Steering Committee Meets with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Among all of the organizations tracking and taking action to improve our national health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is tops on the list.

At NashvilleHealth’s Steering Committee meeting in December, we had the honor of hosting Dr. John Lumpkin, senior vice president at RWJF.  

Lumpkin shared some of the Foundation’s findings on the state of health and the health care system in the U.S.  The Foundation keeps up on the data surrounding the nation’s health here, and Metro Public Health Department is also chronicling Nashville’s stats here.  This data tracking and measurement is a critical step in closing gaps and helping the city be healthier. Lumpkin and his colleagues, Paul Kuehnert and Hilary Heishman, also met with several Nashville leaders who showcased the city’s efforts to create a culture of health.

At the December meeting, we also welcomed three new Steering Committee members, including Tom Starling of Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee, John Chobanian of HealthierTN, and Michele Williams, MD, of Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center.  

Lastly, several partners shared updates about efforts in our three missional areas of focus: child health, hypertension and smoking cessation. Visit our blog for a quick recap of discussion points, and let us know if you want to Get Involved in any of these areas.

• D’Yuanna Allen-Robb, director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Health from Metro Public Health Department, updated the group on a collective effort led by NashvilleHealth, Metro Public Health and Meharry Medical College to reduce infant deaths.   
• Nancy Anness, vice president of Access, Advocacy, and Community Relations for Saint Thomas Health, shared efforts in alignment with the Women’s Heart Alliance, to address women’s cardiovascular health as part of Nashville’s designation as a “City With Heart.”
• John Chobanian with HealthierTN shared tobacco cessation efforts and the alarming statistics our state carries on the use of tobacco and e-cigarettes.  

The Steering Committee will reconvene in the coming months to continue to take action on these areas, including workgroup meetings that are taking place in between full committee meetings.