Health dept. receives 'We Choose Health' grant

[August 15, 2012]  The Illinois Department of Public Health has awarded $3.5 million in "We Choose Health" grants to 21 grantees covering 60 counties in Illinois, including $30,000 to the Logan County Department of Public Health to develop a coordinated school health program, encourage baby-friendly hospitals and expand smoke-free public policy.

The grant program is a multiyear IDPH initiative to encourage and support prevention of obesity and tobacco use in Illinois communities. IDPH received a Community Transformation Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work with communities to implement proactive health programs.

A community health needs assessment facilitated by the health department in 2010 identified three public health priorities in Logan County: adult obesity, diseases of the heart and oral health. The We Choose Health grant will address each of these needs as young people are introduced to healthy habits in schools; new mothers are encouraged to breast-feed in baby-friendly hospitals, providing proper nutrition to their newborns; and smoking in public areas is discouraged. Encouraging healthy habits at a young age through schools and breast-feeding aims to decrease future rates of adult obesity and diseases of the heart. In addition, discouraging smoking in public places may lead to lower rates of tobacco use and could improve the oral health of smokers.

"It is important that we all work together -- area organizations, schools, local health departments, municipalities and others -- to improve the health of people in our communities," said Illinois Department of Public Health Director LaMar Hasbrouck. "I want to congratulate the Logan County Department of Public Health on receiving one of 21 We Choose Health grants and encourage everyone in the community to get involved in the exciting new programs coming your way."

[Text from file received from the Logan County Department of Public Health]