In the Community
March 16, 2007
LiveWell Colorado Aims to Reduce Colorado's Obesity Rates
Colorado Lieutenant Governor helps launch $3 million community-based initiative to encourage healthy lifestyle
Denver, Colo., — Surrounded by key leaders from Colorado's health department, major foundations and representatives of programs working to encourage Coloradans to adopt healthier exercise and eating behaviors, Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien officially launched LiveWell Colorado, a new partnership that will provide millions to help reverse the state's obesity trends and reduce related chronic diseases. Program representatives announced 12 communities that will receive funding to implement local initiatives that encourage citizens to eat better and move more.
"Reversing obesity trends requires a comprehensive community approach to good health that supports individuals throughout their lifespan and involves all sectors of the community," O'Brien said. "This includes making sure our children have healthy food options and opportunities for physical activity at school; encouraging worksites to offer employee wellness programs and structuring our community environments to ensure that there are safe places to walk, run and play."
LiveWell Colorado grant recipients will promote healthy eating and active living through policies, programs and environmental changes in school, worksites, health care and other community settings.
As a partnership among foundations, health care organizations, non-profit organizations and state and local public health agencies, LiveWell Colorado builds on programs previously supported by the Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Kaiser Permanente's Thriving Communities Initiative.
Sponsored by The Colorado
Health Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment, LiveWell Colorado will
leverage and coordinate statewide and community-based efforts to encourage
healthy lifestyles, with the ultimate goal of reaching every Colorado
community. The initiative will seek to expand funding opportunities
to communities throughout Colorado by garnering support from additional
public, private and non-profit organizations. New funding opportunities
will be announced at www.livewellcolorado.com as they become available.
According to the United States Surgeon General, obesity is the single
greatest public health threat to the nation. In fact, poor nutrition
and lack of physical activity are the second leading preventable causes
of death in the United States and Colorado.
While Colorado is among the leanest states, with 45.5 percent of adults being at a healthy weight, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Colorado is rising in concert with national rates, putting a large portion of the population at risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and asthma. Studies show that only 27 percent of Colorado's children ages 5-14 are physically active at least five or more hours a week and nearly 29 percent of Colorado's children are considered overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.
About the Sponsors
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is the largest private health care provider in Colorado
with more than 482,000 members in the Denver, Boulder and Colorado
Springs areas. Kaiser Permanente owns and operates 17 medical offices,
four mental health and chemical dependency offices in the state,
and boasts state-of-the-art health care technologies, such as its
electronic medical record system, KP HealthConnect™. As a non-profit
organization, Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the health
of the communities it serves. It partners with key organizations
to tackle challenges such as decreasing the number of uninsured,
improving health care affordability and public health issues such
as obesity. Kaiser Permanente physicians and care teams focus on
prevention as well as managing and treating illness, all in an effort
to help patients live well and thrive.
The Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition (COPAN) Program
An initiative of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment,
the Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program's mission
is to prevent obesity and related chronic diseases and to promote healthy
lifestyles for all Coloradans. A driving force of COPAN is its coalition—a
group of more than 450 public and private partners working together
to design, implement, coordinate and evaluate statewide interventions
that are effective, widely accepted and culturally appropriate throughout
the state. COPAN seeks to achieve these goals by building a comprehensive
community approach to good health that supports individuals throughout
the lifespan and involves all sectors of the community.
The Colorado Health Foundation
The Colorado Health Foundation (formerly HealthONE Alliance) is a non-profit,
tax-exempt organization devoted to making Colorado the nation's
healthiest state. Its assets total more than $800 million, including
an investment portfolio as well as an ownership interest in Denver's
HealthONE hospital system. These assets serve the community through
grants, medical education programs, health policy initiatives and direct
care programs serving older adults, families, mothers and infants.
For more information on Kaiser Permanente's participation in LiveWell Colorado, e-mail Jacque Montgomery at jacque.montgomery@kp.org
LiveWell Colorado Communities
The following agencies have received funding from LiveWell Colorado
to implement healthy eating and active living programs in the communities
they serve:
Denver Urban Gardens – $164,428
Communities: Auraria/Lincoln Park,
Sun Valley, Baker
Contact: Lisa Knoblauch, 303-292-9900Denver Health and Hospital Authority — $103,030
Communities: Barnum, Barnum West, Sun Valley, Valverde, Villa Park, West Colfax
Contact: Jennifer Wieczorek, 303-436-5426Denver Healthy People 2010 – $248,309
Communities: Park Hill Northeast, North,
and South Park Hill
Contact: Elaine Borton, 720-865-5465Health and Human Services , City and County of Broomfield – $140,000
Community: City and County of Broomfield
Contact: Mary Thatcher, 720-887-2213Jefferson County Dept. of Health and Environment – $202,862
Community: City of Wheat Ridge
Contact: Elise Lubell, 303-271-5719Tri-County Health Department – $264,358
Community: Commerce City – Historic City
Contact: Merrick Wright, 720-322-1540Valley Wide Health Systems, Inc. – $166,238
Community: Alamosa County
Contact: Christine Hettinger-Hunt, 719-589-5161Prowers County – $76,550
Community: City of Lamar
Contact: Teale Hemphill, 719-336-1673Healthy Lifestyles Coalition – $149,380
Community: Durango
Contact: Wendy Rice, 970 382-6461El Paso County Department of Health
and Environment – $67,320
Community: Fountain
Contact: Libby Evans, 719-578-3253Poudre Valley Hospital Foundation – $182,448
Community: Ft. Collins
Contact: Virginia Englert, 970-495-7517Summit County Prevention Alliance – $124,786
Community: Summit County
Contact: Tom Rose, 970-668-2077
The agencies below are not currently receiving funding from LiveWell Colorado. However, they are receiving technical assistance in the development of comprehensive action plans and are considered LiveWell communities:
Cross Community Coalition
Communities: Globeville, Elyria, Swansea
Contact: Arturo Rodriguez , 303-292-1236Regis University
Communities: Northwest Denver Neighborhoods
Contact: Susan Scherer, 303-458-4152Eagle County Department of Health and Human ServicesCommunity: Eagle County
Contact: Jill Hunsaker, 970-328-8819,Foothills Park and Recreation
Community: Southwest Kipling Villas
Contact: Tammy Adams, 303-409-2100Full Circle Inter-Generational Project, Inc.
Community: Skyland Neighborhood, Denver
Contact: Anita West-Ware, 303-333-7595