The newly formed Cumberland County Public Health Department has issued a four-year plan to improve community health.
Director Liz Blackwell-Moore says a major goal in the plan is to better address the needs of people who face the most barriers to health and well-being.
"I think we've really come to understand how deeply community conditions impact health," says Blackwell-Moore. "So it's not just about individual choice or individual behaviors. Our health is really impacted by the communities we live in."
She says those community conditions include access to transportation, safe housing, food security, and protection from discrimination.
The Cumberland County Public Health Department also announced Thursday that it was selected by the state to receive $1.4 million in annual funds over the next decade to implement strategies to prevent tobacco and substance use and promote healthy eating and active living across the county
