Community TRANSFORMATION…it’s not reformation, it’s not renovation, it’s transformation!  Wow, Gary Earl from CIGNA is passionate about the role of health in transforming communities -- and of the importance that communities play in transformation, i.e. if you build it they won’t necessarily come, you really have to engage the community.  

A key message…talk to the people you are trying to impact and get all the stakeholders involved to hear their voices.  And the health of our communities matters more now because of the rise of obesity, hypertension, diabetes…and the ripple effect that this breakdown of our citizen’s health has on economic development. 

Gary strongly urged attendees to take action…starting with small steps…to make this transformation in their communities and use the “appreciative inquiry” process to discuss the question “Does Health Matter?”. Who to involve??  Citizens, government, public health & safety, employers and other business people, educators, academia, religious of all faiths, healthcare providers, etc.  This was a great "call for action"!

Gary suggested checking out the Centers for Disease Control web site for more information on a health impact assessment, go to www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/hia.htmtoda