DES MOINES, IA – Hy-Vee CEO Ric Jurgens joined Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, members of Iowa’s congressional delegation and other business and government leaders today in announcing a far-reaching effort to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by 2016.
The Healthiest State Initiative is a privately led, publicly endorsed campaign that will encourage individuals, businesses, organizations and communities to work together to improve Iowans’ overall health and well-being. The goal of the initiative is to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation within five years, as measured by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index®. Iowa currently ranks 19th among the states according to this measure.
Branstad introduced Jurgens as one of three co-chairs of the initiative, along with John Forsyth, CEO of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Doug Reichardt, Chairman Emeritus of Holmes Murphy & Associates and chair of the Iowa Sports Foundation. Assisting them in this effort is a coalition of stakeholders that includes leaders from the business, government, education, healthcare and nonprofit sectors.
“The Healthiest State Initiative will assist Iowans in learning about and applying proven methods to live longer, happier and healthier lives,” Branstad said. He noted that improving the health of Iowans over the next five years will allow the state to save as much as $16 billion in health care costs and lost worker productivity – money that can be redirected to growing the state’s economy and attracting new business.
The initiative received an endorsement today from the nation’s First Lady, Michelle Obama, who wrote, “Iowa's Healthiest State Initiative is what's Let's Move! is all about – bringing families, businesses, communities and faith-based organizations to the table to improve the health of America's families. Governor Branstad is leading the way to ensure our kids lead healthy, active lives and I look forward to watching Iowa's progress towards this goal."
Ric Jurgens said the Healthiest State Initiative will focus on engaging Iowans at the grassroots level and providing resources to help them make practical, sustainable lifestyle changes that will lead to better health.
“The good news is that we as individuals control 70 percent of the factors influencing our health,” Jurgens said. “We don’t need to make big, dramatic changes in order to see measurable improvement. Taking simple steps to eat wisely, move naturally and create stronger relationships at home, at work and in the community will take Iowans a long way toward our goal of becoming the healthiest state.”
As a first step on the path to becoming the healthiest state, all Iowans are encouraged to take part in a Start Somewhere Walk on Friday, October 7. At noon that day, communities, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, churches and other groups across the state will gather to walk one kilometer (0.62 miles, or about 7-8 blocks)as a way to demonstrate their support for the Healthiest State goal. Individuals can find Start Somewhere walks near them, or learn how to organize walks in their communities, by visiting the Healthiest State website at www.IowaHealthiestState.com
A centerpiece of the Healthiest State Initiative is the Blue Zones Project™, through which 10 communities will be selected to receive national assistance in becoming Blue Zones. As described by renowned author and researcher Dan Buettner, a Blue Zone is a geographically defined area where people live measurably longer, healthier lives. Wellmark has committed up to $25 million over the next five years to provide Iowa’s Blue Zone Communities with the tools and resources they need to make transformative change. In addition, all Iowans will have access to a wealth of online information they can use to make these same types of changes in their communities. More information about the Blue Zones Project and the process for applying to become a Blue Zone Community will be announced in September.
Jurgens acknowledged that raising Iowa from 19th to first on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is an ambitious goal, but “Iowans have demonstrated time and again that they don’t shy away from a challenge,” he said. “We have a unique ability, when we wrap our arms around a project, to accomplish some amazing things.”
Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating 233 retail stores in eight Midwestern states. For 2010 the company recorded total sales of $6.9 billion, ranking it among the top 25 supermarket chains and the top 50 private companies in the United States. Visit the company’s website at www.hy-vee.com
Source: Hy-Vee, Inc