CITY OF MOUNTAIN HOME SELECTED FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH ACADEMY
Contact: Betsy Hiddleston, Communications Specialist
208-587-2104
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9th, 2023
CITY OF MOUNTAIN HOME SELECTED FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH ACADEMY
Mountain Home, Idaho – Mayor Rich Sykes, Community Development Director Brock Cherry and Grant Administrator Alexa Vork are participating in the Community Health Academy, a program of the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health that helps attendees learn and understand the city’s important role in building healthy communities.
Community Health is a five-month learning collaborative that brings together leaders from Idaho communities to learn from local and national experts, collaborate with each other, and activate a program or project that improves the health of their community. The city will earn a $20,000 grant at the conclusion of the academy.
“The health of our community is a top priority for city leadership. We are excited to learn and collaborate with leaders from around the state and Blue Cross of Idaho” said Mayor Sykes.
The academy will launch on Friday, June 23 at the Association of Idaho Cities annual conference, then include sessions in July, August, September, and October. The academy uses a hybrid model with some sessions in person and some virtually. Topics addressed during the academy include childcare, civility, early education, communications and branding, designing health communities, food systems, and housing.
“Community Health Academy is one of our most impactful programs because most mayors and elected officials learn how their actions can help build healthy communities,” said Courtney Frost, senior program officer for the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health. “The academy includes grant funding, so cities will have the resources to launch a project or program that will improve the health of communities in Idaho.”
Community Health Academy has been offered by the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health since 2017. There have been 24 Idaho communities that have attended the previous five cohorts of the academy.
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