WILLMAR -- The Steps to a Healthier Willmar initiative has made progress during its first year at establishing relationships among a wide range of organizations, from schools to medical providers.
It has managed to launch a handful of activities to promote healthier behavior.
Sustaining long-term momentum is a concern, though. Respondents to a recent survey also said they're concerned about having enough staffing and funding to carry the initiative through another four years.
Results of the evaluation, conducted this past month by the Minnesota Institute of Public Health, were reported Wednesday to the Steps community consortium.
The evaluation will help the advisory group assess what it has accomplished so far and what its priorities should be, said Marilyn Bolin, school coordinator for the five-year federal project.
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"It's about getting people thinking in the right direction," she said. "I feel like we are in the relationship-building stage and are ready to move to the next level."
Willmar was named in 2003 as one of four cities in Minnesota to receive funding for Steps for a HealthierUS. The national project has been launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help communities encourage lifestyle changes that reduce the risk and burden of chronic disease.
It zeros in on several key areas: preventing diabetes, increasing early identification of people considered prediabetic, reducing complications of both diabetes and asthma, preventing people from becoming overweight or obese, reducing tobacco use and promoting better nutrition.
The Steps initiative is designed to help communities integrate existing programs that address these areas and find ways to meet the community's most important needs.
Projects and strategies developed in Willmar could become a model for other cities across the United States.
The evaluation, which was conducted by phone with members of the advisory consortium, found a consensus on the main goals, such as educating the public and encouraging community involvement in healthful behavior.
Communication with the public was an issue that cropped up frequently, said Teheut Selameab, evaluation project leader with the Minnesota Institute of Public Health.
"People are really concerned about this being a two-way street with the community," she said.
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Reaching out to Willmar's multicultural population was identified as an important priority as well.
The evaluators also found that consortium members were gaining personally by becoming more aware of their own health behaviors.
"People are walking the talk. More and more we're beginning to see how these issues affect our own personal lives and the workplace and the school environment," Selameab said.
While the survey didn't uncover any evidence that the initiative is losing steam, several respondents said this could become a concern at some point. Concerns also were expressed about ensuring enough time, energy and staff to keep the initiative moving forward.
