27 counties made the Healthiest Cities Challenge

Twenty-seven counties were among the 50 local governments and agencies selected to participate in the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge, a partnership between NACo, the American Public Health Association (APHA) and The Aetna Foundation, in collaboration with CEOs for Cities.

The Challenge is designed to create economically competitive, inclusive and equitable communities. It will award $1.5 million in prizes to small and mid-sized cities and counties that are able to show measurable improvements in health outcomes over the course of several years through cross-sector partnerships.

The HealthyCommunity50 will move on to compete for the grand prize in the Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge. They will receive a $10,000 community seed award to implement programs able to show measurable improvements around key social determinants of health.

The 50 competitors were chosen from hundreds of submissions by an advisory board. Their efforts will be measured in at least one of five domains: healthy behaviors, community safety, built environment, social and economic factors, and environmental exposures.

“Local governments drive health improvements, and counties have developed innovative approaches to transform the health of communities across the nation,” said NACo President Bryan Desloge. “County leaders are learning by example and putting best practices into action.

“We’re excited about participating in the HealthyCommunity50 and look forward to applying the lessons learned to promote healthy communities in counties across the nation.”

An expert panel will conduct site visits to all HealthyCommunity50 members to understand the community’s approach to the project first-hand and speak with the members of the cross-sector team and key stakeholders. At the conclusion of the Challenge, the programs most able to show measurable change will be eligible for prize awards from $25,000 to $500,000. Participants will be judged on their own progress and will not be competing against each other.