The Quad City Health Initiative (QCHI) is celebrating its 15th Anniversary year with the launch of Be Healthy QC, a new cross-sector community campaign to promote awareness of local efforts that increase healthy eating and physical activity among Quad Citians, and the presentation of a Healthy Community Leadership Award.

QCHI was formed in 1999 as a community collaboration to create a healthy community.  With the financial support of its founding sponsors, Genesis Health System and UnityPoint Health-Trinity, and other partners, QCHI has evolved into a cross-sector collaborative infrastructure that harnesses the collective work of more than 120 volunteers from 60 organizations and reaches thousands of community members.

"Our health as individuals and our health as a community are intertwined," says Karla Steele, QCHI Board Chair.  "How and where people live, work, learn and play determines their health and the sum of our health as individuals influences the overall economics and vitality of our region.  For the last 15 years, QCHI has provided the planning and communications backbone to enable us to work across community sectors and create a healthy community."

Since its formation, QCHI has championed community efforts to address topics such as healthy eating & active living, mental health, tobacco use, and oral health care access.  One of QCHI's major efforts has been the alignment of our community's health assessment processes culminating most recently in the 2012 Community Health Assessment.

"We were one of the first communities in our region to successfully integrate health system and public health assessment processes," says Berlinda Tyler-Jamison, Vice President Community Impact and Advocacy, UnityPoint Health-Trinity.  "The comprehensive assessment provides data for the entire Quad Cities region that can be used by our community partners to improve the health of all Quad Citians."

QCHI's work has contributed to several improvements in our community's health status.  Notably, a higher percentage of adults and children have visited a dentist or dental clinic and fewer adults now smoke than a decade ago.  Unfortunately, the percentages of adults at a healthy weight and who engage in regular physical activity have been harder to change.  Continued efforts to improve these numbers led to the creation of the Be Healthy QC campaign.

"Our community has made tremendous strides in improving our community's health but there is still work to be done," says Denise Bulat, QCHI's Be Healthy QC Coalition Chair.  "Only 26% of Quad City adults and 46% of our children are at a healthy weight.  Fewer than 40% of adults participate in physical activity at the recommended levels and only 41% of adults report eating adequate servings of fruits and vegetables."

"Be Healthy QC is all about connecting the dots across our community on resources and activities that promote healthy eating and active living", says Ken Croken, Vice President Corporate Communications, Genesis Health System.  "As individuals start to see how dedicated our community is to creating a culture of health, we hope more and more people will embrace healthier lifestyles."

The new Be Healthy QC logo was unveiled at a community breakfast this morning held in celebration of QCHI's 15th Anniversary year.

During the breakfast, QCHI also announced this year's recipient of the Dr. Richard "Bud" Phillis Healthy Community Leadership Award which was named in honor of QCHI's founding Board Chair.  The award was presented to Denise Bulat who served as QCHI's Board Chair from 2010-2013.  Ms. Bulat is also the Executive Director of the Bi-State Regional Commission.

"From its beginning, QCHI has been about fostering collaboration and that requires a special type of leadership," says Nicole Carkner, QCHI Executive Director.  "Denise is a great example of a collaborative leader.  She has a passion for QCHI's mission but also great patience and humility.  Her expertise has helped to create the strong partnership QCHI is today."

The Quad City Health Initiative is a cross-sector community partnership working to create a healthy community.  A 25-member community Board oversees the organization, which was established in 1999.  The Initiative seeks to be our community's recognized leader for creating collaborative action on health and abides by the core values of commitment, collaboration and creativity.  Major financial support of the Quad City Health Initiative is currently provided by the generous direct and in-kind investments of Genesis Health System and UnityPoint Health-Trinity. Additional financial support is provided by Deere & Company, Mississippi Valley Health, KJWW Engineering Consultants, Davenport Eye Group, Russell Construction Company, Community Health Care, ILLOWA Construction and Labor Management Council, United Way of the Quad Cities Area, Scott County Health Department, and Rock Island County Health Department.