County receives ‘Healthier Tennessee’ grant
Stacy Baugus presented a $5000 check to Mayor Terry Frank at the Anderson County Health Department on April 18, 2017 for Anderson County’s work to become a Healthier Tennessee Community (#activeanderson) Committee shown with the check are: In front from left, Anderson County Schools Coordinated School Health Anna Hurt, Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, Anderson County Health Dept. Health Educator Kathy Scruggs, AC Tenn Kids Lay Outreach worker Nan Lynch and Anderson County Chamber of Commerce’s Kim Mitchell. In back from left, Oak Ridge City Schools Coordinated School Health Jenifer Laurendine, ASAP’s Stacey Pratt, AC Health Dept. Director Art Miller, Clinton Drugs’ Tyler Dougherty, ASAP’s Adam Guinn, and Clinton City Schools Director, Kelly Johnson.
To earn the grant, Anderson County achieved:
• At least 50 percent of K-8 teachers using GoNoodle, an interactive, online tool that encourages exercise during the school day.
• At least 15 percent of faith communities with 100 or more members using Small Starts @ Worship wellness programs.
• At least 20 percent of workplaces with 35 or more employees using Small Starts @ Work wellness programs.
In Tennessee, one in five adults smokes, and one in five high school students uses tobacco.
Approximately 34 percent of the population is classified as obese and an additional 34 percent are overweight, and type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure are at epidemic levels.
The Healthier Tennessee Communities initiative takes a local approach to improving Tennesseans’ health by engaging citizens and local leaders in cities, towns, counties and neighborhoods across the state.
To be designated a Healthier Tennessee Community Anderson County must initiate and sustain community-wide events and activities that support physical activity, healthy eating and tobacco abstinence, and then track and measure outputs and accomplishments of the program.
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank noted “We are extremely thankful for the Governor’s Foundation for Health and Wellness and their efforts to promote local partnerships and solutions to improving physical health. We are excited that Anderson County is receiving recognition for our local efforts, and thanks to the grant from the Foundation, we are eagerly looking forward to increasing our efforts even more to improve the health of people in our community.”
The Governor’s Foundation launched the Healthier Tennessee Communities initiative in March 2015 with nine pilot communities. Today, 82 communities are engaged with the program and 24 have already received the designation.
For more information about the Healthier Tennessee Community program and other Healthier Tennessee initiatives, visit www.healthiertn.com.