As the nation begins a new era in health care, the country is also focusing on improving individual health. Americans are living longer, yet the number of healthy productive years is approximately 10% less than the average life expectancy. In addition, many individuals are unnecessarily dying too young. Investing in one’s health is a smart play for people who want to live healthier, longer, and happier lives. Communities investing in health will create a more attractive, safe, and opportunistic place for current and future generations. The Tampa Bay Partnership Regional Research & Education Foundation, through its regional visioning process known as ONE BAY, is committed to exploring the issues most critical to the region’s future which can only be successfully addressed with a long-term view and commitment. In 2010, the ONE BAY: Healthy Communities initiative convened a diverse group of stakeholders from the public, private and non-profit sectors and challenged them to find ways for us to become more pro-active, gain a better understanding of our unique health and community issues, and commit to working together to remove barriers and promote a healthy lifestyle for all residents.
Stephen R. Mason President & CEO, BayCare Health System
With Florida’s health rankings landing at the middle to bottom of national rankings, according to various surveys, our first goal was to establish baseline data to help our region understand how healthy the Tampa Bay region is compared to the state and nation. This assessment of the Tampa Bay region highlights areas where we excel, but also where we need improvement. While the state has various programs in place to address the challenges and opportunities Florida faces, we in the Tampa Bay region need to raise awareness of the issues and create compelling reasons why business and community leaders should commit to building cultures of health. • The Tampa Bay region, in some cases, mirrors the health of the nation (i.e., obesity); yet we have found that some Tampa Bay figures far exceed the U.S. rates and Healthy People 2010 targets (i.e., motor vehicle deaths). • Our most difficult challenges are in the areas of suicide, infant deaths, low birth weight babies, obesity, smoking, and motor vehicle deaths. • Although the entire nation is experiencing the aging of the baby boomer generation, a higher proportion of the Tampa Bay population is age 55 or older when compared to most other regions. We need to recognize the special needs and abilities of this rising demographic. We look forward to working closely with a variety of key stakeholders to improve the health of our current population and attract new residents and businesses to further our economic prosperity and competitiveness.
Sincerely,
Stephen R. Mason Chair, Steering Committee ONE BAY: Healthy Communities
FULFILLING LIFE’S POSSIBILITIES
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