$373 million in stimulus funds available for wellness initiatives

Sun September 20 2009
Posted Sep 20, 2009
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statewide Check with your local officials to make sure they are aware that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's announcement Thursday of the release of $373 million in stimulus funds for disease prevention and wellness initiatives at the community level. This is a portion of the total allocation of $650 million included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for prevention and wellness. 3) Secretary Sebelius also announced that when more funds are released over the next several weeks, HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Kathy J. Greenlee will oversee a portion of that funding. HHS created a comprehensive initiative within the stimulus package for chronic disease prevention efforts, called Communities Putting Prevention to Work (http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/cdc/chronicdisease.html) The initiative, which will be led by the CDC, aims to reduce risk factors, prevent or delay chronic disease, promote wellness in children and adults, and provide positive, sustainable health change in communities. The grants, which will be awarded through a competitive selection process, support communities using evidence-based approaches to chronic disease prevention and control to affect the following outcomes:

Increased levels of physical activity
Improved nutrition
Decreased overweight/obesity prevalence
Decreased tobacco uses; and
Decreased exposure to secondhand smoke

Communities that wish to apply for awards will be able find a Funding Opportunity Announcement here. The application deadline for the community projects is December 1, 2009. Applicants must also submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to be eligible to apply for this program and that deadline is October 30, 2009.