1. Certified Healthy: Community
Lenae Clements
Community Wellness Systems Coordinator
Center for the Advancement of Wellness
Oklahoma State Department of Health
-Thank you for your interest in Certified Healthy Oklahoma. Today I hope to give you some exciting information about Certified Healthy Oklahoma for Communities.
-We have two goals for all the certification programs:
-To encourage better health for all Oklahomans where they live, work, learn and play and;
-To implement policies that will create healthy environments in our businesses, campuses, communities, congregations, early childhood programs, restaurants, and schools.
-We’re counting on you to help us move the needle on our health status—let’s move from 45th in the nation to 1st! (America’s Health Rankings 2015)

2. What Is Certified Healthy Communities?
Legislatively created in 2010 and launched in 2011 to showcase communities that promote wellness, encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors, and establish safe and supportive environments.
Annual assessment tool to show any incorporated city, town, or municipality that has a governing body where they stand on supporting health.
Three levels of certification are presented to qualifying applicants:
Basic
Merit
Excellence
-Complements six other Certified Healthy programs: (1) Businesses (2) Campuses (3) Congregations (4) Early Childhood Programs (5) Restaurants (6) Schools.
-Promotion of health and wellness can be done in a variety of ways, including passing policies that encourage healthy lifestyles and making facilities available for physical activities.
-Communities will have to reapply each year to maintain their certification status.
-Endorsed by: Oklahoma State Department of Health, Center for the Advancement of Wellness and Oklahoma Turning Point Council.

3. Why Is Becoming A Certified Healthy Community Important?
Being a Certified Healthy Community shows the public that the municipality provides a healthy environment for their residents and visitors.
Regular review of ordinances, policies and procedures can help strengthen practice.
Oklahoma’s poor health outcomes effects municipalities’ economic development opportunities. Certified Healthy Communities are able to show potential businesses that they are dedicated to providing businesses a healthy workforce and community.
-From 1990 to 2010, life expectancy in the US had increased by 3.3 years; in the same time period, Oklahomans have only seen an increase of 0.9 years (OSDH 2014).
-The leading cause of death in Oklahoma is heart disease. In fact, 1 in 4 Oklahoma deaths in 2012 was due to heart disease (OSDH 2014). Physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and smoking all contribute to heart disease.
-In 2010, Oklahoma had the highest death rate due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the nation. Cigarette smoking is the main cause of COPD and secondhand smoke contributes to the disease as well (OSDH 2014).

4. Community Criteria Categories
Developed from the Blue Zone Project, Institute for Local Government: Healthy Neighborhoods and Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Healthy Living program Cities and Government Sector Outcomes.
-The Blue Zones Project takes a systematic environmental approach to improving well-being through policy, building design, social networks and the built environment. By optimizing our environments—those settings where we live, work, and play, which influence our behavior—we can make the healthy choice the easy choice so that we naturally adopt healthy behaviors.
-The Institute for Local Government: Healthy Neighborhoods Project provides support and resources to protect and improve community health by integrating health considerations into their planning, land use and other decisions.
-TSET sector outcomes address the required and priority outcomes for cities and government in the Healthy Living Program.
-Four criteria categories: (1) Tobacco and Alcohol (2) Nutrition and Physical Activity (3) Community Resources (4) Education/Awareness

5. Scoring Community Size Basic Merit Excellence
Rural: Less than 4,300 8 9 11
Small: 4,300-13,999 13
Medium: 14,000-29,999 10 12 14
Large: 30,000-79,999 15
Metro: 80,000+ 16
Certification based on minimum points needed for each of the four sections.
To obtain Basic or Merit certification, communities must enforce a 100% smoke-free policy and to obtain Excellence certification, communities must enforce a 100% tobacco-free policy that prohibits smoking indoors and outdoors on city owned/operated property.
-83 total criteria in four scored categories. Each criteria selected is worth one point, with the exception of the criteria that specifies “check one”. In those cases, the first option (i.e. “none”) is scored as 0 points, second option (i.e. “some”) as 1 point, and third option (i.e. “all”) as 2 points.
-The ability to achieve Excellence status requires that specific criteria listed below are selected as part of meeting the minimum number of points within each section.
1. Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Senior Benefits are accepted within the community (i.e. farmer’s markets, corner stores, grocery stores)
2. Active Walking School Bus, Safe Routes to School, or Bike to School programs are available within the community
3. The municipality and community members are engaged in a local strategic planning process addressing public health needs including assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating public health activities
4. Safe storage and proper disposal of prescription drugs is promoted within the community according the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines provided on TakeAsPrescribed.org

6. What’s In It For The Community?
Recognition as a community that goes “above and beyond” to create a healthy, progressive environment.
The opportunity to invest in Oklahoma citizens’ quality of life.
Enhance the community’s image when trying to recruit businesses and residents to the area.
Eligible for the Healthy Community Incentive Grant.
-Recipients are invited to a special recognition awards event.
-If interested in the Healthy Communities Grant please visit the TSET website at or contact Connie Befort, Grants Program Manager at or (405) for more information.

7. Be A Part of the Change

8. Increase Certified Healthy Community
-Let’s help increase Certified Healthy Community!

9. Certification Process
Please visit for additional info, applications and criteria.
Application period opens August 1st and closes November 1st at 11:59 pm.
After December 1st, certification announcements will be made.
Awards event in March.
-Let’s get certified!

10. Please visit www.certifiedhealthyok.com
Contact Information
For more information, contact the Community Wellness Systems Coordinator, Lenae Clements, at the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Center for the Advancement of Wellness:
(405) ext
Please visit
We hope you have learned more about the Certified Healthy Community Program. Please do not hesitate to contact staff at the Oklahoma State Department of Health if you need more information.

11. Thank You
You are one step closer to helping a community become Certified Healthy. We appreciate your dedication to advancing the health and wellness of Oklahomans!