Healthy Communities
A "Healthy Community" – as described by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2010 report – is one that continuously creates and improves both its physical and social environments, helping people to support one another in aspects of daily life and to develop to their fullest potential. Healthy places are those designed and built to improve the quality of life for all people who live, work, worship, learn and play within their borders. They are places where every person is free to make choices amid a variety of healthy, available, accessible and affordable options.
What are the benefits of "Healthy Community" designations?
Regions that succeed in implementing more sustainable health systems will enjoy important advantages:
- Healthy communities are more attractive to new businesses.
- Health care will represent a smaller burden on employers, state and local budgets, and individuals.
- Communities will be healthier and more productive.
- Health systems and providers will have an enhanced ability to meet tough health reform challenges for improved quality and cost containment/cost reduction.
General categories considered by the CDC in determining a Healthy Community include: designed for accessibility, impact of the built environment on children and the elderly, the "walkable" nature of the community, healthy housing, water and air quality, mental health and more.
What is MiHIA doing in this area?
MiHIA seeks to coordinate efforts toward a healthy city/healthy community designation for each community in this region. We will enable this by supporting a common platform of knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors to effectively engage consumers in their health care.
Ultimately, our vision is that each city in the Central Medical Trading Area (beginning with Midland) will achieve official designation as a "Healthy Community," based on criteria from a nationally, or internationally, recognized organization (top considerations are the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization).