Hendricks County Receives Official Designation as an “Indiana Healthy Community”

May 21, 2019 (INDIANAPOLIS) — On May 21, Hendricks County received recognition as a community that is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of its citizens through the

Wellness Council of Indiana’s (WCI) Indiana Healthy Community initiative. It is an evidence-based collaboration process designed to help communities focus on implementing and sustaining a culture of health and well-being to spur economic vitality. Through this process, the WCI helps communities assess their programs, services and infrastructure in four areas: health, economy, environment and community. They are the second community in 2019 to receive this designation.

Communities use data from the WCI assessment and other sources to determine needs and take action by developing a Healthy Community Action Plan with goals and objectives. The designation from the WCI recognizes communities that have taken steps to improve the health and quality of life of their citizens. There is a heavy focus on healthy workplaces and employer involvement, as the initiative uses the community health conversation to drive economic vitality. One of the goals laid out in Hendricks County’s action plan is to encourage local businesses to go through the WCI’s AchieveWELL process, which helps businesses in creating a corporate culture that encourages and supports employee health through worksite wellness initiatives.

This state-wide achievement was facilitated by the Hendricks County Health Partnership, a group of key community stakeholders that collaborated on the comprehensive community assessment and goals to be carried out over the two-year designation cycle. The mission of the Hendricks County Health Partnership is to improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health of Hendricks County. You can see the full list of participating community partners on their website.