Public health is a subject with tremendous scope. Obesity, violence, and rising healthcare costs are all problems faced by local governments that fall under the broader umbrella of public health. To help your organization deal with these issues, ICMA has put together some resources.

Wellness

Wellness initiatives have been successfully used by several local governments to combat obesity and reduce healthcare costs. Programs like Westminster on the Move help citizens maintain a healthy lifestyle through information and encouraging residents to use recreation facilities. 

Tyler, Texas, partnered with private institutions to create a city-wide fitness challenge.

The Center for State and Local Government Excellence showcases three cities’ approaches to dealing with healthcare costs through wellness initiatives and a host of other options. 

In the state of Colorado, Lakewood, Aurora, and Denver partnered to create a fitness marathon which also raised funds for redeveloping a shared roadway. 

The city of Bangor, Maine, partnered with CIGNA to create a combined program of wellness initiatives and insurance options to lower costs and improve Bangor’s quality of life.

Violence Prevention

Janesville, Wisconsin's Domestic Violence Intervention Team was nominated for an ICMA Program Excellence Award; it has resulted in a 14% drop in domestic violence related calls in 2011. The program was based on data-driven preparation and fast response times, along with precautions and care for victims. 

Communities can also rally to become leaders in violence prevention, as recommended in by the Study Circles Resource Center in their guide for discussing such initiatives. 

Reducing Gun Violence

Law enforcement is a major player in reducing gun violence, and a guide from The Joyce Foundation showcases several possible programs that can be implemented regardless of department size. 

Baltimore implemented a Safe Streets program to combat gun violence, a replication of Chicago’s CeaseFire program.  Intervention neighborhoods generally experienced a net drop in homicides of up to 56% and nonfatal shootings of up to 34%. Furthermore, the violence was not transferred to nearby locations; instead the programs appeared to have a protective effect on close neighborhoods.

Other Programs

• CPR training programs
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Partnerships
• A collaborative mental health training program for police officers across 22 cities
• Dual water storage for cleaner water while maintaining separate quality standards in two cities

Much more can be found on the topics of health, public health, gun violence, crime prevention, and public safety through the Knowledge Network’s Topics and Documents pages.