ACHIEVE Action Institutes: A model promoting action and change toward healthier communities

The ACHIEVE (Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and EnVironmental ChangE) program is designed to enhance local communities' abilities to develop and implement policy, systems, and environmental change strategies that prevent or manage risk factors related to obesity, heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis. Specific activities are directed toward reducing tobacco use and exposure, promoting physical activity and healthy eating, improving access to quality preventive health care services, and eliminating health disparities. Five national organizations have been selected to collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in conducting ACHIEVE.

One specific activity that the ACHIEVE program are the Action Institutes. These Institutes are two and half day meetings where a designated leader from the State DOH, the LHD, and the national partners learn more about the community change process and receive tools and strategies to assist with this process.

This poster describes how the ACHIEVE Action Institutes have successfully allowed local stakeholders and national organizations to work together in a collaborative process to support communities promote healthier living strategies.