Embrace a Healthy FloridaAn Initiative Addressing the Causes of Childhood Obesity

Florida Philanthropic NetworkFebruary 12, 2010

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Overview The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida is the philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross Blue Shield of

Florida

Founded in 2001, with a mission to increase access to quality health-related services for all Floridians, with an emphasis on the uninsured and underserved

Over 200 grants and awards given over 8 years.

In 2007 the Board of Directors created an initiative to address the causes of childhood obesity, Embrace a Healthy Florida

Planning for implementation began in the Fall of 2007

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Obesity: Areas of Potential Intervention Getting people to eat right

Getting people to exercise more

Addressing poverty and other disparities

Correcting environmental factors

Increasing access to healthful foods

Increasing access to safe and regular exercise facilities

Addressing depression and other mental health factors

Implementing policy level interventions to create healthier environments

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Overview

Three areas of intervention:

Statewide community grants to non-profit organizations

Jacksonville Miami East

Central Florida

Applied research grants

Fostering community collaboration and engagement

Five Florida cities for community engagement:

Tallahassee Tampa

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Obesity: Who Needs to Be Involved Funders and both public and private sector support

Parents, children and families

Schools, Pre-school programs, and After-school programs

Sports, park and rec, and physical activity groups

Educators, administrators, and policy makers

Faith-based and other community groups

Medical, oral health and mental health professionals

The whole community

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Strategic Framework

The Blue Foundatio

n for a Healthy Florida

RESEARCHGrants to universities and

colleges for evidence-based research

Measurement and

evaluation

POLICYCommunity engagement

PRACTICEGrants to

community programs

Measurement and

evaluation

Measurement and

evaluation

Statewide Community Grants

9 grants awarded in October 2008 across the state ($835,068)

Supporting a variety of practices and communities

Group met December 5, 2008 after The Sapphire Award ceremony in Orlando to coordinate evaluation and implementation

Group will meet again in December 2009

Applied Research Grants

5 research grants awarded in November 2008 ($499,418)

Supporting a variety of research efforts to extend knowledge base

Academic and community-based efforts to gather data, test hypotheses, and impact communities across Florida

Community Engagement:Jacksonville area

Held series of three meetings: Funders, Public sector, and Community through Winter and Spring 2008

Supported the development of a consortium to address childhood obesity, healthy eating and active lifestyles

Monthly meetings are now being held to strengthen and expand coalition

Report released on June 19, 2009: Call to Action; Parents’ Resource Guide

Community Grants announced October 9, 2009

Awarded RWJF Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities grant

Website for Jacksonville : http://www.dchd.net/childhoodobesity.htm

Partnership with Winter Park Health Foundation and other interested funders to address the causes of childhood obesity

Funders Meeting held October 2008 in Orlando – 24 funders in attendance Connection to Nemours Health and Prevention Services

Awarded grant to the Health Council of East Central Florida to support the development of a consortium to address childhood obesity, healthy eating and active lifestyles through the use of a best practice model from Chicago

Follow-up meetings with consortium resulted in new Coalition: ROCK – Reducing Obesity in Central Florida’s Kids

Central Florida Childhood Obesity Conference held on October 30

Focus on communities in Orange County – Parramore and Apopka

Community Engagement:East Central Florida area

Winter Park Health Foundation:Community Health Policy

- To support access to information that assists our community in pursuing health and wellness - To promote healthy eating - To encourage physical activity - To reduce tobacco use.

Held Funders, Public Sector and Community meetings between November 2008 and May 2009

Two community meetings focusing on Opa-Locka and Hialeah

Developed partnership with Health Foundation of South Florida and other interested funders to address the causes of childhood obesity

Will support the development of a consortium to address childhood obesity, healthy eating and active lifestyles in this area

Two farmers markets receiving EBT machines for Food Stamps

Community Engagement:Miami-Dade County area

Health Foundation of South Florida:Healthy Lifestyle initiative

• Funding supports evidence-based and/or innovative programs in the school and after school setting.

– SPARK in after school programs – $500K in the last 4-5 years– 130 after-school sites in Miami-Dade and Broward County; – close to 20,000 children reached

• School Setting— – Integrated school garden nutrition curriculum—over 10 public schools in

Miami Dade County and 15 parochial schools– OrganWise Guys in Miami-Dade and Monroe County elementary schools– SPARK PE in 10 elementary schools

• Child Care Center– Salsa, Sabor y Salud at two child care centers targeting Hispanic families

Community EngagementTampa Bay area

Funders meeting on March 27, 2009

Partnership with the Conn Memorial Foundation

Embrace grants awarded to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and USF

Grant made through competitive grant process: Florida Improvement Network for Kids (FINK Program) , a network of 44 pediatricians and other providers focusing on childhood obesity

Will support the development of a consortium to address childhood obesity, healthy eating and active lifestyles in this area

Looking to focus in two communities: Sulphur Springs (Hillsborough) and North Greenwood (Pinellas

Community EngagementTallahassee area

Funders meeting on September 2, 2009

Public Sector Meeting November 16, 2009

Community Meeting March 1, 2010

Partnership with the Capital Health Plan

Embrace grant awarded to Leon County Health Department for community asset mapping

Will support the development of a consortium to address childhood obesity, healthy eating and active lifestyles in Leon County

www.convergencepartnership.org

Next Steps

Community meetings in Tallahassee in 2010

Tampa area community meetings in spring 2010

Continue community engagement meetings

Ongoing evaluation coordinated by MGT of America

Support the development of a Florida Convergence to address Healthy Eating and Active Lifestyles. Based upon the National Convergence Partnership

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Contact

www.bluefoundationfl.com

Michael S. Hutton, Ph.D., Director Grants Administration and Policy Implementation

Michael.Hutton@bcbsfl.com

904-905-8383