Group looks to improve health of NL residents

New London - ACHIEVE New London, a group formed by the Ledge Light Health District to develop a plan to improve the health of city residents, presented its recommendations to the City Council's Public Welfare Committee last week.

The recommendations to reduce and prevent chronic disease among residents follows a six-month review of policies, systems and environmental conditions that may be impacting the city's health, according to a health district news release. The ACHIEVE group is comprised of 24 representatives of community organizations.

"We know that a long, healthy life depends more on where we live than our access to health care or our family history," said Baker Salsbury, director of health at Ledge Light. "For that reason, we must focus not only on personal behavior but on the community itself. We have been given an opportunity to start where prevention begins, where we live, work, play and learn."

To support these strategies, ACHIEVE will conduct a survey of city residents this month.

"The Healthy Residents Survey has been created to gain valuable information from the individuals who are impacted the most, the citizens of New London," Cindy Barry, community relations supervisor at Ledge Light, said.

Residents can access the survey, offered in English and Spanish, at Ledge Light Health District's Web site at www.ledgelighthd.org. It will also be included in the Dec. 10 and 17 editions of the New London Times and at several locations throughout the city listed below.

This summer the ACHIEVE Team met to collect and review local city and census profile data, health status reports, strategic school profiles and conduct interviews with key leaders and neighborhood groups. The team conducted three tours of New London to assess conditions, then created an inventory of assets and challenges in New London that impact health. The team joined 42 other groups that also received federal grants for similar projects at the Action Institute in Washington, D.C., to learn what makes some communities healthier than others.

The four goals in the strategic plan adopted by ACHIEVE New London for 2010 are: to improve nutrition among New London residents; increase physical activity; prevent and reduce tobacco use; and improve chronic disease management.

The team plans to work with employers, schools, community organizations, elected officials and healthcare providers to:

• Encourage community gardening initiatives through schools, neighborhoods and community organizations.

• Improve access and promote use of farmers markets and mobile produce stands.

• Adopt strategies to recruit large supermarkets into underserved areas of New London.

• Adopt strategies to encourage food retailers to provide healthy food and beverages in underserved areas.

• Create and maintain a network of walking routes with signage.

• Open schools for community exercise opportunities.

• Improve safe opportunities for bicycle riding, including safe routes to school and work.

• Institute traffic-calming measures to make areas where people could more easily and safely be physically active.

• Promote stairwell use in all public buildings.

• Require a health impact assessment for all new zoning and transportation proposals.

• Institute a "point of purchase" ordinance requiring tobacco vendors to place a sign at the cash register displaying the health consequences of smoking.

• Provide culturally and linguistically appropriate tobacco cessation resources and services.

• Regulate tobacco advertising through an ordinance banning tobacco advertising at the street and on gas pumps.

• Adopt strategies to educate residents on obesity prevention, controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar.

• Enhance access to chronic disease self-management programs.

• Adopt curriculum in schools that increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke and the importance of calling 9-1-1 during a medical emergency.

Surveys and drop boxes are available at the following locations:

• Kente Cultural Center: 219 Bank St.

• Gemma Moran Food Center: 374 Broad St.

• Centro de la Comunidad: 109 Blinman St.

• New London Main Street

• New London Senior Center: 120 Broad St.

• TVCCA: 81 Huntington St.

• Community Health Center: 1 Shaw's Cove.

• City Hall

• The Public Library of New London

• Homeward Bound Treasures: 35 Golden St.

The ACHIEVE team is also establishing four work groups focused on nutrition, physical activity, chronic disease management and tobacco. The groups will meet independently of the ACHIEVE team to begin implementing select strategies and refine strategies when the resident survey is completed. Residents and subject experts interested in serving on a work group should contact Barry at (860) 448-4882, ext. 302, or cbarry@ledgelighthd.org.