Texas Health Resources was recently honored with the Texas Hospital Association’s 2022 Excellence in Community Service Award the accomplishments of Blue Zones Project, a well-being initiative in Tarrant County implemented by North Texas Healthy Communities (NTHC), the nonprofit outreach arm of Texas Health Resources. The award recognizes hospitals and health care systems that distinguished themselves through contributions to their communities. Brought to Fort Worth in 2014, Blue Zones Project works to make healthy choices easier and more accessible.
Blue Zones Project focuses on helping individuals and communities adopt the Power 9® principles of a healthy lifestyle. Those include moving naturally, eating more plant-based foods, living with purpose, putting family first, and reducing stress. The principles are based on habits common in communities around the world where individuals live longer, better lives. In Fort Worth, that has meant working with area schools, businesses, neighborhoods, grocers, restaurants, non-profits, faith-based organizations, and residents to make healthier choices easier.
“Blue Zones Project in Fort Worth is a testament to the power and effectiveness of collective impact,” said Barclay Berdan, FACHE, CEO, Texas Health Resources. “We have seen tremendous improvement in the health and well-being of our community and its residents.”
Blue Zones Project’s efforts have yielded substantial improvements for the mental and physical well-being of Fort Worth area residents. Between 2013 and 2018, Fort Worth raised its national well-being ranking to 31st from 185th on the list of 190 reported metro areas in the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index (WBI). The WBI provides an in-depth view of American’s social, financial, community and physical well-being. As a result, in late 2018 Fort Worth was recognized as a certified Blue Zones Community®, the largest in the country. Despite a nationwide pandemic, Fort Worth’s 2020 score remained unchanged from 2018, demonstrating that the substantial progress was resilient and sustainable.
Under NTHC, the work continues, building on the momentum that has been created and sustained through Blue Zones Project since day one. In many cases, ongoing work impacts specific parts of the city identified through Texas Health Resources’ Community Health Needs Assessment as being in high need and where healthy choices are not as readily available.
That includes innovative initiatives like the Fresh Access and Good For You Pantry programs, which provide no-cost access to fresh produce and healthy foods at the neighborhood level in collaboration with schools and community centers. NTHC also supports Double Up Food Bucks, a national program that allows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit recipients to double their buying power on fresh produce at select grocery stores and farmers markets.
“The work that we’ve accomplished over the past eight years is due to the incredible support of this community and our continued commitment to making this one of the healthiest cities in the country,” said Matt Dufrene, North Texas Healthy Communities vice president. “We are proud to receive this recognition but also understand there is still much to be done.”
About Texas Hospital Association
Founded in 1930, the Texas Hospital Association is the leadership organization and principal advocate for the state’s hospitals and health care systems. Based in Austin, THA enhances its members’ abilities to improve accessibility, quality and cost-effectiveness of health care for all Texans. One of the largest hospital associations in the country, THA represents more than 488 of the state’s non-federal general and specialty hospitals and health care systems, which employ some 400,000 health care professionals statewide. Learn more about THA at www.tha.org or follow THA on Twitter at https://twitter.com/texashospitals.
About North Texas Healthy Communities
North Texas Healthy Communities (NTHC) is the outreach arm of Texas Health Resources and invested in supporting community health improvement in North Texas through the delivery of innovative health initiatives focused on overall well-being. A signature program of NTHC is the implementation of Blue Zones Project in Fort Worth, a community-led well-being improvement initiative that was brought to the city by Texas Health Resources and other partners to support its mission “to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve.” Blue Zones Project works with businesses, schools, community leaders, and residents to support longer, better lives. Since 2015, more than 95,000 people and 367 groups and organizations have worked together to improve well-being. Fort Worth is the nation’s largest certified Blue Zones Community. The American Hospital Association and its partners highlighted Blue Zones Project in presenting Texas Health Resources the 2022 Foster G. McGaw Prize, which recognizes U.S. health care organizations committed to community health and well-being.