Portland, Oregon -- November 13, 2015 – Wednesday wrapped up back-to-back events hosted by Oregon Healthiest State and Blue Zones Project® Oregon. The events drew nearly 300 private, public and not-for-profit leaders and advocates from across the state who have already laid groundwork to boost community health and well-being in Oregon. Attendees developed a shared understanding of the state of health in Oregon, shared best practices from their local communities and organizations, committed to addressing the most pressing health issues together, and gained access to resources to drive positive health outcomes for the people of Oregon.
“Through shared measurement and coordinating efforts across communities and sectors, Oregon Healthiest State partners are committed to drastically improving the health of all Oregonians,” said Katie McClure, Oregon Healthiest State Executive Director.
The 2nd annual Oregon Healthiest State Summit took place on November 10 and the Blue Zones Institute® followed on November 11. Both efforts have leadership funding provided by Cambia Health Foundation along with additional funding from other organizations.
Oregon Healthiest State Summit
Building on momentum from last year’s kickoff, this year’s Oregon Healthiest State summit focused on where Oregonians stand in terms of health and well-being, learned from communities and organizations from throughout the state, and made new commitments.
Dr. Joe Robertson, Oregon Health and Science University President shared highlights from the State of Health in Oregon: Progress and Opportunities report. The report indicates that while Oregon currently ranks No. 27 of all states for overall well-being, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index®, the data is more dismal when chronic conditions, demographics, and geographies are dis-aggregated. Oregon’s health ranking is further below the national average in terms of rates of diabetes, obesity, tobacco use, and mental health disorders – and these rates are much higher in communities of color and in the rural regions of the state.
The study concludes that health in Oregon is a picture of scattered improvement against a backdrop of pervasive challenges.
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Hundreds Convene to support healthy communities and organizations
“Today proved that Oregonians are rallying together. There is great work already in motion and passionate leaders digging in to change our story,” said McClure. “Examples include an emerging commitment from the business community to improve the health of employees, combining the issues of mental health and child abuse prevention into a statewide focus on early interventions, and building a common agenda to ensure financial well-being for all Oregonians.”
Assembled business, health and community leaders were called upon to commit to a common agenda that will make it easier for everyone in Oregon to live healthier lives.
Attendees welcomed this challenge and were energized by keynote speaker Dan Buettner, National
Geographic fellow and New York Times best-selling author of “The Blue Zones” and “The Blue Zones Solution.” Buettner shared research and stories illustrating that health is largely influenced by the environments in which we live, work and play. Using case studies of other communities that have taken a comprehensive approach to improving well-being, Buettner imparted that Oregon can also follow these evidence-based initiatives to drive health outcomes.
Blue Zones Institute
Blue Zones Project hosted the first-ever Blue Zones Institute in Oregon.
Attendees learned about the work that is already underway by the Blue Zones Project team in Oregon, and national experts in community transformation were paired with local stakeholders for hands-on action planning sessions. These sessions equipped participants with tools and strategies to implement a suite of community well-being initiatives immediately.
“Oregonians have a long history of banding together to make positive change that benefits not just themselves in the moment, but future generations,” said Aaron Patnode, Executive Director of Blue Zones Project in Oregon. “The Institute offered a setting for 150 employers, educators, entrepreneurs and community leaders with those same goals to learn more about the Blue Zones Project approach and apply it to their own organizations and towns. The dedication and thinking each Institute participant brought to the day was inspiring and a great start to the statewide Blue Zones Project initiative.”
Blue Zones Project is brought to Oregon through leadership funding by Cambia Health Foundation to support Oregon Healthiest State, in collaboration with Healthways, Inc. and Blue Zones, LLC. Blue Zones Project is a community-by-community initiative designed to enable community members to live longer, happier lives with lower rates of chronic diseases and a higher quality of life. The state and selected communities within Oregon are receiving support from national experts to engage individuals, schools, worksites and other organizations to optimize the built environment, policy and social networks. Klamath Falls was previously announced as the first community in Oregon to become a Blue Zones Project demonstration site.
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Hundreds Convene to support healthy communities and organizations
About Oregon Healthiest State
More than 70 percent of our health is influenced by our behaviors and surroundings, while just 30 percent is influenced by genetics and access to health care. That 70 percent is where Oregon Healthiest State partners focus their attention. This cross-sector, statewide movement addresses health and wellbeing on all levels—physical, mental, emotional, social, financial, and sense of purpose. It works statewide through initiatives that align allies and resources to take on the state’s most pressing health issues; and at the local level with communities making healthy options abundant for everyone. With input and leadership from across the state, dedicated staffing, and leadership funding from Cambia Health Foundation and others, Oregon Healthiest State’s work will benefit all Oregonians, with a particular focus on reducing health disparities and inequities. Oregon Healthiest State’s goal is that by 2020, Oregonians are healthy, health equity increases, and Oregon is the healthiest state. For more information, visit ORhealthieststate.org.
About Cambia Health Foundation
Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate foundation of Cambia Health Solutions, a total health solutions company dedicated to transforming the way people experience the health care system. A 501(c)(3) grant-making organization, the Foundation invests and partners with organizations to advance palliative care quality, access and understanding; improve the behavioral health of underserved children; and transform health care to a more person-focused and economically sustainable system. Learn more at cambiahealthfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter.
About Healthways
Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY) is the largest independent global provider of well-being improvement solutions. Dedicated to creating a healthier world one person at a time, the Company uses the science of behavior change to produce and measure positive change in well-being for our customers, which include employers, integrated health systems, hospitals, physicians, health plans, communities and government entities. We provide highly specific and personalized support for each individual and their team of experts to optimize each participant’s health and productivity and to reduce health-related costs. Results are achieved by addressing longitudinal health risks and care needs of everyone in a given population. The Company has scaled its proprietary technology infrastructure and delivery capabilities developed over 30 years, and now serves approximately 68 million people on four continents. Learn more at www.healthways.com.
About Blue Zones
Blue Zones employs evidence-based ways to help people live longer, better. The Company's work is rooted in the New York Times best-selling books The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People, The Blue Zones and Thrive—all published by National Geographic books. Since 2009, Blue Zones has applied the tenets of the books to communities and corporations across the U.S. and has successfully raised life expectancy and lowered health care costs while bringing down smoking and obesity rates. Blue Zones takes a systematic, environmental approach to well-being, which focuses on optimizing policy, building design, social networks, and the built environment. The Blue Zones Project is based on this innovative approach. For more information, visit www.bluezones.com.
Editor’s note: Download photos from both events. For a copies of the State of Health in Oregon:
Progress and Opportunities report visit the Oregon Healthiest State website.
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