Minnesota Department of Health Public Service Announcement – “Be Safe!”

The Minnesota Department of Health has an excellent public service announcement that should be broadcast at least two times daily between 5 a.m. and midnight: “Be Safe”! The public service announcement provides important information for people to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Listed below are some of the safety tips. You can find more information about the Healthy Community Design Initiative and how to apply for a grant.

Healthy Community Design Initiative

The Minnesota Department of Health has partnered with the American Planning Association to develop the Healthy Community Design Checklist Toolkit, a tool that helps health professionals, planners, and the general public consider the effects of unhealthy land use choices on the health of people and the environment. The initiative’s goal is to support the Surgeon General’s Step it Up! call to action, which encourages citizens to walk, bike, and use public transit whenever possible. Its mission is to make walking and biking more feasible in communities, thereby reducing motor vehicle fatalities and air pollution.

While this initiative is ambitious, there are already many resources available to communities in Minnesota. One tool is the Minnesota Compass, which tracks trends in various topics by using U.S. Census Bureau data. The DFH also offers tools to bridge the gap between research and local government planning, and the Healthy Community Design toolkit includes resources that help cities and towns plan for healthier communities. A third toolkit, called the Minnesota Public Health Data Access Portal, is available for the public to use and download.

Healthy Community Design Coalition

The Healthy Community Design Coalition at Minnesota Department of Health aims to advance the state’s health equity work by addressing the conditions that lead to ill health. Current narratives surrounding health and wellness tend to focus on individual responsibility and clinical care. By expanding the conversation to include conditions in communities, we can help create healthier places and improve health. Conditions are formed by policies and systems, and the design of these systems determines who benefits from them.

A healthy community design coalition should be able to bring diverse perspectives to health improvement work. The coalition’s goals and objectives should reflect the collective judgment of various stakeholders. These stakeholders may include public health agencies, health care providers, employers, and community groups. In addition, the coalition should be able to incorporate a range of perspectives and not ignore views that aren’t represented in its membership. The coalition should also include members from the general public.

Healthy Community Design Initiative grant

The Building Healthy Communities initiative has aided local jurisdictions across the country in implementing more than 100 policies and system changes to improve community health. The initiative aims to promote a culture of health in local communities through the implementation of strategies that increase access to fresh food, active transportation, parks, and safe water. Through the grant, the Minnesota Department of Health will help municipalities make changes that improve the health of their residents.

The child and family health division of the Minnesota Department of Health is a state agency that provides collaborative leadership and supports systems for health and well-being. Title V funding for public health programs, which receive federal funds for local projects, supports a range of local public health agencies to carry out core public health functions. The Child and Family Health Division has a long-standing partnership with the state’s Local Public Health agencies.

Healthy Community Design Initiative trainings

The Healthy Community Design Initiative, also known as the Built Environment and Health Initiative, is a collaborative effort between the Minnesota Department of Public Health and the American Planning Association to improve the built environment by incorporating a health-promoting design element. The CDC developed a Healthy Community Design Checklist Toolkit for planners and the public to consider, as part of their planning process, the benefits of walkability and healthy land use. The Surgeon General’s “Step it up” Call to Action has promoted walking and encourages communities to build a walking culture. HIA trainings are available through this network of experts, and are available through a variety of resources.

The Healthy Community Design Initiative framework incorporates environmental, social, and economic factors. These factors interact and are interdependent, which leads to a systems approach to improving health. By focusing on the interdependence of these factors, communities can work to improve their health by improving their quality of life. In addition, Healthy Communities trainings are facilitated by local partners such as the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC.

Healthy Community Design Initiative conferences

The Health Equity Leadership Summit is an annual conference hosted by the Center for Health Equity, the Eliminating Disparities Initiative, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. This conference is designed to unite Minnesota’s health equity leaders and strengthen community efforts to reduce disparities. The summit is co-sponsored by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Center for Prevention, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and the University of Minnesota Program in Health Disparities Research.

The HIAP is a cross-sector collaboration of government agencies, arts organizations, and health practitioners. Its goals include a broad definition of health and include local policies and system changes that benefit residents’ health. This includes a focus on walkable neighborhoods, fresh and affordable food, accessible parks, and healthy infrastructure. In addition, the conference aims to develop a culture of health that fosters community resilience and improves the lives of those in the community.