Port Towns Wellness Opportunity Zone: Engaging community members in health planning and evidence-based approaches to eliminate disparities and promote healthy communities

This paper describes a community health partnership that has engaged residents (adults and youth), mayors and commissioners, faith-based community, schools, youth-serving organizations and businesses to address the social determinants of health in four towns that have joined together as a single entity. The towns' community development corporation and community-based organizations have been engaged in a two-year planning process with a healthcare provider through community benefit funds to implement an action plan which will move recommendations in a previously approved sector (land use) plan and evidenced-based strategies for healthy eating and active living. This paper will describe the process for how the area, the Port Towns in Prince George's county (MD), came to be legislated as a “Wellness Opportunity Zone.” This concept is one that embraces policy-driven strategies to ensure healthy eating and active living options in the Port Towns through the use of effective land use and other environmental strategies. The policy was developed, introduced to the State General Assembly, and seen through to passage by the presenter, a former Maryland state senator. The presenter was also the former mayor of one of the Port Towns and is now facilitating the community action planning that will result in evidence-based strategies for healthy eating and active living in the Port Towns. Four funders are pooling resources to support implementation of the evidence-based strategies which will be selected by the community.