Boone County News Release

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Live Well by Faith Earns Missouri Association of Counties County Achievement Award

November 19, 2018—Live Well by Faith, a program of the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services (PHHS), has earned the Missouri Association of Counties (MAC) County Achievement Award for 2018. The award will be presented today at the MAC Annual Conference in Osage Beach, MO. The County Achievement Award recognizes county programs that are innovative, unique and easily replicable.

Live Well by Faith was developed in response to results found through the PHHS Community Health Assessment. This assessment found that African Americans in Boone County had significantly poorer health outcomes than whites, particularly in regard to the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. Reducing these disparities is essential to improving the overall health of Boone County.

Live Well by Faith’s goal is to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension by working with the Black church community to create an environment that promotes health. Historically Black churches expand beyond the traditional functions of worship and spiritual growth to impact the social, economic and political welfare of their members and surrounding community, which makes them uniquely poised to make an impact on the health of the Black community. Live Well by Faith established relationships between PHHS and the African-American churches so they could work together to determine and address the specific needs of each church. Each church has health ministry teams or “Lifestyle Coaches” who are equipped with access to health education, evidence-based programs, technical support and the resources necessary to run effective programs. They are educated, trained and certified to teach the programs in order to provide sustainability within each church.

Participating churches have made a variety of changes to support their parishioners in working toward healthier lifestyles and improved health outcomes. Policy changes have been instituted, such as water being availability in the facility, no fried foods being allowed in their kitchens or at celebrations that include meals, no smoking and increased physical activities in the facilities. One congregation has even instituted monthly “Sweat Suit Sundays,” during which the Pastor and congregation wear workout attire for their Sunday service so they can participate in a praise and worship workout session. Environmental changes include the provision of blood pressure cuffs on the premises for use when parishioners attend services and the creation of a community garden on church grounds.

The County Achievement Award will be presented during the Annual Awards Banquet of the MAC Annual Conference tonight, November 19, 2018, at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Mo.

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The Government of Boone County, Missouri employs over 500 people and serves more than 162,642 citizens across 691 square miles by administering and enforcing state and local laws, collecting taxes, assessing property, maintaining roads, conducting elections, recording public documents, and much more.