City of Columbus

Vision:  Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice

Mission:  Creating Healthy Communities (CHC) is committed to preventing and reducing chronic disease statewide. Through cross-sector collaboration, we are activating communities to improve access to and affordability of healthy food, increase opportunities for physical activity, and assure tobacco-free living where Ohioans live, work and play. By implementing sustainable evidence-based strategies, CHC is creating a culture of health.

Examples of our work:

• Collaborating with community partners to make policies and environmental changes that support healthy food and vending choices, smoke-free spaces, and being more physically active in community-based organizations, schools, and work sites.
• Helping communities create a plan to reduce chronic disease in their neighborhoods.
• Providing public information and educational materials on chronic disease prevention.
• Providing information on local quit smoking programs, healthy food access programs, and physical activity resources.
• CHC Success Stories

Key Projects

• Worksite Wellness 
  Columbus Public Health provides technical assistance to worksites in the creation of policies and environmental changes that support healthy lifestyles for employees, including increasing access to healthy food choices and providing opportunities for physical activity throughout the day. 
• Safe Routes to School
  Safe Routes to School brings back the ability for kids to walk or bike to school.  This translates into more daily physical activity, something that is so needed for children facing an epidemic of obesity.
• Fresh Foods Here
  Fresh Foods Here promotes nutrition in Columbus neighborhoods through partnerships with corner stores that allow them to successfully stock, market and sell healthy food. 
• Smoke-Free Housing Program 
  Columbus Public Health offers resources to public and private property managers to implement smoke free housing policies.
• Chronic Disease Prevention Advisory Board
  

  The Chronic Disease Prevention Advisory Board (CDPAB) is a long-standing coalition serving Greater Columbus with a common agenda to increase opportunities for physical activity, healthy eating, and smoke/tobacco-free living through cross-sector collaboration.

Educational Materials

Creating Healthy Communities educational materials are designed for all ages and can be used to promote consistent healthy messaging. Click here to see available materials.

Learn more about Creating Healthy Communities projects throughout the state of Ohio: 

www.odh.ohio.gov/chc