January 25, 2018

PITTSBURGH – The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) announced today that one community and one workplace have earned the Live Well Allegheny designation. This brings the total to 50 communities, 41 restaurants, 14 workplaces and 13 school districts that are making health a priority in Allegheny County.

“We are very pleased to announce that the Borough of Dravosburg and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank have committed to the Live Well Allegheny program,” said Dr. Karen Hacker, ACHD Director. “To reach our goal of making Allegheny County the healthiest county in the nation, we want to ensure that residents have access to healthy options where we live, learn, work and eat. We encourage all community partners to join the Live Well Alleghenycampaign if they haven’t already done so.”

Live Well Allegheny Community
The Borough of Dravosburg is committed to accomplishing the goals of Live Well Allegheny, and will take actions that will impact both employees and residents. For employees, they will promote the participation in a voluntary wellness campaign and offer incentives for employees who walk or bike to work. For residents, the borough will focus on increasing physical activity by promoting walking trails, developing walking maps, encouraging multi-modal transportation by providing policies and facilities that encourage walking and biking, and promote wellness events. Dravosburg will also promote local farmers markets and ask for healthier options in their vending machines, and promote smoke-free buildings and perimeters.

Live Well Allegheny Workplace
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has a Workplace Culture Committee that provides its employees with opportunities to improve physical health, mental health, and personal and community safety. Employees have access to: healthy food options in vending machines, filtered water stations, secure bicycle storage and safe outdoor walking paths. The Food Bank has integrated workplace policies, such as a tobacco-free policy, a breast-feeding policy that includes isolated areas and flexibility for employees to pump at work, and two Employee Assistance Programs. Health education, screenings and prevention are also offered, which includes a free annual flu shot clinic for employees.

Live Well Allegheny was launched in January 2014 by County Executive Rich Fitzgerald as a comprehensive, innovative strategy on wellness that embraces a broad concept of living well to include physical health, mental wellness, personal and community safety, prevention and preparedness, and much more. The effort is being led by the Allegheny County Board of Health and ACHD Director, Dr. Karen Hacker.

Participants in the Live Well Allegheny campaign work with the Health Department’s staff. While monetary resources are not part of the initiative, participating workplaces can receive materials, information and collateral items to promote the campaign and their individual efforts to live well.