LIVE WELL?

What does it mean to
LIVE WELL?
“Living well” begins with healthy behaviors which are enabled by healthy
policies and environments.
Imagine Northern Kentucky making the healthy choice the easy choice everywhere we live, work,
learn, play and worship. We can do better and need to do better to lead healthier, happier lives
right here! LiveWell NKY provides a common framework, necessary support and inspiration for all
of us to join together in the movement towards better health.
LiveWell NKY will provide technical assistance throughout the change process, providing webbased technology, customized marketing and sector specific health education to communities,
workplaces, schools and faith-based organizations. Organizations are
awarded bronze/silver/gold status based on their implementation of
policies and environmental changes that drive improved health.
Individuals can also “take the pledge” to become LiveWell NKY
ambassadors and find the tools, resources and support to
change behavior and lead healthier lifestyles.
“The role of LiveWell NKY is to ignite an
uprising within the community to build a
movement toward a culture of health.”
LiveWell NKY Partners
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St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Healthpoint Family Care
Northern Kentucky Health Department
United Way of Greater Cincinnati
Interact for Health
The LiveWell NKY
FRAMEWORK
What is LiveWell NKY all about?
Sectors including Community, Workplace, School/District and
Faith-based Organizations are designated LiveWell NKY by pursuing
health goals (and bronze, silver, gold recognition) in the areas of physical
activity, improved nutrition and smoking cessation.
Participation by sector enables anyone in the community to engage where they are, build a
program that meets their specific needs and work collaboratively to make progress. Friendly
competition and community accountability help move the “health needle” across the region.
The LiveWell NKY framework is based on evidence-based strategies that are well documented
in improving health outcomes in other communities.
“Pilot organizations” are now committing to join the LiveWell NKY movement.
After an initial application/review process and training, organizations will begin to work with
our team to achieve LiveWell NKY designation.
Customized criteria by sector may include the following sample strategies:
(not inclusive-samples only)
LiveWell NKY Sectors
Bronze Award Criteria
Silver Award Criteria
Gold Award Criteria
(basic wellness service)
(enhanced wellness services)
Bronze Criteria, Plus...
City / Community
• Education provided to city
administrators on the importance of
safe environments to walk and policy
drafted for Complete Streets.
• Conduct air quality testing in public
spaces to assess secondhand smoke
particulate matter.
• Implement and enforce the Complete
Streets policy.
•R
elease air quality data to public and
educate stakeholders.
• Construct sidewalks and/or multi-use
paths for walking.
• Adopt a comprehensive smoke-free
workplace law.
Worksite
• Education provided to staff on the
importance and benefits of daily
physical activity and policy drafted to
allow for staff to take two-15 minute
breaks for physical activity.
• Annual health/wellness survey
• Implement policy of allowing staff to
take two-15 minute breaks for physical
activity.
•A
nnual onsite health screenings
(i.e. BP, cholesterol, etc.)
• Provide a designated and marked area
for walking around the worksite created
by a constructed designated walking
path (a graded, mulched or paved path
at least 1/8 of a mile in length).
• Continue to meet Silver criteria
School
• Education provided to school
administrators and parents on the
importance of tobacco free grounds
and policy drafted for 24-7 Tobacco
Free Grounds.
• Assess school environment to
determine food used as rewards.
• Implement and enforce the 24-7
Tobacco Free Grounds policy.
•A
dopt a policy that indicates non-food
items used as rewards.
• Host tobacco cessation programs for
staff and community.
• Establish sources of healthy food
access such as a garden.
• Education of parishioners on proper
nutrition and develop a policy for at
least 50% of food served at events,
meetings, banquets and festivals to
be of healthier options.
• Promote local community walk/run
events.
• Implement the policy of at least
50% of food served at faith based/
community held events, meetings,
banquets and festivals to be of
healthier options.
•P
ass a policy related to fundraising
events incorporating a physical
activity event.
• Establish sources of healthy food
access such as a community garden
or onsite farmer’s market.
• Establish a walking trail on the
property.
Faith
(comprehensive wellness services)
Silver Criteria, Plus...
Why this Approach?
For many years, health programs have focused on individual behavior, assuming that if you teach
people what will make them healthy, they will find a way to do it. Unfortunately, being healthy is
not just about individual choices.
Today, we’re realizing that it’s not enough to know how to be healthy — you need practical,
readily available healthy options around you. That’s where policy, system and environmental
(PSE) change comes in. Make the healthy choice the easy choice! Health programs and
events are important, but PSE strategies support long-term sustainable change at the larger
community level.
LiveWell NKY Partner Benefits
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Improved culture of health-and health outcomes
Technical assistance with best practice health strategies
Support with organizational assessment and strategy implementation
Co-branded marketing toolkit
Shared learning with peer LiveWell NKY organizations through member-only web portal
Opportunity for financial support
Community-wide recognition for LiveWell NKY designation
Organizational Commitment
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ormal commitment to engage in LiveWell NKY process including training, assessment,
action plan development and strategy implementation
l Dedicated LiveWell NKY team “captain”
l Willingness to share learning with other LiveWell NKY sites
l Participation in ongoing LiveWell NKY learning
collaborative sessions
Is your organization
interested in joining the
LiveWell NKY movement?
For more information or to learn how
to become engaged, please contact
Nancy Costello, Director at Skyward,
by emailing ncostello@skywardnky.org
or calling 859-292-3292.
#LiveWellNKY
visit www.LiveWellNKY.org