation to receive the grants.
“This is an exciting opportunity for our local team to take steps in advancing health equity in Cumberland County and Fort Bragg where individuals and families are disproportionately impacted by health disparities compared to others in North Carolina,” said Cumberland County Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green.
Proposed strategies for the project include:
- Conducting a resident-led and data driven food system assessment
- Establishing a joint Cumberland County/Fort Bragg Food Policy Council to identify policy, systems, and environmental changes
“Access to health care and healthy food, as well as other social determinants of health, can significantly impact rates of chronic disease and other health outcomes, with average life spans varying by up to 20-30 years in communities that are just a few miles apart,” said Eileen Howard Boone, President of the Aetna Foundation. “We are proud to partner with APHA and NACo to support the work of the Cumberland County Health Department to drive change and address these social determinants of health – work that is now more important than ever, given the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In addition to the funding, the health department and their partners will participate in one-on-one technical assistance provided by NACo and a supportive peer-learning network led by Healthy Places by Design over the course of the two years.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving health equity,” APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD explains. “Successful, lasting change comes from cross-sector partnerships and engaging affected individuals and communities, which is why this challenge is so powerful. Together, communities in the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge will be able to achieve enduring transformations to public health.”
NACo President Mary Ann Borgeson adds, “Counties play an essential role in protecting, promoting and improving health in our communities across the country. The Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge recognizes the positive impact of cross-sector partnerships and offers opportunities for counties to develop innovative approaches to meet residents’ health needs.”
The Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge will award a total of $2 million to teams of organizations that will work together to change the food access and health care systems in their communities and engage community residents as leaders in their work.
An expert review panel selected the team following a rigorous review process which looked at a variety of factors including: level of innovation of their proposed approaches, intended impacts on systems and policy change and alignment of diverse partners around common priorities. Check out the full list of grantee organizations and their community partners.
The Aetna Foundation, which first launched the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge in partnership with APHA and NACo in 2016, is an independent, charitable and philanthropic affiliate of CVS Health.
Original source: http://www.co.cumberland.nc.us/departments/public-information-group/public-information-office/news-release-full-story/2020/07/16/health-department-partners-awarded-grant-to-advance-health-equity
Alerts Sign-up