Blue Zones Project is a collaboration between Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Healthways to help make Iowa #1 in the nation for well-being, as measured by the Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index®.
As a significant part of Iowa's Healthiest State Initiative, it will bring the secrets of the healthiest, happiest, and longest-living cultures in the world to many Iowa communities as well as related tools and information for all Iowans.
It’s the nation's first, state-wide, comprehensive well-being improvement initiative, bringing permanent changes to policy, environment and social networks that lead to lower health care cost trends, higher productivity and improved economic and social vitality.
Together we will ignite a community-by-community movement to improve the well-being of Iowans and, more importantly, help future generations experience a greater quality of health and life.
Of the 900+ communities in Iowa, ten will be chosen to receive direct support from the Healthways | Blue Zones Project Team in their quest to become Blue Zones Communities.
Selection will occur over the course of multiple rounds and will consider various criteria including:
Citizen support is one of the most important selection criteria and also a leading indicator of your community's readiness and ability to improve its well-being.
Whether your community is trying to become a Blue Zones Project Demonstration Site (a community that receives direct support from the Healthways | Blue Zones Project Team) or taking a self-directed path, you'll want to encourage residents to sign up—and then track their progress—here.
The chart below shows the current level of support for the top 100 cities based on citizen signups, either by joining on this website or by texting BZP to 772937. It’s updated every 24 hours.
Scores are based on the percentage of the community's population that has pledged support (number of individual pledges divided by the city's population).
Have you signed up yet? If not, help your hometown. Join now to show your support.
Note: Registration is the only component measured in this chart and the numbers reflected here include anyone who has registered in the previous site.
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Please use the following Blue Zones Community media relations contact for inquiries by the media only. Journalists on a deadline are advised to contact Blue Zones Community by phone rather than email.
Bruce Middlebrooks
Healthways, Inc.
701 Cool Springs Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37067
Office: (615) 614-4463
Mobile: (615) 739-1190
bruce.middlebrooks@healthways.com
| May 4, 2012 | Four Iowa communities selected as first Blue Zones Project [TM] demonstration sites | ||
| February 10, 2012 | Eleven Iowa Communities Closer to Becoming Blue Zones Project Demo Sites | ||
| January 11, 2012 | 54 Iowa Communities Submit Applications for Blue Zones Project | ||
| November 30, 2011 | Blue Zones Project Invites 58 Communities for Application Phase | ||
| November 8, 2011 | 84 Iowa Communities Submit Statement of Interest for Blue Zones Project | ||
| September 13, 2011 | Wellmark, Healthways and Gov Branstad Launch Blue Zones Project | ||
| August 10, 2011 | Branstad Announces Effort to Make Iowa the Healthiest State |
