Healthy Communities

Health begins where we live, learn, work and play. The Linn County Healthy Communities program works collaboratively to support policy, system and environmental changes that create an opportunity for all to be more physically active, eat a healthy diet, not use tobacco, and decrease chronic conditions. Creating communities where we all have access to healthy options is the Healthy Communities priority.  

Why policy, system and environmental change?

Where you live can affect how well and how long you live. Policy, systems and environmental change makes healthy living easier for every community member by looking at the laws, rules and environments that impact our behavior or protect our health and well-being.

Priorities and Recent Projects

Community Health Improvement Process

• Lead the development of the Linn County Community Health Assessment and Linn County Community Health Improvement Plan

Increase Access to Healthier Foods

• Partner with Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital to enhance the nutrition environment of the hospital’s dining area. This has included the implementation of a sugar sweetened beverage reduction campaign and a sodium reduction project
• Learn more by viewing the Linn County Sodium Reduction report included under Supporting Documents

Increase Access to Physical Activity

• Connecting the Dots between Health and Transportation in the Linn-Benton Region brought together 100 community members and leaders from Linn and Benton Counties to learn about, discuss, and lay a path toward building healthy communities

Prevent Chronic Disease

• Collaborate with Benton and Lincoln County Health Departments, InterCommunity Health Network CCO (IHNCCO) and local health care providers to implement The Colorectal Cancer Screening Campaign
• Learn more about the Colorectal Cancer Screening Campaign by viewing the Summary Report, Findings and Recommendations, and Evaluation included under Supporting Documents

Manage Chronic Disease

• Support Linn County Health Services, Samaritan Health Services and community partners to increase the availability of chronic disease self-management classes for all in Linn County