Red Oak opts out of Blue Zones
Despite almost a two-year process, Red Oak has opted out of the Blue Zones project and will continue with a locally-directed effort to improve the health and wellness of Montgomery County without the supervision of Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Healthways.
Local Initiative Organizer Angie Britten said it was a tough decision, but Blue Zones was no longer a good fit for Red Oak, referring to the process of achieving Blue Zones’ certification as a “constantly moving target.”
Red Oak was named a Blue Zones destination site in October 2012, nearly a year after the initial push for support in the community began. In order to become certified, the community then had to submit a blueprint detailing the specific Blue Zones options the community intended to enact.
After submitting the blueprint in April, Britten said they received changes to make, and along with the continuous updates in the Blue Zones model, she said it didn’t seem feasible.The Blue Zones model has various sectors, including personal, schools, worksites, restaurants, grocery stores and community policy, and each sector has a menu of options to choose from that are worth a certain amount of points. A specific number of points in each sector are required to become certified.
New options and point requirements will be made annually, according to Blue Zones Engagement Manager Sally Dix.
“The Blue Zones model is evolving as new evidence and data comes into play to continue to improve upon wellness,” Dix said about the updates. “We anticipate the Blue Zones model will work regardless of size of community because the model is based on choice. We feel there are enough choices available to make milestones achievable.”
Locally, however, the Power Nine Team that organized the effort unanimously agreed the changes proved too complicated to be attainable.
“The primary goal of our efforts has always been improving the health and wellness of our community,” Power Nine Team member Larry Brandstetter said in a recent press release. “However, after becoming more involved with the Blue Zones Project and experiencing the changes that come with a pilot project of its kind, we feel that it is no longer a feasible project for Red Oak.”
Aside from the changing requirements, the monetary component from Wellmark for the project, or lack there of, added to the Power Nine Team’s decision to part ways with the project.
According to Dix, Wellmark allocated $25 million to bring Blue Zones to Iowa. A total of 19 communities, 10 with populations more than 10,000 and nine, including Red Oak, with populations less that 10,000, were chosen as destination sites. The allotted money goes toward resources for the project.
Dix said no community gets money to implement the Blue Zones principals. However, the larger communities did receive paid project staff members to assist in building the blueprint and implementing the project. The smaller communities, like Red Oak, are operated locally with the assistance of Wellmark support staff.
“We knew communities like Red Oak already had such strong support, and we didn’t want to push those individuals who were already doing such good work out,” Dix said. “In a larger community, though, it was harder to get that support, so that’s why we chose this model.”
Britten, who was hired as the leader of the Red Oak Blue Zones effort, is paid through local corporate sponsors. Dix said all the small communities are organized differently; some are managed entirely by volunteers while others have held fundraising efforts to pay for a position.
“We were disappointed because Red Oak has done a lot of great work,” Dix said about Red Oak opting out of the project. “More than 1,000 people made individual pledges and 10 employers have backed the project. The purpose of Blue Zones is to improve wellbeing and we think the Blue Zones model is the best approach, but we support any community or sector seeking wellness improvements.”
Even without the title of Blue Zones, Britten said the Power Nine Team is committed to improving wellness in the community.
“Our community is enthusiastic about making healthier choices,” she said. “Our schools, healthcare organizations and industries have laid the groundwork for successful wellness programming. We feel that we can build upon that foundation to create a wellness program designed by our community, for our community and in our own timeframe.”
Britten said they plan to hold commmunity meetings to gather input and support on a continued wellness program in the area. Under Blue Zones, the project was confined to the 51566 area, but the new project will likely extend throughout the county, she said.
No timeframe or specific information is available on the new wellness program.