Hello!
Welcome to the new members of Live Well Allegheny!
The campaign to make Allegheny County the healthiest county in the nation continues to grow! On December 5th, we announced that Eat’n Park and Hello Bistro have made the commitment to Live Well Allegheny.
Live Well Allegheny participated in the 2016 Thanksgiving Distribution hosted by Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh that was held on November 19, 2016 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. In addition to the Urban League, many of our Live Well Allegheny community partners were there sharing public health information with attendees.
The first week of December is National Influenza Vaccination Week! As the temperatures start to drop, please take appropriate steps to prevent the illness – flu shots and handwashing practices not only protect yourself, but others, from getting sick.
Do you have an event coming up? Please let us know so we can add it to the Live Well Allegheny event calendar. Contact Marie Fontelo (Marie.Fontelo@AlleghenyCounty.us) with details. Please also check the partner resources page of the web site for additional resources.
Karen Hacker, MD, MPH
Director, Allegheny County Health Department
Campaign Corner
Did you know research discoveries can take up to 17 years to reach communities?
The Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Pittsburgh is hoping to change that with the WORDOUT: Community Research Dissemination Challenge. Community organizations will be able to develop creative ideas and innovative strategies to share the latest research and evidence-based practices. Applications due December 22nd.
Did you get your invitation to the Live Well Allegheny Learning Collaborative event on January 10, 2017?
Please visit our website for more information and RSVP today!
The Healthy Schools Campaign is hosting a webinar on December 15th at 1 pm entitled How States are Leveraging Medicaid to Expand Health Services in Schools.
The webinar will provide an overview of the Healthy Students, Promising Futures Learning Collaborative and highlight preliminary findings, successes and challenges that the state teams are facing.
We are happy to announce that Pittsburgh City Council has officially passed a Complete Streets policy for Pittsburgh!
Complete Streets is a transportation policy and design approach that requires streets to be planned, designed, operated, and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation.
Partner Information
Let’s Move Pittsburgh is making it easier than ever to adopt the 5-2-1-0 lifestyle. Simply text LETSMOVEPGH to 41411, and receive two text messages a week with helpful, healthy tips from medical professionals.
A recent article published by the Wall Street Journal described why people who experience food insecurity are often at higher risk of developing chronic conditions, including diabetes.
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank facilitates programs like Green Grocer and Produce to People to bring more fresh produce into the homes of the families.
The 412 Food Rescue Hero App is Here!
The 412 Food Rescue saves food from going to landfills and redirects it to nonprofits that serve those who are food insecure. They recently released an app that connects volunteers all over Allegheny County with food rescue opportunities near them.
Judging is open for the UpPrize Social Innovation Challenge. Several Live Well Allegheny Community Partners have entered with their ideas for a project or product that will have a positive impact on their local community.
Check out the videos and cast your vote!
What’s Happening in Public Health
Do you support limiting exposure to
e-cigarettes in indoor public places?
In November, the Allegheny County Board of Health unanimously passed regulations to ban the use of electronic cigarettes in indoor public places where traditional cigarettes are not permitted. Moving forward, these regulations will be considered by Allegheny County Council for review and potential passage as an ordinance.
Interested in learning more about e-cigarettes as a public health issue?
The American Lung Association in Pennsylvania released a press release in November, commending the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for passing a rule that requires all public housing agencies go smoke-free. It will protect two million Americans from exposure to secondhand smoke, including the most vulnerable – children and adults over the age of 62. The policies apply to residential units as well as common areas.
Be a School Wellness Champion!
The United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service released a Local School Wellness Policy Outreach Toolkit. Engage school staff and parents in school wellness using these ready-to-go communication tools.
Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) released a Special Issue Brief: Obesity Rates Among WIC Children. The report highlighted an increase in obesity rates in children 2-4 years old on WIC benefits. Based on data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TFAH and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation developed visual data.
This is the latest Live Well Allegheny e-update. Please find a variety of information that will be helpful to you in your efforts, and can also be shared within your own networks. As always, you can find a great deal of information on our website at www.livewellallegheny.com, including partner resources which are available here: https://livewellallegheny.com/about-us/live-well-allegheny-participants/partner-materials/.
We now have 33 communities, 7 school districts, 112 community partners, 23 restaurants, and 3 workplaces united in our efforts!