#HealthySaratoga: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute

Join us on Thursday, June 15^th, at the National Museum of Dance, in the Saratoga Spa State Park, on South Broadway, as we celebrate Saratoga County being named the #1 healthiest county in New York State by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute. Officials from the Foundation and Institute will be on hand to make a special presentation and to discuss how we can retain this #1 ranking.
 
The two speakers will be here to help us celebrate the fact that Saratoga County has been ranked #1 as the healthiest county in New York State in 2016 and 2017. First, they will discuss the County Health Ranking system and just how credible and comprehensive this study and its findings are. Second, they will outline additional steps we can take as a community, as employers, and as individuals to ensure Saratoga County is always one of the healthiest places to live and work. This guidance will be based on best practices from across the US and the extensive research done by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
 
Background:
 
The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The County Health Rankings measure the health of nearly all counties in the nation and rank them within states. The Rankings are compiled using county-level measures from a variety of national and state data sources. These measures are standardized and combined using scientifically-informed weights. The annual Rankings provide a revealing snapshot of how health is influenced by where we live, learn, work and play. They provide a starting point for change in communities. That is why we also provide the Roadmaps that provide guidance and tools to understand the data, and strategies that communities can use to move into action. The Roadmaps are helping communities bring people together from all walks of life to look at the many factors that influence health, focus on strategies that we know work, learn from each other, and make changes that will have a lasting impact on health.
 
Kitty Jerome, MA
Researcher
Kitty Jerome is the Director of Coaching and Outreach for the Action Center at County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
At CHR&R Kitty works to reach communities developing health improvement initiatives using the Rankings as their starting point to explore how the resources of the Action Center, including the Community Coaches, can assist them. Coaching supports local communities to advance work addressing the multiple factors that influence health, guiding communities them in building a Culture of Health for everyone. Kitty has worked on aspects of Roadmaps since 2010 as a consultant, prior to joining the program in 2013. Kitty holds a Master of Arts in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University and a Bachelor’s degree from Smith College.

Jerry Spegman, JD, is a Community Coach at County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. He lives in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He began working in public health in 1998 as the American Cancer Society’s staff lobbyist in Oregon, and then directed ACS’s advocacy program in Alaska, Montana, Oregon and Washington. In 2002, Mr. Spegman joined RWJF’s SmokeLess States initiative as a regional grants officer. From 2004 through 2009 he was a senior program consultant with RWJF’s Tobacco Policy Change initiative. From 2010 through 2014, he consulted for several public health organizations, including the Office of Smoking and Health at CDC, the Health Impact Project, the American Heart Association, and the Kansas Health Foundation.
Mr. Spegman received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Niagara University and a Juris Doctorate from the New England School of Law.