Danville Regional Foundation
Healthy Places by Design is working closely with the Danville Regional Foundation to engage in collaborative planning and implementation strategies to improve the health and wellness of the Dan River Region.
The Health Collaborative, the regional multidisciplinary partnership that spans city, county, and state borders, is working to build a strong network across sectors; educate key stakeholders and the community on promising practices; and implement a community action plan. The community action plan serves as a blue print for both short-term projects and long-term implementation strategies that focus on policy, systems, and environmental changes to create a healthier Dan River region.
Geographic Area of Focus: The Dan River Region, which includes Pittsylvania County, VA; Danville, VA; and Caswell County, NC
Highlights:
- The Health Collaborative, made up of representatives from across the region, identified and are working in five goal areas: active living, healthy eating, access to healthcare, leadership, and capacity building.
- Healthy Places by Design facilitated workshops and helped prioritize healthy living strategies that will work in the Dan River Region context and shared relevant evidence-based examples for impact and worked in collaboration with an evaluation committee to create evaluation plans for the five goal areas.
- The Health Collaborative has hosted numerous events, including an annual health summit, with state and national speakers to increase the importance of policy, systems, and environmental changes in the region.
Funding Partner(s): Danville Regional Foundation
Engagement: 2014–2018
Services Provided:
- Interviewing key informants to identify further strategies and barriers within the area
- Support the Health Collaborative’s coordinating committee to create an action plan
- Support and participate in a health summit planning committee and at the health summit
- Work with community partners to plan long-term implementation strategies
“I feel like we are making great progress with our collaborative. The group is very pleased with the level of technical assistance provided. They want guidance, support, and training while continuing to lead decision making and really feel ownership in the process. Tim and Joanne [at Healthy Places by Design] have absolutely hit the mark.”
Annie Martinie, Senior Program Officer, Danville Regional Foundation