Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County

Dear Community Leader:

I am writing to ask you to join Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County as we strive to build a healthier community. The overall health status of our citizens is not good, as outlined in the enclosed Executive Summary of the Montgomery County 2010 Community Health Assessment. We also find a disproportionate burden of disease and death in our minority populations.

It is clear that we as a community are continuing to make poor lifestyle choices that negatively affect our health. We eat poorly, do not exercise enough, and continue to smoke which explains why cancer and heart disease are the top two causes of death in Montgomery County. We also often adopt other bad behaviors as well, including alcohol and drug abuse, and unsafe sex practices.

To reverse these trends, I am asking you and other community leaders to serve as healthy role models. Are you currently leading a healthy lifestyle and setting a good example for our citizens? If not, are you willing to change your behaviors and influence others to do the same?

I am asking for your help. Please join me by doing the following:

• Read the executive summary and note the major findings, priorities and calls to action.
• Learn more by requesting a copy of the full report at communityassessment@phdmc.org or download from the PHDMC.org website. Search for: ‘Community Health Assessment 2010’
• Abide by the calls to action and share this information with your family, friends and constituents.
• Help our citizens abide by the calls to action.
• Join us as we engage our community and begin to develop county-wide strategies to help us all become healthier.

I look forward to partnering with you to create a healthier Montgomery County.

Sincerely,

Jim Gross, MPH
Montgomery County Health Commissioner