Kossuth County Board of Health Receives $35,000
Funding to promote wellness and lower health care costs

ALGONA - The Kossuth County Board of Health announced today that it was awarded $35,000 in funding to improve the health of their community. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Harkin Wellness Grant program and the Iowa State Legislature’s support of local health initiatives.

The board submitted a competitive grant application earlier this summer to the Iowa Department of Public Health to help them implement a creative approach to preventing disease and promoting wellness in Kossuth County.

Project coordinator Dixie Meyer, RN, BSN says the goal of the Kossuth Healthy People project will be to implement the Pick a Better Snack™ and ACT social marketing campaign targeting 3rd grade students and their families as well as congregate meal site participants.  The program will work to increase fruit and vegetable consumption to create healthy habits for kids and adults, which can decrease risk factors leading to chronic diseases. Taste testing of fruits and vegetables will be conducted in classrooms and a parent newsletter will provide information for families. Kossuth Growing Healthy Kids families served by Community Health will also receive education on nutrition, food preparation and serving healthy meals.

Community Health in Kossuth County is very excited to partner with other Kossuth county entities to implement these projects.   Nutrition and exercise can be rewarding and Community Health wants to convince others with this project. Nancy Clark, R.D.; L.D., Kossuth County Board of Health chairperson and ISU Extension Nutrition Specialist states, “I have participated in the Pick a Better Snack™ program, have seen the success stories it produces and am looking forward to interacting with third graders and seniors.  It is so much fun to see the excitement and quizzical expressions on third graders when they try new fruits and vegetables and are pleasantly surprised.”

The project is slated to begin September 2008 and continue until June 2010. Local partners in the project include, Algona Community School District, Algona Senior Center, Iowa State University Extension, Kossuth Regional Health Center, and Titonka Community School District.

“Prevention and health promotion today are the keys to reducing health care costs tomorrow and for helping Iowans live a longer, happier life,” said U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, who helped secure the federal portion of the new funding. “I congratulate the Kossuth County Board of Health and I look forward to learning how this project improves the health of this community.”