Eau Claire earns Gold Wisconsin Healthy Communities designation

Eau Claire is recognized for its work to improve local health by receiving a Gold Wisconsin Healthy Communities Designation. This new program is intended to recognize and encourage achievements in health improvement, and to promote cooperation across multiple sectors.

“We are proud to be one of the four Wisconsin communities that received a gold level designation this year”, says Lieske Giese, Health Director of the Eau Claire City-County Health Department.

To earn the gold designation, our community submitted nine examples of evidence-based initiatives that showed how we collaboratively address community needs, maximize resources, and create sustainable long-term solutions. While much collaborative work is happening in our community, community partners chose to submit the following as examples of our work: alcohol compliance checks, prescription drug disposal program, healthy food corner-store initiative, trauma-informed care approach with county services, encouraging health as part of neighborhood revitalization, Nurse Family Partnership program, city health-focused housing inspection program, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training, and the Chronic Disease Self-Management program. Partners that submitted the application included: Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, City of Eau Claire, Eau Claire City-County Health Department, Eau Claire County, Eau Claire Healthy Communities, and JONAH. “There has been a long standing focus on supporting success for all who live here. We have a strong and collaborative approach to working up-stream on health related issues. Many partners have been involved in addressing these and other health issues,” says Giese.

The Healthy Communities Designation program is designed to be accessible to communities of all shapes and sizes, both rural and urban. The program uses a three-tiered approach –bronze, silver and gold – which are meant to provide a trajectory and serve as a guide for communities as they continue to strive toward better health. The gold level is recognized as the most difficult level to achieve. Gold level designees have met additional criteria that builds upon the silver and bronze criteria.

“Eau Claire is truly a “Wisconsin Healthy Community” because of the creative and successful community partnerships that give everyone (young and old) a powerful voice,” says Mark Gideonson, Eau Claire Healthy Communities Council Co-Chair.