An Analysis of Case Studies for the Baltimore City Health Department By: Ashley Brown

 Background: Healthy Baltimore 2015  Methodology  Case Studies ◦ Oakland, CA ◦ Fort Worth, TX ◦ Los Angeles, CA  Lessons Learned

 In May 2011, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake released her plan to improve the health of Baltimore residents.  “Redesign communities to prevent obesity”  The Cross Agency Health Taskforce (CAHT): A coalition of government agencies  Create policies to improve increase physical activity.

 Increase percent of adults getting recommended levels of physical activity by 20%  Decrease percent of adults who are obese by 15%

Promote physical activity within government agencies and the community as a whole. Feasibility Implementation StrategiesChallenges

Arkansas Colorado North Carolina mi Georgia CALIFORNIA TEXAS Los Angeles Boulder Fort Worth Oakland Michigan Case Study Locations Cities Oakland, CA Los Angeles, CA Fort Worth, TX

 The case studies were included if they matched at least one of the following criteria: ◦ Low-income communities ◦ Urban areas ◦ High prevalence of minorities, especially African American ◦ Limited infrastructure to support physical activity

 Government should adopt policies and regulations that support active environments.  Government’s should model “healthy fit” workplace. ◦ A “Healthy Fit” workplace is a workplace environment that promotes healthy eating and physical activity.

 Complete sidewalks and streets to support walking and biking and decrease car dependence in all communities.  Pedestrian Master Plan It focuses on improvements in public spaces to become more convenient, safe, and attractive.  Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program  Plans, secures funds for, and implements bicycle projects throughout Oakland.

 Oakland’s Pedestrian plan was adopted in 2002, and there has been great progress.  For example, more of Oakland’s traffic signal video cameras are being configured to respond to bicyclists.

Retrieved from: City of Oakland Department of Public Works

 Implementation Strategy:  Adequate staff for support.  Community engagement.  Coordinate with scheduled projects for street re-paving, streetscaping, etc.  Invest in retail or commercial centers.

 I “Bike” Oakland is a biannual newsletter of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program.  The newsletter provides an overview of accomplishments in the previous six months on the implementation of Oakland’s Bicycle Master Plan.  “Suggest a bike rack” or join “Oakland’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee”

 Challenges:  Large traffic volume  Inadequate sidewalks  Freeways as barriers  Limited benches, bus shelters, and trees, etc.

 Reimburse employees for preventive health and wellness services.  Worksite wellness: The City of Fort Worth designed a wellness program to improve the health of employees and reduce health claim costs.  Employees who meet a number of health behavior criteria can receive: ◦ Up to $250 in cash ◦ 15 hours in additional vacation time

 Healthy Behavior: ◦ 30 continuous minutes of aerobic exercise most days ◦ Participate in a physical activity program  Outcomes: ◦ When the program began, 56 % of participants were in the high risk category, 3 years later only 22 % were still high risk.

 Implementation Strategy: ◦ Make it a competition among departments. ◦ Top management support is critical. ◦ Confidentiality of data is necessary.  You must ensure a firewall between personnel and wellness data.  Challenges: ◦ The major challenge of a worksite wellness program is having employees stay with the program long enough to realize its benefits.

 Physical Activity and Safety  The Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD)  Summer night lights (SNL): Keep parks open after dark. ◦ Activities, such as sports leagues, dancing competitions, nutrition classes, etc.  Community engagement: Youth and the police department were involved throughout the school year.

SNL 2010 Outcomes

Remember the 3 C’s  Community Engagement  Collaboration  Commitment