Reposted from Business Wire on February 13, 2015.
HILO, Hawaii & NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hawai’i Medical Service Association (HMSA), Blue Zones, LLC and Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY) today announced that three Hawaii communities have been selected as Hawaii’s first Blue Zones Project® Demonstration Communities. HMSA and Blue Zones Project congratulated East Hawaii, North Hawaii and Windward Oahu (Ko`olaupoko) at an announcement ceremony in Hilo. These three communities will now join the island of Kauai, which was a selected to be a Blue Zones Project pilot community in 2013. Blue Zones Project Hawaii was launched through a partnership between HMSA and Healthways to improve the health and well-being of the state.
“We all recognize that we can’t tackle the global or national healthcare crisis, but we can start with ourselves, with our neighborhoods, with our community” |
“Blue Zones Project has a proven track record,” said HMSA Chief Transformation Officer Michael Stollar. “In Iowa, Minnesota and California, Blue Zones Communities have lowered their healthcare costs, increased productivity and measurably improved the quality of life for their residents. Evidence like this shows that we have a tremendous opportunity to invest in the health and well-being of Hawaii.”
Blue Zones Project brings together citizens, schools, employers, restaurants, grocery stores and community leaders to improve the living environment so the healthy choice is not only easy but often unavoidable. Hawaii communities that expressed an interest in earning Blue Zones Project certification submitted applications last September. Now that they have been selected, these communities will work with national experts to develop and implement a blueprint for permanent environmental, social and policy changes that will result in healthier behaviors and longer, happier lives.
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