Every Kentucky county has a local group working on health issues, foundation finds in compiling Health Coalitions Directory

For the first time, the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has documented that every Kentucky county has a local group working on health issues.

All 120 counties are listed in the Kentucky Health Coalitions Directory, which includes 208 groups. Last year?s first-ever directory listed fewer than 150. "Whether they are called health coalitions, collectives, consortia, associations or networks, people are joining forces to work on health-related challenges," the foundation said in a news release. "The groups have differing levels of organization and are pursuing various goals. Some are increasing access to healthy food and physical activity; others are planning needed screenings and education for people at risk for serious health problems like cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases; yet others are improving working conditions through smoke-free ordinances."

The foundation said it would periodically update the directory. ?These are local residents working on solutions to health issues where they live, work and raise their families,? said Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the foundation. ?Their work spans a broad spectrum of issues that contain a common thread: to improve health in the community and our state. These groups represent local health change efforts.?

The directory is designed to raise awareness of local efforts and "foster collaboration, build local capacity, provide technical assistance to these groups and celebrate their successes," the foundation said. State and national coalitions, and international coalitions doing work that affects Kentucky, are included in the directory. To get a PDF of it, visit the foundation's newsroom at www.healthy-ky.org.

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