Healthy Lifestyles
The mission of Countryside Public Health is to facilitate a safe and healthy future for the residents of Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Swift, and Yellow Medicine counties. Countryside Public Health works across the communities we serve to promote healthy lifestyle choices for all of the residents.
- Countryside Public Health's Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) program is partnering with various organizations across the area to prevent chronic disease by strengthening the capacity of communities to create their own healthy futures. Good health is created where people live, work, learn, and play. SHIP programs are active in our area schoos, workplaces, health care agencies, and communities. SHIP staff are working to expand the opportunities for active living, healthy eating, breast feeding support, and tobacco-free living. Healthy communities create opportunities for all Minnesotans to live longer, healthier lives.
- The SW Central Towards Zero Deaths Safe Roads Coalition works within our area to promote traffic and highway safety. Countryside Public Health staff work with local law enforcement, traffic officials, school districts, and other community resources to promote safe driving around our communities. Through a Safe Communities grant program, Countryside Public Health provides programming and resources that aim to keep our roads and drivers safe in the communities we serve. The SW Central Towards Zero Deaths Safe Roads Coalition strives to increase local involvement in traffic safety issues in rural, southwest MN through the Towards Zero Death Program (TZD). The TZD program is Minnesota’s traffic safety program that works toward lowering the number of traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths occurring on Minnesota roads. The program’s vision is to ultimately reduce those fatalities and serious injuries to zero.
- Countryside Public Health works closely with School Health in our area by working closely with our school districts, providing health information, screenings, presentations, and support. Our School Health staff send out newsletters and go into classrooms around are area to promote healthy lifestyle choices within our classrooms.
- School Health and SHIP staff also work closely with Tobacco Prevention and E-cigarette Prevention and Education. Our staff have gathered data and have done presentations for schools and community groups on both tobacco and e-cigarette usage and prevention.
