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Author: Julia Groenfeldt

Community Food Access: Reducing Food Insecurity and Obesity through the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

Healthy Montgomery Webinar Series – 
Community Food Access: Reducing Food Insecurity and Obesity through the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative

Part 1: October 4th | Part 2: October 16th 

2:00 – 3:00 PM EST 

This two-part webinar highlights innovative efforts in Montgomery County, MD that are changing how we think about food insecurity and obesity.

Part 1: Hear about the multi-faceted approach of the Montgomery County Food Council and its partners to implement the Montgomery County Food Security Plan, including creating a Food Assistance Resource Directory, a comprehensive list of hunger relief resources, and emergency food providers in Montgomery County.

Part 2: Learn about the Primary Care Coalition’s work with a group of partners to implement a screening and referral process for food-insecure clients within safety-net healthcare clinics.

About the Series: Healthy Montgomery is Montgomery County, MD’s official community health improvement planning process. Our webinar series focuses on real-world examples demonstrating how a collective impact approach improves community health. We collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including government, non-profit, hospital, and community partners. We aim to achieve optimal health and well-being for all Montgomery County residents. This series was created with support from the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative grant.

Part 1: Montgomery County Food Council – Best Practices Implementing the Food Security Plan 

Click Here to Watch a Recording of Part 1.

Download the Webinar Slides here. 

About the Webinar: 

The Montgomery County, MD Food Security Plan was created through the collaborative efforts of over 300 community stakeholders and outlines a 5-year data-driven strategy to reduce the 70,000+ County residents at risk for hunger by 22%. This webinar highlights key successful strategies of the Plan’s Year One implementation, offering examples of effective partnerships between local government, nonprofits, residents, and businesses that leverage local resources to: enhance data collection and analysis through community-based metrics; increase the capacity, efficiency, and connectivity of food assistance providers; create screening and referral pathways within and across sectors to improve access to benefits and other available resources; and more thoroughly understand the unique food access barriers of subpopulations at risk of food insecurity, such as college students and foreign-born residents.

Speakers:

Mark Hodge, Montgomery County DHHS

Vice-Chair, Steering Committee; Policy Committee

Mark is the Assistant Chief Operating Officer in the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). He has worked in various roles in MCDHHS for the past 17 years including Deputy Health Officer, School Health, Immunizations, Refugee Health, and TB before recently taking on this new role. Additionally, Mark is proud to have been on the Montgomery County Food Council for nearly 4 years and is overseeing the implementation of the Montgomery County Food Security Plan for DHHS in collaboration with the Food Council. In his spare time he likes to spend quality time with his kids, exercise, travel, and discuss politics with his husband who happens to be a State Senator.

Amanda Nesher

Food Security Programs Manager, Montgomery County Food Council

Amanda manages and coordinates the implementation of the Food Council’s Food Security Plan initiatives, which aim to build a Montgomery County in which all people have access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food, with dignity. Amanda brings considerable experience in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, she worked as the Legislative Associate for anti-hunger nonprofit MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, where she advocated to protect and strengthen the federal nutrition safety net, with particular emphasis on the food security needs for veterans and military families. She previously worked as a corporate attorney at the offices of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP before relocating to Israel, where she worked as a Legal and Strategic Advisor for the Office of the Prime Minister. Amanda has an LL.M. from Columbia Law School in New York and a B.A. in Law from Cambridge University in England.

Thomas Tippett

Performance Analyst, Office of the County Executive, Montgomery County CountyStat

Thomas Tippett is a Performance Management and Data Analyst within the Offices of the County Executive of Montgomery County Maryland. He has been a member of the County’s Performance team for three years and has focused on supporting community development, housing programs, and the County Executive’s Food Security Strategy. Thomas has a background in Enterprise Resource Planning and Information Systems.

Jenna Umbriac

Director of Programs and Policy, Manna Food Center

Council Member, Montgomery County Food Council

Co-Chair, Montgomery County Food Council Food Recovery and Access Working Group

Jenna Umbriac is a registered dietitian and Director of Programs and Policies at Manna Food Center in Gaithersburg, MD. At Manna, Jenna directs the weekend food assistance program, Smart Sacks, community food education, and designs policies to ensure Manna is providing a safe and healthful food supplement.  She works to provide regionally produced and nutritious food to Manna’s participants through donor education and partnerships with local farms and farm markets. In addition to her work at Manna, Jenna serves on the Montgomery County Food Council and co-chairs the Council’s Food Recovery and Access working group. Jenna has a M.S. in nutrition from Bastyr University and a B.S. in biology from Loyola University Maryland.

Part 2: Food Is Medicine – Reducing Barriers to Accessing Healthy Food in Vulnerable Communities

Click Here to Watch a Recording of Part 2.

Download the Webinar Slides here. 

About the Webinar: 

The Primary Care Coalition and community partners share highlights from the “Food is Medicine” program – a systems approach to food security screening and referral between safety-net health care clinics and food and nutrition service providers. Webinar speakers include Ben Fulgencio-Turner, Director of Coverage and Connections at the Primary Care Coalition and Lucia Zegarra, Director of Health Programs at Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research.

Speakers:

Ben Fulgencio-Turner

Director of Coverage and Connections, The Primary Care Coalition

Ben Fulgencio-Turner is the Director of Coverage & Connections at the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County (PCC). He develops and manages partnerships between health care providers, local government, and community organizations, aiming to address non-clinical determinants of health.

Mr. Fulgencio-Turner’s previous work and studies centered on health access and community engagement, including work at a safety-net clinic in Washington, DC and community organizing in New Orleans. He received a Masters in Public Policy with thesis work examining the impact of local policy changes on health access.

Lucia Zegarra

Director of Health Programs, Community Health and Empowerment through Education and Research

Peruvian native, Lucia Zegarra, has been involved in community development projects from a very young age. From leading youth and environmental groups in Peru to developing and facilitating bilingual support groups for the homeless in DC, Lucia has become a strong advocate for peer support as a sustainable complement of formal health care services and prevention of disease.

After working as a quality control manager at a Microsoft call center in California, she arrived in the DC area to pursue her passion for science. Here, she obtained a B.S. in Biological Sciences at UMBC while working at the phylogenetics lab in the university. Hoping to make a difference in women’s lives, Lucia had become a certified domestic violence counselor in Los Angeles and later a certified breastfeeding counselor in DC, using the latter as a way to help minority populations achieve healthier lives. She is the recipient of a Hispanic Heritage Award sponsored by Governor Martin O’Malley’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs for being a “Leader on the Rise.”

About the Transforming Communities Initiative:

Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) is an innovative, collaborative funding initiative established by Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. Grant recipients, in collaboration with a community coalition(s), implement and support evidence-based and innovative policy, systems and environmental change strategies to reduce obesity, promote tobacco-free living and address social determinants. TCI leverages health system funding, community partnerships, local match dollars, capital loan dollars, and national technical assistance resources to improve community health. The Healthy Montgomery TCI is one of six grant recipients funded by Trinity Health across the country.

The Healthy Montgomery TCI is a collaborative partnership comprised of Holy Cross Health, the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services(DHHS), the Eat Well Be Active Partnership, and numerous other government and community partners. It is funded nationally by Trinity Health, one of the country’s largest healthcare systems. Funding is also provided by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and the Healthcare Initiative Foundation.

For more information on the Healthy Montgomery TCI, please contact Senior Program Manager Evelyn Kelly at ekelly@institutephi.org.

TCI School Wellness Coordinator (Contractor)

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

TCI School Wellness Coordinator (Contractor)

Background:

IPHI is recruiting a contractor to serve as a part-time Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) Wellness Coordinator to support the development and implementation of school wellness councils in Montgomery County, Maryland. Trinity Health, one of the country’s largest health systems, awarded partners involved in the Healthy Montgomery community health improvement process funding to implement a range of public health strategies to reduce obesity and promote tobacco-free living, and address social determinants that impact health outcomes. The local collaborative includes Trinity Health member Holy Cross Health, the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and the Eat Well Be Active Partnership (EWBA) of Healthy Montgomery. Initially, strategies focused on policy, systems and environmental changes that offer long-term benefits for community health improvement and preventing chronic disease, with a specific focus on under-resourced and low-income communities in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Long Branch and Takoma Park. The strategies targeted vulnerable populations who are disproportionately impacted by health conditions related to poor diet, inactivity, tobacco use, and related social determinants, and who experience documented barriers to healthy living.

Nature of Work: The role of the School Wellness Coordinator is to provide technical assistance to Local School Wellness Councils (LSWCs) in order to ensure schools are aligned with the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Wellness Regulations. The School Wellness Coordinator will provide training and resources to Local School Wellness Council Champions and other LSWC members and partners to increase wellness council functionality. The School Wellness Coordinator will provide direct, hands-on assistance to schools as they write and implement their Wellness Action Plans and will monitor implementation and provide ongoing support to ensure sustainability. The Coordinator will also conduct outreach to schools to offer support, share tools, broker partner resources and will work with assigned schools on areas of interest for the schools and/or areas identified as needs by the Director of School Wellness.

Duration: This is a part-time, temporary position (18-20 hours a week), August 2018 through June 30, 2019.

Reports to: Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) staff and MCPS Director, Student Wellness Initiatives

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Coordinator will receive guidance and direction from MCPS and IPHI in carrying out the following:

  • Provide remote or in-person technical assistance to schools as directed and in coordination with the MCPS Director of Student Wellness Initiatives.
  • Support the development of a toolkit.
  • Prepare, organize and manage a mini-grant process.
  • Coordinate communication about overall program, resources, and available support via monthly newsletters to schools and relevant partners.
  • Assist with event planning to enhance roll-out of district-wide wellness support.
  • Participate in weekly check-in calls with MCPS Director of Student Wellness Initiatives (or other designated MCPS staff) and IPHI staff.
  • Conduct relevant trainings for LSWC Champions as needed.
  • Assist with tracking the implementation and accomplishments of LSWCs across MCPS.
  • Organize and prepare reporting requirements for various funders, including monthly and annual reports.
  • Other duties related to this position as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:  A college or advanced degree and at least five years of work experience (paid or volunteer), with two years of experience in a related field(s) such as nutrition or food systems, physical activity, healthy living and wellness, community organizing, public health, or nursing. Preference for individuals with work experience in a school setting. References required and a background check.

  • Excellent organizational and project management skills.
  • Experience in developing and conducting trainings and provide technical assistance and/or coaching individuals or small groups.
  • Excellent relationship building, written communication, presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Experience working with diverse communities.
  • Ability to collaborate with and build positive relationships with diverse stakeholders.
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
  • Demonstrated professional and political aptitude.
  • Strong-problem-solving skills with an ability to think creatively, reflect, and share knowledge.
  • Knowledge and experience collecting and managing social media, Google docs).
  • Bi-lingual candidates encouraged to apply.

COMPENSATION:  Hourly rate is $32.00. This is an 18-20 hour per week commitment, with some flexibility based on meeting attendance, trainings, and travel. The work will occur primarily during school hours and after school and may require occasional evening and weekend meetings. The scheduling of work hours is flexible. IPHI will also offer reimbursement for local travel to and from work activities. This is a 11-month contract position, beginning August 1, 2018. As a contract position, this position does not include fringe benefits.

JOB LOCATION: The Contractor/Coordinator will be assigned office space as well as a computer and other supplies at an MCPS location.

TRAVEL: Local travel throughout Montgomery County is required for this part-time contractor position.

The Institute for Public Health Innovation values a diverse, respectful, and collaborative work environment. We establish and maintain trustful relationships with all staff, contractors, funders, partners, and communities. We believe that hard work, a focus on quality, and a passion for the public’s health are required to improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. IPHI looks to all staff and contractors to contribute to the effective implementation of programmatic activities.

BENEFITS

None

LEVEL OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

None

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL

Professional

MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIRED

4-year degree

HOW TO APPLY

http://www.institutephi.org

Please submit a cover letter and resume to: hr@institutephi.org. IPHI will not accept resumes without cover letters. Please place “Wellness Coordinator Contractor” in the subject line of the email when applying. Applications will be accepted through July 24th, 2018. No phone calls, please. Due to the large number of applicants expected, only successful candidates will be contacted.

IPHI Receives Capacity Building Grant from the Healthcare Initiative Foundation

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

IPHI is one of 15 recipients of the Healthcare Initiative Foundations FY18 Capacity Building Grants. The award of $25,000 will support the implementation of Local School Wellness Councils (LSWCs) in public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland. IPHI is currently working with Montgomery County Public Schools through the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative to implement LSWCs in 15 initial pilot schools within the County. Next year, with the help of the HIF grant award, IPHI and MSPS will work to expand LSWCs to many more schools.

For more information read the Healthcare Initiative Foundation’s Press Release here.

Why Equity Matters: Creating Healthy Communities

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

Thursday, April 26, 2018 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EDT

Join the Institute for Public Health Innovation for a 1-hour webinar to explore health equity and why equity matters. The webinar will highlight data related to health equity in the Virginia, DC, and Maryland region. It will also provide an overview of the 1-day, in-person workshop that IPHI will conduct on May 31, 2018 that provides tools that professionals and grassroots leaders can use to promote improved health for all residents of their communities.

Learning Objectives: In our communities, there are groups who systematically experience higher rates of disease and mortality across many physical and mental health conditions. These inequities prevent individuals, families, and communities from enjoying long, productive lives and reaching their full potential.

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • explain key terms such as equity and population health;
  • recognize why equity matters in their work; and
  • describe how implementing an equity lens can help families and communities meet their full potential.

To register for this course, please click on the link below:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GnwspX4xQnyna1HA6Jn5TA

Gaithersburg Elementary School Showcases Wellness

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

Gaithersburg Elementary School Showcases Wellness in Montgomery County

On April 10th, the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) partners from IPHI, Trinity Health, Holy Cross Health and the Eat Well Be Active Partnership visited Gaithersburg Elementary School (GES), one of 15 Montgomery County Public Schools implementing Local School Wellness Councils (LSWCs) with support from the TCI.


Left to Right: Michelle Caruso (IPHI), Kimberly McBride (Holy Cross Health), Emily Heberlein (Georgia Health Policy Center), Marla Caplon (MCPS), Jaime Dircksen (Trinity Health), Julia Groenfeldt (IPHI), Beth Geno (Trinity Health), Gaby Massie, (MCPS), Cara Grant (MCPS), Evelyn Kelly (IPHI), Jason Berg (GES), Christine Tilkens (GES), and Principal Meredith McNerney (GES).

As an LSWC pilot school, GES has worked closely with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and IPHI to train and support School Wellness Champions to implement its LSWC and wellness initiatives in alignment with district-wide policy. The site visit allowed project funders and partners to learn about these efforts from the staff and teachers implementing the work.

The site visit group toured the school, visiting a 4th grade classroom equipped with flexible seating such as cushions, yoga balls, standing desks, and sensory seats, as well as the school mindfulness room where students can reflect and reconnect on an as-needed basis. On the tour, the group stopped by a Zumba class, one of the school’s free after-school clubs that promote physical activity to students and parents. The group also observed the school’s daily mindfulness practice at dismissal led by Principal McNerney. Throughout the visit, teachers and staff noted the benefits of these activities and resources that have helped encourage healthy practices and student behavior change throughout the school.

Next year, IPHI and MCPS will use lessons learned from the 15 pilot schools to create tools, resources, and processes in support of district-wide expansion. This strategy is supported through funding from Trinity Health, the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission, and the Healthcare Initiative Foundation.

For more information on the Transforming Communities Initiative, see Healthy Montgomery TCI.

Consultant – Safe Routes to School GIS Map Designer Montgomery County, Maryland

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

Apply Now

The Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) is seeking a part-time, temporary consultant to assist the Montgomery County Department of Transportations’ Traffic Engineering and Operations Division in developing a standard map template of walking areas around Montgomery County Public Schools. These activities will be conducted as part of the Healthy Montgomery Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI).

Background:

Background Trinity Health, one of the country’s largest health systems, awarded a multi-year grant to a partnership in Montgomery County, Maryland to implement a range of public health strategies that can reduce obesity, promote tobacco-free living, and address social determinants that impact health outcomes. The local collaborative includes Trinity Health member Holy Cross Health, the Institute for Public Health Innovation, Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and the Eat Well Be Active Partnership (EWBA), which is connected to the county’s local health improvement process, Healthy Montgomery. IPHI serves as the coordinating entity for the Healthy Montgomery TCI, which focuses on the communities of Gaithersburg, Germantown, Long Branch and Takoma Park.

Safe Routes to School is one of five strategies of the TCI. The overall goal of the Safe Routes to School strategy is to increase the number of students in Montgomery County who walk or bike to school. IPHI is supporting the Department of Transportation in their current efforts to conduct Safe Routes to School assessments in the County. IPHI is collaborating with the Department of Transportation efforts to: develop and promote user-friendly Safe Routes to School maps for schools, increase the number of Safe Routes to School bicycle and pedestrian educational and safety trainings in priority zip codes, and increase collaboration for sustainability between Montgomery County Public Schools and the Department of Transportation for future Safe Routes to School programming.

Scope of Work:

Over a 3-month period, the consultant will develop a standard map template of walking areas around Montgomery County Public Schools. Once the template is developed, it will be utilized to generate maps for all schools in the County. The maps will be used as part of the County’s Safe Routes to School program to inform students and families about walking and bicycling routes to/from school and can also identify areas that require improvements. The consultant will work with the Montgomery County Department of Transportations’ Traffic Engineering and Operations Division to complete the following tasks:

  • Create new shapefiles as well as manipulate and edit existing shapefiles.
  • Gather and map out additional infrastructure data when necessary;
  • Develop report with summary of findings and recommendations for next steps;

Qualifications:

This consultant position requires an experienced professional with the following qualifications:

  • Experience using ArcGIS, preferable version 10.0 or higher.
  • Demonstrated organizational and communications skills.
  • Knowledge of Montgomery County, Maryland.

Compensation: The consultant will be compensated up to $25/hour for an estimated 100 hours of work based upon experience plus a stipend for mileage if applicable.

Job Location: Montgomery County Public Safety Headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD. This position may require travel throughout Montgomery County, Maryland.

Estimated Timeframe: April 1 – June 30, 2018

How to Apply: Please submit the following: 1) resume; 2) cover letter outlining interest, and qualifications; and 3) a list of professional references related to this opportunity. Consultant bids should be submitted to Michelle Caruso, mcaruso@institutephi.org. Please place “TCI GIS Map Designer” in the subject line of the email when applying. A PDF of the job description can be downloaded here.  Applications will be accepted into the position is filled.

 

The Institute for Public Health Innovation values a diverse, respectful, and collaborative work environment. We establish and maintain trustful relationships with all staff, contractors, funders, partners, and communities. We believe that hard work, a focus on quality, and a passion for the public’s health are required to improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. IPHI looks to all staff and contractors to contribute to the effective implementation of programmatic activities.

The Health Collaborative of the Dan River Region Receives National Recognition through Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

The Health Collaborative of the Dan River Region Receives National Recognition through the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge

The Institute for Public Health Innovation has been working in partnership with The Health Collaborative of the Dan River Region, VA to support community health improvement planning and strategy implementation through facilitative leadership, technical assistance, and resource development.

In 2016, The Health Collaborative was selected as one of 50 finalists to compete in the Healthiest Cities  & Counties Challenge, a two-year prize competition supported by the Aetna Foundation, American Public Health Association, and the National Association of Counties.

On February 1st, 2018, The Health Collaborative was selected by the Aetna Foundation as a Spotlight Award winner for its efforts to make the Dan River Region a healthier place to live.  The Health Collaborative is one of 10 groups nationally to receive this award.  The recognition came with $25,000 in funding to support the continuation and growth of the Collaborative’s initiatives.

For more information on the Spotlight Award, read The Health Collaborative’s recent press release or visit www.thehealthcollab.com.

Nine HEAL Cities & Towns Recognized at 2017 Virginia Municipal League Conference

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

For Immediate Release:  October 30, 2017 

Media Contact: 

Julia Groenfeldt, Program and Communications Associate 

Institute for Public Health Innovation 

202.747.3455 

JGroenfeldt@institutephi.org 

Nine HEAL Cities & Towns Recognized at 2017 Virginia Municipal League Conference 

Williamsburg, VA —  On October 3rd, at the Virginia Municipal League’s (VML) annual conference in Williamsburg, the HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign for the Mid-Atlantic recognized the health policy achievements of nine Virginia cities and towns. The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI), in partnership with the Virginia and Maryland Municipal Leagues and with support from Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. The Campaign provides technical assistance to municipal leaders to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting healthy eating and active living (HEAL) policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments.

When they join the HEAL Campaign, cities and towns adopt HEAL policy and practice goals to create communities where all people can make healthy choices to eat nutritious food and be physically active. Each year, the Campaign recognizes cities and towns that advance to higher Campaign recognition levels by achieving their healthy eating and active living goals. The 2017 Virginia honorees’ accomplishments included:  the adoption of nutrition standards that ensure that food and beverages provided at workplace meetings and city-sponsored events include healthy options; the provision of healthy options in vending machines in municipal buildings; the incorporation of health and wellness language in a local comprehensive plan, construction of new main street pedestrian safety improvements, and the establishment of a community garden in a food desert.

The following cities and towns were recognized at the VML conference: 

  • The Towns of Ashland, Big Stone Gap, Wytheville, and the City of Falls Church were recognized as new HEAL Campaign members.
  • The Town of Wytheville received the Bronze HEAL Recognition for achieving one new HEAL goal.
  • The Town of Gordonsville and the City of Richmond earned the SilverHEAL Recognition for two new HEAL goals.  
  • The City of Hopewell and the Town of Middleburg received the GoldRecognition for attaining three new HEAL goals. 
  • The Town of Warrenton received PlatinumHEAL Recognition, the highest HEAL achievement award. Cities and towns that advance to the Platinum level have attained Gold status and provide evidence that their healthy eating and active living work reaches across government departments and is being evaluated and monitored.  

The annual VML Conference is an opportunity for city and town municipal officials to gain peer support, build skills and knowledge, and learn about opportunities to enhance their communities. The HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign led a workshop and roundtable at this year’s conference. Staff led a panel discussion where HEAL representatives from the Town of Crewe, the City of Williamsburg, the Town of Lawrenceville, the Town of Warrenton, and the Town of Bluefield shared strategies and examples of how their municipalities have successfully implemented HEAL initiatives. The HEAL Campaign also facilitated a round-table discussion on Aging Well with HEAL: How Healthy Eating Active Living Policies and Practices Promote Older Adult Health. This discussion included individuals from current HEAL cities and towns as well as municipal leaders interested in learning more about the Campaign and how they can bring healthy options to older residents in their communities.

About the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign:

The HEAL Cities and Towns Campaign provides free technical assistance to local government leaders to help them create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting policies and practices that improve their communities’ physical activity and food environments. HEAL is a project of the Institute for Public Health Innovation, in partnership with the Maryland and Virginia Municipal Leagues and funded by Kaiser Permanente, founding partner. 

For more information, visit the HEAL website at www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org and contact HEAL Program Manager, Sydney Daigle at Sdaigle@institutephi.org, 

About Institute for Public Health Innovation: 

IPHI creates partnerships across sectors and cultivates innovative solutions that improve health and well-being for all populations and communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, particularly those most affected by health inequities. IPHI’s work enhances the environments and conditions in which people live, age, work, learn, and play; strengthens health service systems and public policy; and builds organizational and community capacity to sustain progress.  IPHI is one of over 40 public health institutes across the country and a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes.

For more information on IPHI, see www.institutephi.org, and follow IPHI on Facebook and Twitter @InstitutePHI.

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IPHI Releases the Maryland Food Charter!

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

For Immediate Release:  October 24, 2017

Contact:  

Evelyn Kelly, 202-407-7086

ekelly@institutephi.org

The Institute for Public Health Innovation Releases the State of Maryland’s First Food Charter

Washington, D.C. –  The Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) releases the “Maryland Food Charter: A Roadmap to a Healthy and Sustainable Food System.” The document contains recommendations for each of the five major food system sectors: production and processing, distribution, access, consumption, and recovery. The Maryland Food Charter is the result of a three-year undertaking that began in 2014 and engaged food policy stakeholders including state legislators across the state of Maryland and aligns with recommendations from various food policy documents.

“These recommendations, if used as guidelines for policy makers and organizations working throughout the food system, can foster collaboration and collective action to align organizations and food coalitions across the state to help build a more robust food system,” said Evelyn Kelly, Senior Program Manager with the Institute for Public Health Innovation.

Guiding the planning, implementation, and evaluation of this initiative throughout the years, has been an Advisory Committee composed of eight members that represent multiple food system sectors and interests. The volunteer-based committee along with a Food Charter Coordinator provided critical input and guidance to the effort.

The Food Charter contains recommendations that were developed based on public input from all regions of Maryland, input from state legislators representing 22 districts, and aligns with the  “Maryland Food Policy Scan” and the “Milan Urban Food Policy Act.” IPHI partnered with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future to commission the Food Law and Policy Clinic of Harvard Law School to conduct a policy scan of Maryland’s food systems. “The joint investment in the food charter process and the food policy scan provides Maryland policymakers and advocates a fantastic opportunity to be at the forefront of change, perhaps an example for other states,” commented Anne Palmer, Food Policy Director at John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.

Another guiding document that was incorporated into the Food Charter was the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. “The Pact is an excellent framework to guide the Maryland Food Charter,” said Holly Freishtat, Baltimore City Food Policy Director. “The beauty of the Pact is that it encompasses the whole food system, and as an international accord, it allows the work we do locally and regionally to resonate on an international level and show collective impact around the world.”

The Maryland Food Charter is a living document that unites food system stakeholders around collective values and goals. By building upon the work done thus far, together, we can implement the recommendations in this Charter and create a future Maryland food system that is healthy, equitable, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable.

The Maryland Food Charter Project was made possible through a grant awarded by the Town Creek Foundation. Please visit www.institutephi.org/mdfoodcharter for additional information.

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About Institute for Public Health Innovation: 

IPHI creates partnerships across sectors and cultivates innovative solutions that improve health and well-being for all populations and communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, particularly those most affected by health inequities. IPHI’s work enhances the environments and conditions in which people live, age, work, learn, and play; strengthens health service systems and public policy; and builds organizational and community capacity to sustain progress.  IPHI is one of over 40 public health institutes across the country and a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes.

For more information on IPHI, see www.institutephi.org, and follow IPHI on Facebook and Twitter @InstitutePHI.

The Institute for Public Health Innovation Releases the State of Maryland’s First Food Charter

Posted on by Julia Groenfeldt

For Immediate Release:  October 24, 2017

Contact:  

Evelyn Kelly, 202-407-7086

ekelly@institutephi.org

The Institute for Public Health Innovation Releases the State of Maryland’s First Food Charter

Washington, D.C. –  The Institute for Public Health Innovation (IPHI) releases the “Maryland Food Charter: A Roadmap to a Healthy and Sustainable Food System.” The document contains recommendations for each of the five major food system sectors: production and processing, distribution, access, consumption, and recovery. The Maryland Food Charter is the result of a three-year undertaking that began in 2014 and engaged food policy stakeholders including state legislators across the state of Maryland and aligns with recommendations from various food policy documents.

“These recommendations, if used as guidelines for policy makers and organizations working throughout the food system, can foster collaboration and collective action to align organizations and food coalitions across the state to help build a more robust food system,” said Evelyn Kelly, Senior Program Manager with the Institute for Public Health Innovation.

Guiding the planning, implementation, and evaluation of this initiative throughout the years, has been an Advisory Committee composed of eight members that represent multiple food system sectors and interests. The volunteer-based committee along with a Food Charter Coordinator provided critical input and guidance to the effort.

The Food Charter contains recommendations that were developed based on public input from all regions of Maryland, input from state legislators representing 22 districts, and aligns with the  “Maryland Food Policy Scan” and the “Milan Urban Food Policy Act.” IPHI partnered with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future to commission the Food Law and Policy Clinic of Harvard Law School to conduct a policy scan of Maryland’s food systems. “The joint investment in the food charter process and the food policy scan provides Maryland policymakers and advocates a fantastic opportunity to be at the forefront of change, perhaps an example for other states,” commented Anne Palmer, Program Director at John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.

Another guiding document that was incorporated into the Food Charter was the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. “The Pact is an excellent framework to guide the Maryland Food Charter,” said Holly Freishtat, Baltimore City Food Policy Director. “The beauty of the Pact is that it encompasses the whole food system, and as an international accord, it allows the work we do locally and regionally to resonate on an international level and show collective impact around the world.”

The Maryland Food Charter is a living document that unites food system stakeholders around collective values and goals. By building upon the work done thus far, together, we can implement the recommendations in this Charter and create a future Maryland food system that is healthy, equitable, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable.

The Maryland Food Charter Project was made possible through a grant awarded by the Town Creek Foundation. Please visit www.institutephi.org/mdfoodcharter for additional information.

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About Institute for Public Health Innovation: 

IPHI creates partnerships across sectors and cultivates innovative solutions that improve health and well-being for all populations and communities across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, particularly those most affected by health inequities. IPHI’s work enhances the environments and conditions in which people live, age, work, learn, and play; strengthens health service systems and public policy; and builds organizational and community capacity to sustain progress.  IPHI is one of over 40 public health institutes across the country and a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes.

For more information on IPHI, see www.institutephi.org, and follow IPHI on Facebook and Twitter @InstitutePHI.