Terre Haute, Vigo focused on getting healthier

Howard Greninger, The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
Updated ·4 min read

Jan. 18—Terre Haute and Vigo County have been designated an Indiana Healthy Community by the Wellness Council of Indiana.

"This is just the beginning. We recognize that there is still a lot that needs to be done," said Josh Alsip, director of community engagement for the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce.

He spoke during an announcement Wednesday at Indiana State University.

"It can be a little misleading that we are being designated as an Indiana Healthy Community, so that must mean we are healthy. That is not the case," Alsip said.

"This is to show that as a program we have identified that there is a major issue and we have a lot of key players that are interested and want to improve" the health of the community, he said.

"There are maybe seven or eight other communities that have received this healthy community designation, and you have to be really dedicated to it," Alsip said.

TJ Warren, CEO of Valley Professionals, co-chair of the Chamber's Health and Wellness Task Force, said the plan has four focus areas — nutrition, physical activity, behavior health and employer involvement, with subcommittees on each area to begin work in early February. The goal is to improve the four focus areas by the end of 2024.

Alsip said the task force is still working on how to measure the success of its work.

"We are still identifying what those metrics will be, but are focusing on better nutrition and increasing physical education which correlates to obesity rates and life spans," Alsip said.

Data, he said, shows that 31% of adults in Vigo County are considered obese, just slightly better than the state average of 33% of Hoosiers who are obese.

Under lifespan, Vigo County's 75.8 year average is below the state average of 77.1 years.

To obtain the Healthy Community designations, a group of 29 stakeholders — health care providers, non-profit organizations, government officials and businesses — developed the four focus areas after answering a 400-question survey from the Wellness Council of Indiana.

"It became pretty clear to us that nutrition and physical activity are really important to us, as well as mental health," Alsip said.

The focus areas and goals are:

—Nutrition: The goal is to educate residents about the food they consume. The plan is to encourage 15 local restaurants to display nutrition information on menu items and make an effort to promote and serve healthy menu items. Also to promote three educational programs about reading food labels and other nutritional information.

—Physical activity: The plan is to develop two campaigns about ways to incorporate physical activity into an individual's daily routines; promote free or low-cost physical activities; and promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Organizations that will help with this include Union Health, Terre Haute Regional Hospital, YMCA of the Wabash Valley, Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau and Thrive West Central.

—Health behavior: The plan is to develop a comprehensive list of mental health agencies; develop a portfolio of community programs around mental health; connect those providers through the e-intervention CHESS Health referral system.

—Employer involvement: The plan is to have five businesses sign up for Union Health's employer program and increase the accessibility of walking paths and trails at two work sites.

Participating partners in the healthy community action plan include Union Health, Valley Professionals Community Health Center, YMCA of the Wabash Valley, Pace Health Connection, ISU, American Cancer Society, Art Spaces Inc., United Way of the Wabash Valley, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, American Red Cross Southwest Indiana, Vigo County School Corp.

Also Baesler's Market, Vigo County Commissioners, Next Step Foundation, Brampton Brick, Arts Illiana, Wabash Valley Health Center, city of Terre Haute, Team of Mercy, Hamilton Center, Chances and Services for Youth, Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Harsha Behavioral Center, Ivy Tech, Vigo County Health Department, Wellness Box, Purdue Extension and Mental Health America of West Central Indiana.

Caroline Mallory, dean of ISU's College of Health and Human Services and task force co-chair, said task force members in 2019 began efforts to improve the community's health.

"This evidence based initiative will help Terre Haute and Vigo County to take specific actions to improve the health and quality of life in our community," Mallory said. "A healthy community is an economically vibrant community. A health community is a happy community."

Howard Greninger can be reached at 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com. Follow on Twitter @TribStarHoward.