City of Tuscaloosa Named One of 50 Invest Health Cities by Reinvestment Fund and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Tuscaloosa has been chosen as one of 50 cities nationwide to take place in a new and exciting program aimed at enriching the lives of those in low-income areas. The new Invest Health Initiative is made possible by the Reinvestment Fund and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the innovative program allows cities to work together to work together to improve the health of low-income residents through providing access to quality jobs, recreation opportunities, play areas, and safe, affordable housing.

Tuscaloosa's projects include a "Safe and Healthy Homes" project for the elderly and a "Safe Harbor for Children" project aimed at bringing community organizations together to provide more resources for children and their families.

Here's more from the City of Tuscaloosa's official press release:

Tuscaloosa was selected from more than 180 teams from 170 communities that applied to the initiative. Cities with populations between 50,000 and 400,000 were asked to form five-member teams including representatives from the public sector, community development and an anchor institution, preferably academic or health-related. Tuscaloosa’s team comprises representatives from healthcare, housing, community development and the public sector. The Tuscaloosa Invest Health team seeks to improve the health of residents through community design, and reflect the community’s pride in athletic tradition by integrating facilities and programs that encourage a healthy lifestyle.

“When presented with the opportunity to apply for this resource, our team realized that we could not bring outcomes to fruition with just our five team members,” said Cynthia W. Burton, Executive Director of Community Service Programs and one of the team representatives. “Our role will be primarily one as agents of change in the community, working in collaboration with other entities such as educational institutions, business organizations, faith-based organizations, governmental officials and other non-profits, as well as the targeted communities in which we plan to address needs and disparities. Our team members, Deborah Tucker, CEO of Whatley Health Services, the anchor institution noted in our proposal, LaParry Howell, director of federal programs for the City of Tuscaloosa, Ron Parrish, executive director of Tuscaloosa Homebuilders Association and Dr. Jerry Palmer, a retired pediatrician, provide a unique makeup of individuals to lead the efforts of the Invest Health Initiative.”

Mid-size American cities face some of the nation’s deepest challenges with entrenched poverty, poor health and a lack of investment. But they also offer fertile ground for strategies that improve health and have the potential to boost local economies. The program has the potential to fundamentally transform the way Tuscaloosa improves opportunities to live healthy lives by addressing the drivers of health including jobs, housing, education, community safety and environmental conditions.

“With a long history in community development finance, we are excited to help create a pipeline to channel capital into low-income communities through public and private investments,” said Amanda High, chief of strategic initiatives at Reinvestment Fund. “Our goal is to transform how cities approach tough challenges, share lessons learned and spur creative collaboration.”

Over the next 18 months, Invest Health teams will take part in a vibrant learning community, have access to highly skilled faculty advisers and coaches who will guide their efforts toward improved health, and receive a $60,000 grant. Tuscaloosa’s team will also engage a broader group of local stakeholders to encourage local knowledge sharing.  Learning from the program will be synthesized and disseminated through the project website investhealth.org.

“Public officials, community developers and many others have been working in low-income neighborhoods for years, but they haven’t always worked together,” said Dr. Donald Schwarz, RWJF vice president of program. “Invest Health aims to align their work and help neighborhoods thrive by intentionally incorporating health into community development.”