One
of 16 Communities Selected by Esther Dyson-backed Nonprofit
Niagara Falls, New York has been selected as
one of 16 semifinalists in The Way to Wellville, a national competition to find
five communities to compete over five years for the greatest improvement in
five measures of health. The initiative is sponsored by HICCup (www.hiccup.co), a nonprofit founded by angel investor Esther Dyson to encourage
community-led innovation that results in healthier people and places.
HICCup’s six-person advisory board selected
the 16 semifinalists from a highly competitive field of 42 community
applications received from 24 states. Semifinalist communities will now submit full
proposals by June 27 detailing their vision and plans for the next five years.
“It sounds trite, but it is extremely
difficult to choose,” said Ms. Dyson. “The number and quality of applications
is a testament to the exceptional places and dedicated leaders eager to make a
difference in the health of their communities.”
Mayor Paul Dyster said, “I am so thrilled and grateful that
the “Creating a Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative” was selected as a
semi-finalist in the HICCup Competition.
Our Task Group to Create a Healthier Niagara Falls has worked diligently
to bring health awareness to our citizens, and Niagara Falls with its high
poverty rate and health issues will really benefit from the effects of the
HICCup initiative. Anything that
improves the health and health care system for our citizens will go miles in
securing their strength, stability, and dignity—and we all appreciate this
special designation from HICCup”.
“Having the opportunity to apply and to become a
semi-finalist in the HICCup competition has been a catalyst to mobilize the
Mayor’s Task Group to a higher level. Speaking on behalf of the Mayor’s Task
Group we are thrilled to have this opportunity to become a finalist.” stated
Shelley Hirshberg, Chair of the Mayor’s Task Group.
After reviewing semifinalist proposals, the
HICCup advisory board will select a smaller number of finalist communities for
site visits in July and early August. The selection will culminate in
mid-August with the announcement of five Wellville communities to compete in the
five-year contest. The Wellville Five will attend the Next Step to Wellville conference,
September 16-18, 2014, in Tampa, Florida, to kick off the five-year effort.
The five communities that earn a spot in the
five-year contest will receive support from HICCup and a network of partners in
the areas of health data/measurement, consumer- and community-based health
solutions, and innovative health financing strategies. The effort will measure
the impact of coordinated, community-wide initiatives, while creating
new models and markets for the production of health.
“The idea behind The Way to Wellville is not
just to make a measurable difference in five places, but to design and deliver
a comprehensive approach to health that can be replicated broadly,” said Rick
Brush, CEO of HICCup. “Together with our Wellville partners, five communities
will point the way to better health and financial sustainability.”
The 16 semifinalists for The Way to Wellville
contest are:
·
Athens County, OH
·
Clatsop County, OR
·
Clinton County, NY
·
Columbus, IN
·
Garden City, KS
·
Greater Muskegon, MI
·
Jackson, TN
·
Lake County, CA
·
Lynchburg, VA
·
Niagara Falls, NY
·
Oxford County, ME
·
Scranton, PA
·
Spartanburg, SC
·
Starkville, MS
·
Wilkes County, NC
·
Winona, MN
About HICCup
HICCup stands for Health Initiative Coordinating
Council. It is a nonprofit supported since mid-2013 through charitable
contributions from Esther Dyson, in-kind resources, and extensive field
research and development among a growing group of guiding organizations,
partners and communities. HICCup is fiscally sponsored by New Venture Fund (www.newventurefund.org). Additional partners, funders and collaborators are encouraged
to visit www.HICCup.co and contact rick@hiccup.co.
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