FARMINGTON — Franklin County has been chosen as a finalist for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s second annual RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize. As a finalist, Franklin County is one step closer to the RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize, which honors communities whose efforts illustrate an enduring commitment toward creating a culture of health for all residents.

Franklin County was selected along with 11 other communities from across the nation for their health improvement efforts and will now be considered for the RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize, which will be announced in June. More than 250 community applications were considered.

“We are honored to have advanced as a RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize finalist community,” said Jennifer McCormack, Healthy Community Coalition executive director. “The Franklin County success story highlights the collaborative work of dedicated individuals improving health in this community over 50 years.” HCC collaborated with community leaders to submit the application on behalf of the community.

To earn prize finalist status, Franklin County had to illustrate how its efforts to foster healthier outcomes for its citizens reflect the six RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize criteria: harnessing the collective power of leaders, partners, and community members; implementing a strategic approach to improving health that focuses on the multiple factors that influence health; addressing problems that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations; developing sustainable, long-term solutions to shared community priorities; securing and making the most of available resources; and measuring and sharing results.

“Franklin County has a long history of people coming together with a shared vision, strong leadership and commitment to making needed and lasting changes that are enabling individuals to live long and healthy lives,” said Rebecca Ryder, Franklin Community Health Network president/CEO. “One success story is the biennial FCHN visioning process that has led to improved access to primary care, transportation, prescription assistance, dental care and more over the past two decades. The HCC mobile health unit is additionally a result of that process. In 2012 alone, more than 8,000 individuals received preventive care and health education on the mobile health unit.”

“The 12 RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize finalist communities distinguished themselves with creative strategies to help people lead healthier lives,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, RWJF president and CEO. “These communities are shining examples of a growing movement to create a culture of health across our nation.”

The RWJF Roadmaps to Health Prize is an annual no-strings-attached $25,000 cash prize that will be awarded to up to six of the finalist communities in June. Find out more at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

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