COUNTY benchmarks

There are different quality of life benchmarks within the application for each category. These benchmarks relate to where people live, work, learn, eat and play. Many focus on creating opportunities for increasing, healthy eating and physical activity and decreasing tobacco usage. These things are vital to reducing the major causes of death and disability in our state.

Throughout the application there are several benchmarks that scale based on population size. 
  • One=Small – Less than 25,000
  • Two=Medium – 25,000 to 49,999
  • Three=Large 50,000 to 79,999
  • Four=Extra Large – more than 80,000

LIVE

Communities have a unique opportunity to offer services and set policies that allow citizens to LIVE in safe, clean, and comfortable places. This section is concerned with how communities have worked toward the goal of increasing the livability of their county. Specifically, topics covered will include walkability of public streets, green spaces, breastfeeding, community gardens, and cessation programs.

Does your county have an ordinance or policy in place that enables safe walking by requiring all new residential construction or multi-unit residential renovation projects to add new or repair existing sidewalks and street lights as part of the project?

Does your county have an ordinance or policy in place that enables residents to connect to nature by requiring all new residential construction or multi-unit residential renovation projects to include green space for recreation/relaxation in the project? 

Does your county have a policy or initiative for the implementation of a sidewalk maintenance plan that defines a priority list of sidewalks to be repaired and provides an action plan to ensure regular upkeep and repair for all sidewalks within the county?

Does your county ensure that sidewalks or walkways are accessible for residents with disabilities and mobility challenges?

In the last three years:

  • Has a walkability assessment or audit taken place in your county?
  • If yes, has an action plan based on the results of the walkability assessment or audit been created? 

Is there at least one healthcare office or facility within your county that has a written breastfeeding/pumping policy to encourage and enable breastfeeding and pumping that goes beyond the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines?

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) healthcare office or facility within your county that connects those who have just given birth to breastfeeding/pumping support groups (signage, patient navigation, referrals, etc.?) 

Does your county have at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) community garden that any resident can use? 

Does your county have at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) health care provider that refers tobacco users to cessation programs? 

Does your county have at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None local workgroup, organization, or coalition that promotes tobacco prevention and cessation, including e-cigarettes or vaping? If yes, are any of these programs or initiatives …

  • led by youth?
  • for people under the age of 18?
  • for racial or ethnic minorities (can be an organization listed above or a different organization)?
  • … for LGBTQ+ populations (can be an organization listed above or a different organization)?

LEARN

CHWV recognizes communities that excel in creating safe and clean spaces for citizens to LEARN. Learning takes place in schools, libraries, and in the community at large. This section first focuses on the ways that schools create settings for youth to learn about and participate in various health-related activities. Second, CHWV is interested in what activities are being provided for citizens of all ages in public spaces. Third, CHWV wants to know what programs are being offered by the community that focus on lifestyle change. Taken together, these areas focus on community efforts to increase learning about nutrition, physical activity, and healthy habits.

Schools are primary settings for youth to learn about and participate in various activities related to nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco prevention & control. Therefore, CHWV strives to recognize communities with schools going above and beyond what is required by state laws/ WV Department of Education policies.

Do any public schools within the county: (check all that apply):

  • Have a school garden or a similar program where children of different ages have regular lessons in the garden, learning how to grow, harvest, and prepare various fruits and vegetables?
  • Have a Farm to School program or a similar program where children can access fresh, healthy foods through schools establishing connections with local food producers?
  • Provide opportunities for youth physical activity before or after school?
  • Have an agreement (often called a shared or joint use agreement) that allows for community use of school facilities outside school hours?
  • Offer opportunities for students to participate in school-based tobacco prevention & control initiatives

 

Public libraries are emerging as trendsetters in promoting community health. Therefore, CHWV seeks to recognize communities with libraries that are providing innovative health promotion activities–including nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco prevention & cessation.

Are there libraries within your county that offer opportunities for residents to participate in activities designed to:
(check all that apply):

  • Promote healthy eating – examples could include cooking classes, chronic disease prevention, and self-management programs, seed collections/gardening classes, and equipment
  • Encourage physical activity – examples could include StoryWalk®, yoga/fitness classes, loaning out physical activity equipment such as bicycles
  • Prevent tobacco use or promote tobacco use cessation – examples could include displaying posters about the risks of tobacco use, partnering with organizations to offer cessation classes at the library

Are any of these lifestyle change programs taking place within the county: (Select all that apply)

  • Walk with Ease
  • Diabetes Self Management Education and Support (DSMES)
  • Dining with Diabetes
  • Chronic Disease Self Management Program (CDSMP)
  • Taking off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS)
  • Weight Watchers (WW)
  • National Diabetes Prevention Program (NationalDPP)
  • FARMacy (Food prescription program)
  • Move Your Way (Physical activity prescription program)
  • Other, Please Describe:

WORK

Encouraging and recognizing communities that promote safe and healthy WORK environments is an important goal for CHWV. Employers play a pivotal role in creating healthy communities in their ability to promote safe and healthy workplaces. Of importance here are employers that enact programs and policies that encourage healthy eating, physical activity, general wellness, and healthy lifestyles.

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) employer(s) within the county that have an active worksite wellness program for employees? Worksite wellness programs encourage physical activity, healthy eating, and/or tobacco cessation before during, or after the workday.

At least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) employer(s) has a Work@Health certified employee.

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) employer(s) within your county that has tobacco-free policies?

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) employer(s) within your county with policies that encourage and enable physical activity for employees?

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) employer(s) within your county that has policies to ensure employees have access to healthy food options? Examples include policies about an onsite farmers market, healthy options in vending machines and meetings where healthy food is provided, providing water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.

EAT

CHWV celebrates communities that encourage healthy EATING habits and provide nutritional assistance in making healthy eating choices. This section highlights aspects of healthy food and drink choices that are publicly available in the community. Specifically, CHWV is interested in publicly available healthy food and drink options, farmers markets and their associated programs, food pantries, nutrition education, and food prescriptions.

Within your county, is there a group or organization that advocates for and works to increase access to fruits and vegetables?

Does your county have drinking fountains and/or water bottle refilling stations that are free and accessible in public spaces?

Does your county have at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) farmers market? If yes, do any of the farmers markets offer any of the following opportunities? Select all that apply. 

  • Ability to shop with EBT/SNAP benefits
  • At least one fresh fruits and vegetables vendor that accepts Senior Vouchers?
  • At least one fresh fruits and vegetables vendor that accepts WIC?
  • An incentive program to SNAP and/or Senior Voucher recipients that allows them to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables?

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) food pantry in your county with refrigeration available to store fresh fruit and vegetables?

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) food pantry in your county with signage or other education to encourage healthy food and beverage choices?

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) convenience store within your county that sells fresh fruit and vegetables?

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) healthful cooking or similar educational program held monthly within your county?

Is there at least one restaurant or grocery store within your county with a written agreement to donate surplus fruit and vegetables to local food banks?

Is there at least one health care provider within your county that gives patients prescriptions or vouchers for fruit and vegetable consumption?

PLAY

PLAY, or recreation, is vital in encouraging, creating, and sustaining a healthy community. This section is focused on how your community has attempted to increase physical activity and recreation for all community members. CHWV is particularly interested in learning more about how your community connects health care and physical activity, how your county utilizes public space (i.e., public trails) for physical activity, and if/how your community uses bike routes to encourage biking.

Is there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) health care provider in your county who writes prescriptions for patients to be physically active?

Is there an organization within your county that encourages and allows community members to utilize their space (i.e., gymnasium or field) for physical activity? Examples might include schools, churches, Boys & Girls Clubs, etc. 

Are there at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) walking or biking trails that are accessible to the public within your county? Please provide the names and locations of the trails or trailheads below. 

  • If yes, are any of the walking or biking trails in your county paved? 

Has your county enhanced or expanded at least (One, Two, Three, Four, None) existing publicly accessible trails within the last 3 years?

Is there at least one multi-generational, fully accessible (ADA) park within your county? 

Does your county have bicycle routes?

  • If yes, Do these bicycle routes have a signage system indicating these routes?
  • If yes, Do these bicycle routes have clearly marked lanes? 

TOBACCO POLICY AND ENVIRONMENTAL

Creating a safe and healthy community involves ensuring citizens have safe air to breathe and are encouraged to engage in healthy lifestyle choices. Through policy, communities have the ability to enact rules and guidelines regarding where and when citizens are allowed to consume tobacco or nicotine (i.e., cigars, cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and chewing tobacco) in public places. Public places encompass all of the places your citizens live, learn, work, eat, and play.

Please select all the places in the list below that your county policy designates must be smoke-free. In order to be considered ‘smoke-free,’ all public areas must be smoke-free and include signage. Spit tobacco and Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) products are their own benchmarks.

Please attach a copy or a link to your county’s smoking policy to document each benchmark selected.

LIVE
o Public Housing
o Health Care Facilities, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Doctors’ Offices, etc.
o Public Transportation

LEARN
o Public and Private Schools
o Child Care Facilities
o Institutions of higher learning

WORK
o City or County Buildings
o Worksites

EAT
o Restaurants
o Bars

PLAY
o Movie Theaters
o Hotels
o Sporting Events or Recreational Facilities, both Indoors and Out
o Concert Venues
o Parks and Playgrounds
o Gaming Venues
o Outdoor Fairs and Festivals

Does your smoking policy include spit tobacco?

Does your smoking policy include Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) products? This benchmark is worth 2 points.

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