Transforming Communities

In 2016 The LiveWell Springfield Coalition was awarded a Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) Grant from Trinity Health Systems. These funds, managed by Mercy Medical Center, support advancing Live Well Springfield's efforts to prevent obesity and chronic disease by addressing social determinants of health through policy, systems, and environment (PSE) change.

The TCI partners coordinated their efforts to address:

• access to healthy foods and physical activity in the school environment,
• access to healthy foods and physical activity in the pre-K environment,
• reduction in youth access to tobacco products, and 
• improving infrastructure to support safe walking and biking through the continued implementation of the Complete Streets policy.

Underpinning the work was an intentional focus on engaging residents and building their advocacy skills and opportunities — including establishing a Resident Advisory Council.

  TCI Committee

• Mercy Medical Center ( Co-convener)
• Public Health Institute of Western Mass ( Co-convener)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, Inc.
• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC)
• Springfield Food Policy Council
• Springfield Public Schools
• Square One
• Way Finders