Sioux Falls Receives Inaugural 2018 Healthy Hometown Community Award
Oct 18, 2018
Sioux Falls was presented with a 2018 Healthy Hometown Community Award during the South Dakota Department of Health's Chronic Disease Partners/Better Choices, Better Health® Meeting held on Oct. 17, 2018, in Mitchell. The award recognizes Sioux Falls for its accomplishments in health improvement initiatives within the community.
“We are pleased to present Sioux Falls with an inaugural Healthy Hometown Community Award,” said Laura Jackson, Wellmark executive vice president. “The city has earned the title of 2018 Healthy Sioux Falls and will also receive $5,000 to continue the important work of improving the physical, social and emotional well-being of the community.”
Some noteworthy achievements in Sioux Falls include:
- Expanded a bike trail by more than a mile to connect 40,000 residents west of the interstate to 30 miles of uninterrupted trails
- Implemented a “road diet,” rechanneling lanes and reducing the width of the road in front of the new City Center building to improve safety and provide space for different modes of travel
- Passed an ordinance reducing smoking and tobacco use on city properties to protect residents and visitors from the impacts of tobacco
- Developed recipe videos to help everyone Eat Well and Live Well in the community
"We know that our health is impacted by the environment around us, such as having safe places to walk and bike, access to healthy, affordable food and the ability to access preventive health services," said Public Health Director Jill Franken. "Over the past five years, Live Well Sioux Falls has built strong relationships throughout the community, bringing people together to enhance the places where we live, learn, work and play."
“The Healthy Hometown community award celebrates the successes achieved by Sioux Falls,” said Jackson. “The work Sioux Falls has done is remarkable, and their commitment to the health and well-being of their residents is inspiring.”
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About the South Dakota Department of Health Preventing and reducing the burden of chronic disease is a key performance measure of the Department of Health’s 2015-2020 strategic plan, http://doh.sd.gov/strategicplan.
About Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Wellmark, Inc. (Wellmark.com) does business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Wellmark and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies, including Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota, Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc., Wellmark Synergy Health, Inc. and Wellmark Value Health Plan, Inc., insure or pay health benefit claims for more than 2 million members in Iowa and South Dakota. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota, Wellmark Health Plan of Iowa, Inc., Wellmark Synergy Health, Inc. and Wellmark Value Health Plan, Inc. are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Included in the picture (L-R) front row – Kiley Hump, chronic disease prevention and health promotion administrator for the South Dakota Department of Health; Mary Michaels, Alyssa Gehle, with Live Well Sioux Falls; Angie Brown, community health manager for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
