Putnam County Department of Health

To help foster statewide implementation of prevention activities, the New York State Department of Health issued the Prevention Agenda 2013–17 to address disease prevention and reduce health disparities.

All 58 local health departments were required to submit a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) to the State outlining their strategies to advance the Prevention Agenda. To help energize the implementation of these CHIPs, the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) awarded grants to health departments with the most innovative and feasible projects to improve the health and wellbeing of their communities through the Advancing New York State’s Prevention Agenda: A Matching Funds Program to Implement Community Health Improvement Plans initiative. The Prevention Agenda offered NYHealth a timely opportunity to build upon its work in diabetes prevention by helping support initiatives that tackle the root causes of diabetes and other chronic conditions, such as obesity and smoking. NYHealth awarded Putnam County Department of Health (PCDOH) a grant to participate in this initiative.

Putnam County Department of Health (PCDOH) used funds to focus on the Prevention Agenda priority area of preventing chronic disease. It worked with businesses to develop pilot worksite wellness programs. PCDOH and its community partners determined the current status of worksite wellness programs in Putnam County, and then consulted with businesses on the importance of these programs. It targeted three worksites in the county to offer a comprehensive wellness program that offered employees a range of activities, including biometric screening, exercise classes, a walking program, cooking demonstrations, and a smoking cessation program. After implementing the three pilot programs, PCDOH promoted the programs throughout the county and offered assistance and support to other businesses to conduct programs of their own.

See a full list of award recipients from this initiative.