Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative selects implementation organization

The first statewide effort to improve personal wellness through healthy eating and active living, known as the New Hampshire HEAL Initiative, has chosen a "HEAL Home" -- an organization to coordinate and implement the Initiative. As the HEAL Home, the Foundation for Healthy Communities has now been charged with building a statewide infrastructure to implement HEAL recommended interventions, raise awareness for HEAL priority objectives, and create and administer a community grant program to support communities in adopting the recommended interventions in the HEAL Action Plan. "The planning process is important, but our goal has always been implementation. We look forward to working with the Foundation for Healthy Communities," said Sandi Van Scoyoc, President, HNHfoundation. "This is not just a collaboration of foundations--every one of us in New Hampshire has a role to play in implementing recommendations to achieve a vision of improved personal wellness through healthy eating and active living." The Foundation for Healthy Communities is based in Concord, N.H. It is a statewide, not-for-profit organization with a mission to improve health and health care delivery in New Hampshire. The Foundation is a partnership involving hospitals, physicians, health plans, home care agencies and other organizations concerned about improving health. Over the past year, the HEAL Initiative engaged more than 200 individuals from 45 organizations and communities to develop this first ever statewide plan for a healthier New Hampshire -- The HEAL Action Plan. HEAL is sponsored by a collaboration of foundations and state agencies committed to promoting health and wellbeing for all New Hampshire residents.